Catastrophic flash floods strike the Texas Hill Country
A sudden deluge sent the Guadalupe River surging in the dark, killing scores in one of the state's deadliest flood disasters.
Catastrophic flash floods struck the Texas Hill Country over the July Fourth holiday, as torrential rain sent rivers surging with terrifying speed in the dark of night, killing scores of people in one of the deadliest flood disasters in the state's history.
An intense band of rain stalled over the region, dropping enormous amounts of water in a short time over terrain known as "Flash Flood Alley," where thin soils and steep hills funnel rainfall rapidly into rivers. The Guadalupe River and others rose with astonishing speed, in some places surging many feet in a matter of minutes while most people slept.
The flooding swept away homes, vehicles and camps along the rivers, and the death toll climbed tragically high, including children at a summer camp caught in the path of the rising water. The speed and timing of the flood left little chance for escape or warning in some areas.
The disaster raised searing questions about flood warnings, river monitoring and preparedness in a region long known for dangerous flash flooding. It was a devastating example of how extreme, concentrated rainfall — made more likely by a warming atmosphere that holds more moisture — can turn placid rivers into killers.
For the Hill Country, the floods were a profound tragedy, and a grim reminder of the lethal power of fast-rising water, and of the importance of heeding warnings and understanding the risks in flood-prone terrain.