Live Updates
Officials report multiple deaths from catastrophic flooding in Central Texas
What we're covering
• There have been multiple deaths from the flooding caused by torrential rain in central Texas, a local official said Friday. Kerr County Judge Rob Kelly would not give a number of casualties in the county, saying officials are trying to identify victims at a morgue.
• Widespread rainfall of 4 to 6 inches, with some reports of over 10 inches, has fallen from San Angelo to Kerrville, the seat of Kerr County, since late Thursday evening, prompting multiple flash flood emergencies — the most severe form of flood warning.
• Heavy rain will continue into the afternoon as slow-moving storms stall over the same hard-hit areas.
SOON: Acting Texas governor to hold news conference
Acting Texas Gov. Dan Patrick will hold a news conference at 2 p.m. CT (3 p.m. ET) to provide more information on catastrophic flooding impacting parts of the state.
Heaviest rain is moving out of Kerrville
Rain has started to slow down over Kerrville early Friday afternoon, but heavier rain continues to fall farther east. Lighter rain will continue for a couple more hours in Kerrville and there may be a brief dry period this evening, but additional rain is possible on Saturday.
San Saba River crested today, shattering nearly 90-year-old record
The San Saba River south of Brady, Texas, hit a historic level today, cresting at 31.01 feet just after noon — shattering the previous record of 29.1 feet set in 1938.
The river surged nearly 30 feet between 3 a.m. and 11 a.m. CT.
Brady is around 90 miles north of Kerrville.
Dangerous flooding in Kerr County was in the forecast
A National Weather Service flood watch for Kerr County and several surrounding counties noted “locally heavy rainfall could cause flash flooding” through Friday morning. It stated 5 to 7 inches of rain was possible in some areas and some waterways could flood.
A flash flood warning was issued for Kerr County around 1 a.m. CT as heavy rain began. The NWS upped the severity of the warning multiple times, eventually issuing a rare flash flood emergency for the county at 4:04 a.m. CT, followed by one specifically for Kerrville at 5:34 a.m. CT.
United Cajun Navy is en route to assist with flood response
The United Cajun Navy is on its way to assist areas in Texas impacted by the catastrophic flooding.
“We are in direct contact with members of Congress from that area,” the Cajun Navy said on X. “We ask everyone to heed local warnings as the initial reports appear very grim, and the affected areas in TX are still life threatening.”
Deadly "flood wave" reminds locals of 1987
Officials have compared this flood to the historic Guadalupe River Flood of 1987, when nearly a foot of rain fell just west of Hunt, Texas, between July 16 and 17.
This triggered a similar “flood wave” downstream, killing 10 teenagers and injuring 33 people, according to the National Weather Service. The wave also moved through Ingram, Kerrville and Comfort.
Today, the Guadalupe River level at Hunt was the second highest this region has seen on record, higher than the 1987 flood.
Knee-high floodwater submerges San Angelo neighborhood
Neighborhoods in San Angelo also saw dangerous flooding. The city, which is in Tom Green County, is around 150 miles northwest of Kerrville.
Texas agriculture commissioner urges residents to "stay alert" amid flooding
Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller warned residents about damaging flooding that can “strike fast and without much warning.”
“My prayers go out to the families in Kerrville and across the Hill Country who are dealing with the devastation from these deadly floods,” Miller said in a statement. “We’ve already seen tragic loss of life.”
He urged citizens to “follow local emergency warnings, and do not drive through flooded roads.”
State is "surging all available resources" to flooding, governor says
Texas is “surging all available resources” to respond to ongoing major flooding in the Kerr county area, Texas Governor Greg Abbott said in a post on X.
Those resources include water rescue teams, sheltering centers, the National Guard, and the Texas Department of Public Safety.
No comments:
Post a Comment