Deadly flooding devastates Texas Hill Country, damaging farms, ranches, and livestock operations again, one year after historic floods
Severe flooding has struck Texas Hill Country again, leaving at least two people dead, prompting hundreds of water rescues, and causing widespread damage to farms, ranches, and livestock operations nearly a year after a deadly flood disaster devastated the region.
Several areas received more than 2 feet of rain over a matter of days, bringing nearly a year’s worth of precipitation in less than a week. The intense rainfall sent dangerous floodwaters through river valleys, damaging rural communities and agricultural areas.
Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller declared an agricultural emergency for impacted areas, citing extensive damage to crops, fencing, grazing land and transportation routes. The declaration allows state resources to assist farmers, ranchers and agricultural businesses as recovery efforts begin.
Gov. Greg Abbott also issued a disaster declaration as emergency crews responded throughout the region. Officials reported more than 230 water rescues by Friday morning as flooding affected homes, roads and agricultural infrastructure.
The flooding has renewed painful memories for many residents and ranchers following last summer’s catastrophic flooding along the Guadalupe River basin that killed more than 130 people.
Some areas near Kerrville received between 15 and 20 inches of rain, while Uvalde recorded more than 26 inches during the week. The Guadalupe River surged roughly 32 feet in a four-hour period as water rapidly moved through the region.
Meteorologists said the event highlights the danger of extreme rainfall across a large watershed, where massive amounts of water can quickly overwhelm rivers and low-lying areas. They also cautioned that descriptions such as “1-in-1,000-year rainfall” refer to historical probabilities and do not mean such events can only happen once every thousand years.
Experts have noted that extreme rainfall events have become more frequent in recent decades, with heavy rain exceeding 4 inches in a 24-hour period increasing significantly since the mid-1990s.
Animals were also impacted by the flooding. At a ranch near Boerne, volunteers helped rescue about 80 horses trapped by rising waters. Roughly 30 horses were removed from flooded stalls, while another 50 were relocated from areas threatened by continued flooding.
Although the heaviest rainfall has moved away from the hardest-hit areas, saturated ground conditions remain a concern, as even additional moderate rain could trigger more flash flooding.
Emergency officials continue urging residents to avoid flooded roads and follow evacuation warnings as communities across Texas Hill Country begin cleanup and recovery efforts.
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