Trending
KERRVILLE, Texas (AP) -- More heavy rains in Texas on Sunday temporarily paused a weeklong search for victims of catastrophic flooding along the Guadalupe River and led to high-water rescues elsewhere as officials warned that the downpours could again cause waterways to surge.
It was the first time a new round of severe weather had paused the search since the July Fourth floods, which killed at least 129 people. Authorities believe more than 160 people may still be missing in Kerr County alone, and 10 more in neighboring areas.
In Kerrville, where local officials have come under scrutiny over the failure to adequately warn residents about the rising water in the early morning hours of July 4, authorities went door-to-door to some homes after midnight early Sunday to alert people that flooding was again possible. Authorities also pushed phone alerts to those in the area.
During the pause in searches, Ingram Fire Department officials ordered crews to immediately evacuate the Guadalupe River corridor in Kerr County, warning the potential for a flash flood is high.
Late Sunday afternoon, the Kerr County Sheriff's Office announced that search teams in the western part of that county could resume their efforts. The Ingram Fire Department would resume their search and rescue efforts Monday morning, said agency spokesman Brian Lochte.
Latest flooding
damages dozens of homes
Gov. Greg Abbott said on X that the state was making rescues in San Saba, Lampasas and Schleicher counties and that evacuations were taking place in a handful of others. Texas Task Force 1, a joint state and federal urban search and rescue team, had rescued dozens of people in the Lampasas area, Abbott said.
The latest round of flooding damaged about 100 homes and knocked down untold lengths of cattle fencing, said Ashley Johnson, CEO of the Hill Country Community Action Association, a San Saba-based nonprofit.
"Anything you can imagine in a rural community was damaged," she said. "Our blessing is it was daylight and we knew it was coming."
With more rain on the way, county officials ordered everyone living in flood-prone areas near the San Saba River to evacuate. Johnson said people were being moved to the San Saba Civic Center, which has become a safe, high place for people to receive aid and shelter.
"Everyone is in some way personally affected by this," she said. "Everyone is just doing what they can to help their neighbors."
A wide-ranging
weather system brings heavy rains
The weather system brought multiple rounds of heavy rains and slow-moving storms across a widespread area, pushing rivers and streams over their banks. Heading into the afternoon and evening, the heaviest rains were expected along the I-35 corridor and east, said meteorologist Patricia Sanchez from the National Weather Service's Fort Worth office.
"A few spots might see up to 2 to 4 (inches per hour), pretty much through the evening, before the rain, the coverage of rain and the intensity of the rain, slowly decreases," Sanchez said.
Forecasters warned that the Guadalupe River could rise to nearly 15 feet (4.6 meters) by Sunday afternoon, about five feet above flood stage and enough to put the Highway 39 bridge under water in Hunt, the small town where Camp Mystic is located along the river.
"Numerous secondary roads and bridges are flooded and very dangerous," a weather service warning said.
The rains were also causing other waterways to swell further north in Texas, where emergency crews rescued one motorist who was left stranded in waist-high rapids on a submerged bridge over the Bosque River. The man leaned onto the vehicle for support as crews tried to reach him with life jackets.
"He drove into it and didn't realize how deep it was," said Jeff Douglas, president of the McGregor Volunteer Fire Department. "Luckily he was able to stand next to the vehicle."