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Evacuations underway, holiday celebrations cancelled amid 'catastrophic' flooding in Kerr County
The start of July Fourth has brought “life-threatening flash flooding” to the area, according to NWS. County authorities confirmed an unknown number of fatalities.
KERRVILLE, Texas — The Fourth of July holiday has brought “major flooding” along the Guadalupe River in Kerrville, where 5 to 10 inches of rain has already fallen before sunrise during what’s become a “life-threatening” situation, according to the National Weather Service.
Kerrville authorities are urging that residents who live within 100 yards of the river “evacuate now” as water overtakes several streets in town. A reunification area has been set up at the Walmart at 2106 Junction Highway. More rainfall is expected due to extremely slow-moving storms in Kerr and Kendall counties, which remain under a Flash Flood Warning until 2 p.m.
The Kerr County Sheriff’s Office (KCSO) has called the flooding “catastrophic,” adding there are fatalities connected to the weather situation. The agency could not confirm how many at this point.
“Our office is working with a wide variety of local and state agencies to respond to calls and rescue,” KCSO said in a statement. “The entire county is an extremely active scene. Residents are encouraged to shelter in place and not attempt travel. Those near creeks, streams, and the Guadalupe River should immediately move to higher ground.”
Thus far, Kerrville is being hit the hardest. The city’s “Fourth on the River” holiday celebration is cancelled, per event organizers, after Louise Hays Park flooded on Friday morning.
A widespread power outage is affecting 5,000 customers in Kerr County amid the severe weather.
At 5:10 a.m., the Guadalupe River reached its second-highest height on record, the NWS says—even higher than the 1987 flood.
“This is a very dangerous and life-threatening flood event,” weather officials said on social media, while urging residents to “move to higher ground.”
Street closures
This is a partial list of street closures in Kerrville due to the flooding:
- Arcadia Loop
- Most of Thompson Drive
- Guadalupe Street
- Rio Robles
- Riverside Drive
This is a developing story.