More flash flooding has hit Texas, leading to another fatal flood warning for the county plagued by floodwaters from the Guadalupe River last week.
Exhausted volunteers were still trying to find dead bodies wiped out by the disaster on Sunday when they were told to evacuate via the new alert.
It warned how heavy rains seen during the day would once again cause waterways to surge for many. Affected areas include hard-hit Kerr County and other areas around Texas’s Hill Country.
People there are already seeing river levels rising, with storms set to bring as much as six to 10 inches of rain.
Areas upstream the Guadalupe are now evacuating, with search and rescue missions called off until Monday.
The Kerrville Police Department issued the order about 8am local time, saying, ‘All search crews need to evacuate the river corridor until further notice.’
‘Any volunteer search parties in the Guadalupe River corridor need to heed this warning. The potential for a flash flood is high,’ the alert added.
At least 129 people have already been confirmed dead following last week’s flooding.
The statewide death toll from the series of floods that struck Texas, Oklahoma, and Louisiana last week is currently at 129
More flash flooding has hit Texas, leading to another fatal flood warning for the county plagued by floodwaters from the Guadalupe River last week. Recue efforts called in response to last weeks’ floods have been called off
Exhausted volunteers were still trying to find dead bodies wiped out by the disaster on Sunday when they were told to evacuate via the new alert, seen here. City officials said that there is a high probability of the Guadalupe River at Hunt reaching flood stage once again
City officials in Kerrville said there is a ‘high probability’ of the Guadalupe reaching flood stage this time around as well.
That’s after dozens of youngsters who had been camping out near the river were killed by last week’s disaster. Many are still unaccounted for.
Rainfall that’s grown intense since early Sunday saw a total of two inches of rain fall on the area already.
As of writing, another one to two inches are expected over the next hour. A similar rate of rain is expected for the rest of the day, officials said.
The threat of heavy rain had been ‘slight’ for the weekend previously. The probability rose considerably after the amount of rainfall seen Sunday.
At about 10am, the city of Kerrville posted footage on social media of floodwaters rushing across Park Street, just three blocks east of the Guadalupe River.
Farther east, water was seem surging across a low water crossing on First Street.
The Guadalupe has since risen in Louise Hays Park and low-lying areas along Quinlan Creek and Town Creek as well. The towns have water in their roadways, Kerrville Police said.
A search and rescue team looks for people along the Guadalupe River near a damaged building at Camp Mystic in Hunt, Texas
Of all the counties, Kerr County was hit the hardest, account for at least 103 deaths, including 36 children. Donald Trump signed a disaster declaration for the county last week
Just before noon local time, the flash flood warning for Kerr County was lifted.
A flood watch was still in effect until 7pm local time.
Following the events of last week where the river rose multiple feet s on the Fourth of July, officials warned it is possible the river will continue to rise due to the amount of rain they have received.
‘Be weather alert, keep an eye on low water crossings and the usual spots in town, and drive with caution,’ the city of Kerrville’s Police Department said in a statement.
The statewide death toll from the series of floods that struck Texas, Oklahoma, and Louisiana last week is currently at 129.
Legal experts say civil lawsuits are likely as grieving families seek answers about why Camp Mystic, a camp whose campers account for many of the dead, was allowed to operate so close to a known flood risk.
Environmental and safety advocates are now calling for tighter enforcement of floodway building restrictions and better oversight of seasonal camps nationwide.
As the Guadalupe River receded, recovery teams took to the debris left behind.
Of all the counties, Kerr County was hit the hardest, account for at least 103 deaths, including 36 children.
Donald Trump signed a disaster declaration for the county last week. The Federal Emergency Management Agency is currently helping with retrieval efforts as well.
