What was supposed to be the start of a relaxing holiday weekend has quickly turned into a life-threatening emergency for parts of central Texas.
As of Friday morning, catastrophic flooding has led to water rescues, road closures, and a disaster declaration in Kerr County, where officials have confirmed multiple fatalities after hours of torrential rainfall.
Urgent Warning from the National Weather Service
The National Weather Service (NWS) in San Angelo issued an urgent warning early Friday:
“Conditions are life-threatening! DO NOT go out onto the roads…expect roads washed out and rapid rises on rivers and creeks.”
Since 4 a.m. Friday, flash flood emergencies have been declared in Kerr, Tom Green, and Kendall counties, including Kerrville and San Angelo.
Kerr County Faces Devastating Flooding
The Kerr County Sheriff’s Office confirmed that the flooding has resulted in fatalities:
“This is a catastrophic flooding event… We can confirm fatalities, but will not release further information until next of kin are notified.”
Residents are being urged to shelter in place and avoid all travel as emergency crews work to rescue those stranded by the rising waters.
What’s Happening in Kerrville and San Angelo
Kerrville Mayor Joe Herring Jr. signed a disaster declaration Friday morning as emergency crews continue to perform water rescues across the region.
How Much Rain Has Fallen?
4 to 6 inches of rainfall has been reported across the area.
Some places have received over 10 inches of rain overnight.
Floodwaters are surging rivers and creeks at extreme rates.
Counties Under Emergency Warning:
Kerr County (Kerrville, Ingram)
Tom Green County (San Angelo)
Kendall County (Boerne area)
What’s Next?
Any additional rainfall could worsen the flooding and create new areas of dangerous flood conditions.