On July 4, 2025, destructive and deadly flooding took place in the Hill Country region of the U.S. state of Texas. During the flooding, water levels along the Guadalupe River rose rapidly. As a result, 136 people were killed and 3 remain missing, with 117 of deaths occurring in Kerr County. The flooding was caused by a mesoscale convective vortex with enhanced tropical moisture. Flooding began on the morning of July 4, after significant rainfall accumulated across Central Texas. Six flash flood emergencies, which included the cities of Kerrville and Mason, were issued the same day. The Guadalupe River rose about 26 ft (8 m) in 45 minutes, surging an estimated 29 ft (8.8 m) in the Hunt area, where more than 20 children were declared missing from a summer camp. July 5 saw more flash flood warnings for the Burnet County, Texas, area, Williamson County, Texas, area, Travis County, Texas, area including Lake Travis, which is part of the Colorado River watershed, and the lower San Gabriel River (Texas). The worst affected area in NW Travis County was the Sandy Creek neighborhood, which saw devastating damage in the wake of the floods. A total of 9 people died in Travis County, 3 in Williamson County, and 5 in Burnet County. In the span of a few hours, the equivalent of four months worth of rain fell across the Texas Hill Country region, with the highest rain totals being 20.33 in (516 mm). The flood was the deadliest inland flooding event in the United States since the 1976 Big Thompson River flood, surpassing flooding from Hurricane Helene in 2024. On July 12, the Weather Prediction Center declared a moderate risk for the same area in Central Texas, with the potential for significant to major flash flooding. Throughout the overnight hours of July 12 into the next day, several flash flood warnings were issued, including a flash flood emergency for San Saba County. The resulting additional rainfall caused the Lampasas River to rise over 30 ft (9.1 m). After the disaster, Texas governor Greg Abbott signed a disaster declaration for several counties in Central Texas, and U.S. president Donald Trump signed a federal disaster declaration for Kerr County. Over 2,000 volunteers arrived in Kerr County to help with the search and rescue. Numerous firefighter and search and rescue teams from around the U.S. scoured the Guadalupe River for survivors and victims. Various organizations responded to the area with food, equipment and manpower. Kerr County did not have a dedicated flood warning system, despite prior proposals from local officials citing the area's high flood risk. For National Flood Insurance Program purposes administered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the floodplain or special flood hazard area is defined as the area that would be flooded by a base flood which "has a one percent chance of being equaled or exceeded in any given year", also known as a 100-year flood. The 2011 Kerr County flood insurance rate map showed Camp Mystic, a Christian girls' summer camp, as being in a special flood hazard area. Following various appeals from the camp, several buildings were removed from the hazard area, as the camp continued to operate and expanded in and around the flood plain.
Meteorological synopsis and background Late on July 3, 2025 a broader mid-level trough was situated over the southwestern U.S. already containing tropical east Pacific remnant moisture. This system developed into thunderstorms which stalled over Central Texas, causing heavy rains that led to deadly flooding in that region on July 4–7, especially along the Guadalupe River. Altogether, four months' worth of rain fell, causing the Guadalupe River to rise about 26 ft (8 m) in 45 minutes.
Central Texas, specifically the Hill Country region, is prone to major floods. Due to the heightened risk for flash flooding, the area is referred to as Flash Flood Alley. The ground in this part of Texas is predominantly limestone, covered by a shallow layer of soil, and hill slopes are steep. Consequently, rainwater tends to run off quickly, funneling into rivers during rainstorms, which occur when warm moist air from the Gulf, pushed up over the Balcones Escarpment, condenses and dumps water. With climate change, the warming atmosphere holds more water, increasing downpours and flood risk. The Guadalupe River and several surrounding rivers in the region have flooded multiple times in recent decades, often with deadly consequences. This includes flooding in July 1987 at Comfort when 10 teenagers drowned during evacuations from a church camp, flooding in October 1998 that killed 31, flooding in May 2015 on the nearby Blanco River that killed 13, and flooding on June 12, just three weeks before this flood, in nearby San Antonio that killed 13. Texas has led the U.S. in flood deaths over the past several decades; from 1959 to 2019, 1,069 people died in flooding statewide during that 60-year period (Louisiana was second highest, with 693).
Camp Mystic Camp Mystic, along the banks of the Guadalupe River in Kerr County, had at least eight buildings, including multiple cabins, that were within a Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) designated floodway, the portion of the floodplain adjacent to the stream channel most susceptible to swift moving flood waters. In 2011 FEMA placed the camp in a "special flood hazard area", requiring flood insurance and stricter regulation on any future construction projects. The designation indicated the area would likely be inundated by a 100-year flood. Between 2011 and 2020, FEMA redrew the 100-year flood map several times following various appeals from the camp, removing 55 buildings from the official flood hazard area, as the camp continued to operate and expanded in and around the potentially dangerous flood plain.
Preparations
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