Texas Hill Country flood updates: Abbott says 1 dead as rivers continue to rise at historic levels

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Last updated: Thursday, July 16, 2026 5:08PM GMT
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Rain continuing to fall over the Texas Hill Country has prompted several counties to be under flash flood warnings, with the biggest concern being rapidly rising creeks and rivers.

According to Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, one person has died, and more than 75 people have been rescued.

The National Weather Service announced that a gauge along the Guadalupe River had risen 32 feet in just four hours and was expected to reach a crest similar to the catastrophic July 4, 2025, river flood.

Abbott said in a press conference on Wednesday that disaster declarations had been made for 59 counties, with the possibility of more being added.

ABC13 is continuing to follow the dangerous floods in the Texas Hill Country and will bring you live updates.

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ByJulia Jacobo, Dan Peck, and Kenton Gewecke ABCNews logo
2 hours and 36 minutes ago

Flash flood emergency occurring in same Texas region as Camp Mystic tragedy

There is growing concern about rapidly rising creeks and rivers across the Texas Hill Country following hours of torrential rain.

Torrential rain through Wednesday into Thursday prompted flash flood emergency warnings for Texas Hill Country as water levels in creeks and rivers rose rapidly.

As of Thursday morning, there were two flash flood emergencies ongoing in Texas Hill Country, impacting Kerrville -- the city where the deadly Camp Mystic flooding occurred in July 2025 -- Hunt, Uvalde and Knippa.

Evacuations and water rescues were reported in all four areas, with warnings of life-threatening flash flooding and reports of water entering buildings.

The Guadalupe River at Hunt rose from 9 to 19 feet between 3 a.m. and 4 a.m. CT, cutting off access to some roads and bridges.

Engineers assessed the bridge over the Guadalupe River on Highway 87 into Comfort, Texas, due to fears that the force of the water may have made it unstable, Kendall County Judge Shane Stolarcyz told ABC News. The engineers concluded that the bridge is structurally sound for now, ABC News has learned.

Read the full report here.