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

Rescuers plucked stranded drivers and people trapped in homes from catastrophic flooding in Texas while many more fled to higher ground Thursday across a region still recovering from devastating floods just a year ago. Gov. Greg Abbott said at least one person has died in the floods.

After days of pounding rain, the National Weather Service in San Antonio said a "large and deadly flood wave" was barreling down the same river wrecked by flash floods last summer when two dozen children and counselors were killed at Camp Mystic.

Forecasters urgently warned "Move to higher ground now!" as rivers rose hour by hour, turning them into fast-moving seas of white water. Several tornado warnings were also issued.

The Texas Hill Country floods over the July Fourth holiday last year killed more than 100 people.

Abbott said there has been "one loss of life" due to the floods but he did not specify where or when.

As of Wednesday, more than 1,300 personnel were "actively engaged and responding" to the crisis and they have rescued "well over 70 people already," Abbott said during a news conference Thursday morning.

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.

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