At least two dead as heavy rains, floods strike central Texas

What the report says

Al Jazeera, citing Reuters and The Associated Press, reported that at least two people died and more than 230 others were rescued after intense rain and flash flooding hit central Texas this week. The rainfall began Tuesday, with storms still affecting western Texas areas including Big Bend National Park by the time of the report, published July 17. One victim was reported swept away near Uvalde, while John Mark Steward of Kerrville was believed to have died after floodwaters from Goat Creek carried off his mobile home.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott issued a disaster declaration covering 59 counties and said emergency operations would continue around the clock. According to the report, the state deployed 2,350 emergency responders, with helicopters, boats, more than 800 vehicles and 20 aircraft involved in response efforts. The National Weather Service reported that parts of Texas received 25 to 50cm of rain, with some locations seeing up to 60cm during the week. Nearly 6 million people were under flood watches across south and central Texas.

The flooding is especially significant because it struck a region still recovering from deadly floods a little more than a year earlier, when at least 139 people died. Kerr County was among the hardest-hit areas then, including deaths tied to Camp Mystic, an all-girls summer camp that did not open this summer and has faced legal and financial fallout.

Al Jazeera reported that Texas has since expanded flood preparedness measures. Abbott signed a state law requiring warning sirens in flood-prone areas and allocating $50m for warning systems, and Kerr County said its system became operational last month. Local media reported sirens sounded before this week’s flooding, while two US senators introduced a federal bill to improve emergency alerts when cellular networks fail.