Central Texas floods kill at least two as rescues top 230
Heavy rain has inundated parts of central and south Texas, prompting a 59-county disaster declaration and a large rescue operation.
By Sofia Marchetti · World Affairs Correspondent
3 min read
Torrential rain and flash flooding in central Texas have killed at least two people and forced more than 230 rescues, according to Al Jazeera, Reuters and The Associated Press. The flooding has prompted a large state response across a region still recovering from deadly floods a little more than a year ago.
One person who has not been publicly identified was swept away near Uvalde, Al Jazeera reported. A second victim, identified as John Mark Steward of Kerrville, Texas, is believed to have died after floodwater from Goat Creek carried away his mobile home, according to the report.
The rain began Tuesday, and storms continued to affect western Texas, including Big Bend National Park, Al Jazeera reported. Images from the region showed swollen rivers, flooded roads, damaged vehicles and rescue crews working near the Guadalupe and Pedernales rivers.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott issued a disaster declaration for 59 counties and ordered around-the-clock emergency operations, according to Al Jazeera. Abbott said in a statement that the state was responding to a flood that was likely to break records.
Texas has sent 2,350 emergency responders into the affected areas with helicopters and boats, Al Jazeera reported. Abbott said more than 800 vehicles, more than 75 boats and 20 aircraft had been deployed.
Among those rescued was Gabriel Pablo, a California man who was pulled from an 18-wheeler after floodwater overtook the vehicle, according to Al Jazeera. Pablo told San Antonio television station KABB that the water swept his truck away “like it was nothing.”
Rainfall overwhelms parts of the region
The National Weather Service reported that parts of Texas received 25 to 50 centimeters, or 10 to 20 inches, of rain, according to Al Jazeera. Some areas recorded as much as 60 centimeters, or about two feet, in a week, more than they might receive in a year.
Nearly 6 million people across south and central Texas were under flood watches, Al Jazeera reported. The affected area includes communities along rivers and creeks in the Texas Hill Country, where fast-rising water can turn roads and low crossings dangerous within minutes.
Kerr County was among the areas hit hard, according to Al Jazeera. The county was also central to flooding a little more than a year ago, when at least 139 people died across the region.
Al Jazeera reported that last year’s flooding killed 28 campers, staff and counselors at Camp Mystic, an all-girls summer camp. The camp did not open this summer amid public pressure, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy earlier this year and faces wrongful death lawsuits over its response to that disaster, according to the report.
Warnings and emergency alerts under scrutiny
Texas has taken steps to improve flood preparedness since last year’s disaster, Al Jazeera reported. In September, Abbott signed a law requiring warning sirens in flood-prone parts of the state, including Kerr County, and providing $50m to help buy and install warning systems.
Kerr County said last month that its warning system was operating, according to Al Jazeera. Austin television station KXAN reported that sirens sounded as floodwaters approached the area before this week’s storms.
Federal lawmakers are also considering changes to emergency alert systems, Al Jazeera reported. Senators John Cornyn, a Texas Republican, and Jon Ossoff, a Georgia Democrat, introduced legislation this week that would allow emergency alerts to reach phones through satellite networks when cellular service is down.
The bill is called the Mystic Alerts Act in reference to last year’s Camp Mystic flooding, according to Al Jazeera. The proposal follows repeated concern about how quickly warnings can reach people in flood-prone communities when storms disrupt communications.
This story draws on original reporting from Al Jazeera.