What to KnowTexas Gov. Greg Abbott confirmed two deaths: A man swept away in an RV near Comfort, and a woman swept away while driving near Uvalde.Rescuers have been plucking stranded drivers and people trapped in homes since floodwaters began rising quickly overnight Thursday. River Flood Warnings and Flash Flood Warnings for the Guadalupe River in Comal County will remain in effect.Flooding near Camp Mystic reached about 20.5 feet, enough to cause flooding but still far below the record set last year.Abbott has issued disaster declarations for multiple counties. Authorities in Texas have rescued dozens of stranded drivers and people trapped in homes and at least two people have died due to catastrophic flooding. The National Weather Service says a “deadly flood wave” is barreling down the Guadalupe River that runs alongside Camp Mystic, where two dozen children and two counselors were killed in flooding last July. Rivers are rising hour by hour, turning them into fast-moving seas of white water. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott confirmed two deaths Thursday afternoon, including a man who was swept away in his RV near Comfort and a woman who was swept away while driving near Uvalde. The NWS called the situation on Thursday “particularly dangerous” and life-threatening, and reported that water rescues were underway. The governor said Thursday afternoon that river crests were expected to be near or at record-breaking levels and that the flow rate of the Nueces River was expected to be two times that of Niagara Falls. Nim Kidd, the Chief of the Texas Division of Emergency Management, said another 15 inches of rain is expected overnight and more flooding is expected. Even after the rain stops, the rivers will continue to rise for several hours. Abbott has issued disaster declarations for dozens of counties. The Pedernales River floods along State Highway 16 on Thursday, July 16, 2026, in Fredericksburg, Texas. According to the NWS, river gauges showed an extremely rapid rise in water levels early Thursday. At Center Point, the Guadalupe River rose 32 feet in four hours, while gauges at Comfort recorded a 16-foot rise in just 30 minutes and a 22-foot rise within 50 minutes. Forecasters with the NWS said in their alert that the flood wave is expected to reach levels similar to those of the catastrophic July 4, 2025, Guadalupe River flood in some areas, and warned that flash flooding was occurring across the area. Flash flood emergencies, including a Flash Flood Warning, are expected to last until at least 3 p.m. in the Guadalupe River basin. Communities expected to experience flash flooding include Kerrville, Comfort, Waring, Sisterdale, Center Point and Crown. The NWS is asking people in the area to seek higher ground. Officials warned of life-threatening flooding impacting low-water crossings, streams, creeks, roads, highways, underpasses and urban areas. Residents were urged not to attempt travel unless evacuating from a flood-prone area or under an evacuation order. Numerous waterways in the region are also being affected, including the Guadalupe River, Sabinas Creek, Cypress Creek, Turtle Creek, Cherry Creek, Verde Creek, Joshua Creek and several other creeks and drainages throughout Kerr and Kendall counties. Campers, hikers and anyone near waterways are being urged to move to safer locations immediately. At least 2 people have died as Texas flooding forces evacuations and high-water rescues, Abbott says At least two people have been killed in the catastrophic flooding sweeping across the Texas Hill Country, Gov. Greg Abbott said Thursday. The victims include a man who was swept away in his RV near Comfort and a woman who was swept away while driving near Uvalde. Their identities have not been released. Drones and helicopters are flying over the region, the governor said Thursday morning. “Our number one focus is saving lives,” Abbott said. Rescuers have been plucking stranded drivers and people trapped in homes since floodwaters began rising quickly overnight Thursday. The Pedernales River floods underneath State Highway 87 on Thursday, July 16, 2026, in Fredericksburg, Texas. Louisiana’s Cajun Navy deploys to the Texas Hill Country to aid in the rescue effort The Cajun Navy 2016 said it has deployed a team of specially trained volunteers to Kerr County to assist local officials with swiftwater rescue and recovery operations. The nonprofit group said they have sent two crews of two to assist in rescuing people and animals. “Our hearts are with the families and communities affected by this disaster,” said Jon Bridgers Sr., founder of Cajun Navy 2016. “When people are facing their darkest moments, our mission is simple: show up, help where we’re needed, and stand alongside first responders and local officials until the job is done.” Teams are equipped to conduct rescues in fast-moving floodwaters, search affected areas, and assist with recovery operations as requested by local authorities. The group said they were waiting to see if they needed to send additional boats. Texas flooding forces evacuations and high-water rescues, Abbott says Rescuers in boats and helicopters saved dozens of stranded drivers and people trapped in homes from catastrophic flooding that hit parts of Texas overnight, while many more fled to higher ground Thursday in a region still reeling from devastating floods a year ago. At least one person has died, Gov. Greg Abbott said, adding that it appeared many of the summer camps hit hard last year were not in danger. “Our number one focus is saving lives,” he said. After days of pounding rain, the National Weather Service said a “large and deadly flood wave” barreled 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 under the cloak of darkness, turning them into fast-moving seas of white water. Some spots of the Guadalupe River rose by more than 30 feet. The governor said there was “one loss of life” and that crews had rescued well over 70 people. Kerr County reported one dead. Hill Country residents say they were better prepared for floods The unfolding crisis brought back haunting memories of last summer’s unimaginable Hill Country floods that killed more than 100 people over the July Fourth holiday. “It’s crazy happening two times in one year,” said Josiah Rodriguez, who woke to the sound of heavy rain around 2 a.m. Thursday in Kerrville. He navigated flooded roads to help evacuate relatives. “Last year, there was no warning of it,” he said. “It just kind of happened overnight and it took everyone by surprise. This year, a lot more alerts have gone into place, a lot more safety measures.” Residents said they were caught off guard a year ago and didn’t receive any warning when the floods overtopped the Guadalupe. Some local leaders were criticized for not acting quickly. The storms and flooding this time threatened multiple counties close to the Mexico border and in the Hill Country near San Antonio. As of late Wednesday, six million residents across Texas were under a flood watch, and some were expected to remain in effect through Friday evening. Several agencies sent rescue helicopters to the flood zone, including Travis County in the state capital of Austin. “My understanding is people were mostly trapped in trees and on rooftops,” said Travis County Judge Andy Brown, who said one caller warned 10 people were trapped on a barn roof. Residents rush animals and campers to higher ground At a wild animal rescue, Katie Buck evacuated several dozen animals to higher ground in the dark early Thursday as the normally dry Lazy Creek overflowed. She had to quickly grab a porcupine without gloves. She managed to get all the animals to safety, but flooding destroyed several enclosures at the Buck Wild Animal Rescue and Wildlife Rehab near Ingram, which was also hit hard 12 months ago. “We were just starting to get back on our feet again,” Buck said. “To have to go through this again is just devastating.” Residents at an RV park in Comfort moved their trailers as sirens sounded, said manager Duke Earwood. Water rose over the hoods of vehicles parked near the river at the Comfort RV Resort, which has about 200 residents. Markers showed the flooding already matched last July’s big flood. “Too familiar for sure, and too soon,” Earwood said. Uvalde residents isolated by floodwaters Floodwaters overran the city of Uvalde overnight, cutting off access from the outside. The Leona River, normally dry for most of the year, flooded streets. “People really can’t get anywhere,” said Carmen Rodriguez, who was nervously watching water engulf her neighborhood Thursday morning as a helicopter roared overhead. “We have a place to go, but all the streets are closed.” Phones buzzed with warnings throughout the night about flash floods in the morning. Rodriguez said it seemed that authorities were well prepared. By Wednesday, Uvalde police had ordered some mandatory evacuations, with first responders notifying people directly. Uvalde officials sent out rescue boats and found multiple people trapped in vehicles overnight, said Juli Alvarado, a spokesperson for Uvalde police. “There’s no way into the city at this point,” she said. Texas Game Wardens rescued more than 40 people and evacuated about a dozen others, mostly in the Uvalde County area, according to a Texas Parks and Wildlife Department spokesperson. Flooding could reach last year’s deadly high While heavily swollen from rainfall, the Guadalupe has so far remained below the record levels reached during last year’s deadly floods. Gauges showed it rose by more than 30 feet in some spots in just hours overnight. One near Kerrville showed the river rose 32 feet in four hours. Close to Camp Mystic, which remains shut, the Guadalupe River near Hunt reached about 20.5 feet, enough to cause flooding but still far below the record set last year, according to U.S. Geological Survey and National Water Prediction Service data. In Kerr County, where summer camps dot the shores of the Guadalupe, the sheriff’s office said all campers were safe. Several camps said their campers were staying inside, with one camp reporting normal flooding. Towns still rebuilding are hit by new floods Volunteer firefighters spent the night evacuating homes and answering frantic calls in Ingram, just upriver from Hunt, said Ingram Mayor Claud Jordan. While the water didn’t rise as high as it did a year ago, he believes this round of flooding was more widespread in his city. “The rural part of Ingram, all the roads are just trashed,” he said. “There are a bunch of businesses that haven’t reopened from last year,” Jordan said. “This doesn’t help.” The Texas Hill Country is especially prone to flash floods because the area’s signature limestone is covered by just a thin layer of soil. During heavy rains, water can quickly shoot downhill before quickly filling the narrow river basins. The weather service said 10 to 20 inches of rain had fallen in the past two days, with eight inches in just two hours early Thursday. Witness video of a raging Guadalupe River in the region. A rush to higher ground Residents at an RV park in Comfort, Texas, near the Guadalupe River, moved their trailers as local fire department sirens sounded, manager Duke Earwood said Thursday. Water rose over the hoods of vehicles parked closest to the river. While the water started to recede, another surge was expected, Earwood said at the Comfort RV Resort, which has about 200 residents. “People need to know to just kind of stay put for now,” he said. Markers showed that the flooding had already reached the level of the big flood last July. “Too familiar for sure, and too soon,” Earwood said. Another test for the Texas Hill Country after the Camp Mystic disaster The Texas Hill Country is especially prone to flash floods because the area’s signature limestone is covered by just a thin layer of soil. During heavy rains, water can quickly shoot downhill before quickly filling the narrow river basins. The weather service said 10 to 20 inches of rain had fallen in the past two days, with 8 inches in just two hours early Thursday. The deluge dumped nearly a foot of rain in some counties and put people in multiple counties under flood watches, which were expected to remain in effect through Friday evening. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has issued disaster declarations for dozens of counties. As of late Wednesday, six million residents in 57 counties were under a National Weather Service flood watch. Summer camps reporting no issues NBC News has reached out to multiple Texas Hill Country camps. So far, the following camps are not reporting issues as of 6:30 a.m. Camp Waldemar Camp Honey Creek for Girls Camps Rio Vista Sierra Vista Kickapoo Kamp for Girls Camp Stewart Mo Ranch Texas Lions Camp Hill Country, Southern Texas flooding Central Texas Flood 8 hours ago At least 1 killed in flooding; Flash Flood Emergency issued as Guadalupe River rises severe weather 10 hours ago Severe flooding slams Kerrville after Guadalupe River rises over 16 feet Central Texas Flood 13 hours ago Guadalupe River rising in Kerrville amid strong storms in the Texas Hill Country Stengle reported from Dallas. Associated Press writers Christopher L. Keller in Albuquerque, New Mexico; Dave Collins in Hartford, Connecticut; Michael Phillis in Washington; Claudia Lauer in Philadelphia; Kathy McCormack in Concord, New Hampshire; and John Seewer in Toledo, Ohio, contributed. This story uses functionality that may not work in our app. Click here to open the story in your web browser. ...read more read less