A year ago, flash floods tore through the Texas Hill Country, leaving communities devastated and families shattered. This year, the same rivers rose again, and Texas was better prepared.
Governor Greg Abbott (R-TX) is crediting early warnings and proactive action for limiting the loss of life after catastrophic flooding struck the region once more.
Three people have been confirmed killed, more than 500 rescues have been carried out, and parts of some communities remain inaccessible, but Abbott says the preparation made a meaningful difference.
"Texans took it seriously, and it showed," Abbott wrote. "State operations and local officials took action ahead of time, and it saved lives.”
Timely Response
The scale of the response reflects how seriously officials treated the threat. More than 2,000 first responders were deployed, rescuers aboard boats and helicopters saved over 200 people from stranded vehicles and flooded homes, and some evacuations began before the worst of the flooding arrived.
Forecasters issued urgent warnings as rivers rose hour by hour, telling residents to move to higher ground immediately.
The rain was relentless, with as much as 28 inches falling over three days in Uvalde County alone, and the Guadalupe River rose by more than 30 feet in some locations.
Downstream areas near the Nueces River and Lake Corpus Christi are expected to see continued rises into early August, and Abbott urged anyone in those areas to remain cautious.
Abbott has issued disaster declarations for 59 counties and requested federal aid for 33, while traveling to Cotulla for a flyover to personally assess conditions on the ground.
Outside help is arriving as well, with a Colorado nonprofit called EmergencyRV, which provides motor homes as emergency shelter for displaced families, returning to Texas for a second consecutive year after supporting families during last year's floods, a sign that recovery, as always, is a long road.
“Preparedness made the difference,” Abbott concluded.
