Texas Floods Kill 2, Bridge Collapses Near Uvalde
Catastrophic flooding has devastated South Central Texas after days of relentless rainfall, claiming at least two lives, triggering more than 230 water rescues, and causing a bridge to collapse near Uvalde. Governor Greg Abbott has warned that the storm — which has already dumped over 23 inches of rain in some areas — could break records, with totals expected to exceed 30 inches in parts of the Texas Hill Country.
A Region Under Water
The flooding, which began Monday, July 13, has turned rivers into raging torrents. The Guadalupe River near Comfort rose an astonishing 31 feet in just three hours on Thursday morning — from 5.46 feet at 5 a.m. CT to 37.05 feet at 8:05 a.m., according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The Nueces River near Uvalde reached a record crest of 28.01 feet on July 16, breaking the previous record of 24.88 feet set in 1996, as NPR reported.
Governor Abbott said the Nueces was expected to reach two times the flow of Niagara Falls. The Frio and Pedernales rivers are also projected to reach top-five recorded crests.
Bridge Collapse and Infrastructure Damage
On Friday morning, the Farm-to-Market (FM) 481 bridge in Uvalde County collapsed due to the intense flooding. Aerial images from the Texas Department of Public Safety showed a segment of the bridge completely gone, with the swollen Nueces River nearly submerging the remaining span, according to Fox Weather. There was no immediate word on injuries from the collapse.
Uvalde has been effectively cut off by flooded roads and highways, and widespread road and bridge closures remain in place across south-central Texas. The Comfort Volunteer Fire Department reported that numerous vehicles had been swept away.
Casualties and Rescue Efforts
Governor Abbott confirmed two deaths on Thursday evening. A male near Comfort died after being swept away in an RV, and a female in Uvalde was swept away by floodwaters while driving. One victim was identified by the Associated Press as John Mark Steward, 65, of Kerrville. His wife, Jennie Steward, told the AP, “It’s really hard that I wasn’t there with him,” noting the couple had just celebrated their third anniversary, as USA Today reported.
More than 230 water rescues have been performed since the flooding began. Some 2,350 emergency responders have been deployed with approximately 1,400 vehicles, including helicopters, rescue boats, and high-profile vehicles. The state has prepared 500,000 MREs and 1 million bottles of water for delivery to the Uvalde area.
Record Rainfall and Government Response
Leakey, Texas, recorded 23.37 inches of rain since Monday, while Kerrville received 20.71 inches. Governor Abbott warned that expected totals could exceed 30 inches — compared to 20.29 inches during the deadly July 2025 floods.
“We’re facing record-shattering rainfall that leads to very dangerous flooding. We want to do everything we possibly can to protect all lives,” Abbott said, according to Houston Public Media.
On July 14, Abbott issued a disaster declaration for 59 Texas counties. The Texas Division of Emergency Management activated 24-hour operations at Level II (Escalated Response), deploying resources from across the Texas Emergency Management Council.
A Region Still Healing from 2025
This disaster comes just over one year after the July 2025 Central Texas floods — the deadliest inland flooding event in the United States since the 1976 Big Thompson River flood — which killed more than 130 people, including 28 at Camp Mystic, a Christian summer camp for girls.
Abbott noted that lessons learned from that tragedy have improved the response this time. Flood warning systems installed after the 2025 disaster were activated, and over 80 people were cleared from campgrounds early in the event. The Kerrville Police Department urged residents to stay off the roads, saying, “There is a lot of people driving around to take a look and that is not helpful.”
What’s Next
The storm is expected to move westward toward the Big Bend region on Friday, with Flash Flood Emergencies already issued for Sutton and Crockett counties. Water rescues are underway in Ozona, and a Flash Flood Emergency covering parts of Interstate 10 has been declared for the Sonora area. The National Weather Service warns that more heavy rain is forecast as the slow-moving weather pattern continues.
As the floodwaters slowly recede, the full extent of the damage — and whether the death toll will rise — remains to be seen. For a region that has now endured two catastrophic flood events in 13 months, the road to recovery will be long.