Kerrville Flood

The rain began like any summer storm in the Texas Hill Country—soft at first, tapping gently on rooftops in Kerrville as families prepared for fireworks and celebration.

Clouds gathered thick and low, and rain fell until the ground could take no more. Water rushed into the Guadalupe River, swelling it beyond its banks.

In less than an hour, the river surged with terrifying speed, climbing dozens of feet and sweeping through cabins, roads, and camps along its edge.

At a nearby summer camp, counselors tried to gather frightened children as the river tore through the grounds. Cabins were ripped apart. In the confusion, some were swept away before help could reach them.

Where there had been laughter, there was debris—trees snapped, homes broken, and lives forever changed. Search teams moved along the riverbanks, calling names into the still air. Across the region, more than a hundred lives had been lost, many of them in Kerr County alone.