{"id":797,"date":"2025-07-07T19:40:00","date_gmt":"2025-07-07T19:40:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/audiomateria.com\/?p=797"},"modified":"2025-07-11T19:16:20","modified_gmt":"2025-07-11T19:16:20","slug":"why-were-the-central-texas-floods-so-deadly","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/audiomateria.com\/index.php\/2025\/07\/07\/why-were-the-central-texas-floods-so-deadly\/","title":{"rendered":"Why were the central Texas floods so deadly?"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

\"Kerrville

\n\tKerrville resident Leighton Sterling watches flood waters along the Guadalupe River on July 4, 2025. | Eric Vryn\/Getty Images\t<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

At least 90 people<\/a> have died in central Texas in extraordinary floods, the deadliest in the Lone Star State since Hurricane Harvey killed 89 people<\/a>.<\/p>\n

A torrential downpour started off the July 4 weekend with several months\u2019 worth of rain<\/a> falling in a few hours, lifting water levels in the Guadalupe River as high as 22 feet<\/a>. Among the dead are 27 children and counselors<\/a> at a summer camp near Kerrville in Kerr County. One adult at the camp may have died trying to rescue children<\/a>. More people are still missing, and more rain is in the forecast.<\/p>\n

View Link<\/a><\/div>\n

The storm arose from the fading remnants of Tropical Storm Barry<\/a>, which formed on June 28. It was well ahead of schedule<\/a> for the typical second named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season, which usually forms in mid-July. The weather system parked over Texas where it converged with a band of moisture moving north, forming thunderstorms that squeezed out a torrential downpour. <\/p>\n

With its topography of hills and rivers as well as a history of sudden downpours, this region in Texas has been dubbed \u201cflash flood alley<\/a>.\u201d Kerrville itself experienced a deadly flood in 1987 when the Guadalupe River received 11 inches of rain in less than five hours<\/a>, raising water in some portions by 29 feet. The flood killed 10 people<\/a>.  <\/p>\n

But there were several factors that converged to make this storm so deadly \u2014 and not all of them had to do with the sheer amount of rain. Here are some things to know about disasters like this:<\/p>\n

Texas isn\u2019t in the tropics. How did it get hit so hard by a tropical storm?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Kerr County, population 54,000<\/a>, is a couple hundred miles inland from the Gulf of Mexico, but it has a history of tropical storms and hurricanes passing through the region on occasion. So the leftovers from Tropical Storm Barry reaching the area isn\u2019t too surprising. Scientists, however, are still trying to find out how storms that are powered by warm ocean water continue to get energy over land<\/a>. <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

The recent flooding is occurring in an era where even \u201cordinary\u201d storms are becoming more dangerous<\/a>. Strong thunderstorms and tornadoes<\/a> are a common sight in Texas summer skies and the state has a history of deadly floods<\/a>. Over the years, the amount of rain falling from major storms<\/a> has been increasing. <\/p>\n

As average temperatures rise due to climate change, air can retain more moisture, which means when storms occur, there\u2019s more water falling out of the sky, turning roads into rivers and submerging the landscape. <\/p>\n

Did something go wrong here with the forecast or disaster warnings? <\/strong><\/h2>\n

Ahead of the Texas floods, the Texas Division of Emergency Management<\/a> activated its emergency response system on July 2 in anticipation of major floods, including mobilizing water rescue squads, helicopters, and road-clearing equipment. On July 3, the National Weather Service issued a flood watch. (NPR has a very useful timeline<\/a> of the planning and response to the floods.)  <\/p>\n

View Link<\/a><\/div>\n

But as the watches turned to warnings, they revealed gaps in the communication system. There are spots along the Guadalupe River that don\u2019t have flood warning sirens, including Kerr County. Officials there contemplated installing a flood warning system, but it was rejected for being too expensive<\/a>. <\/p>\n

\n