SAN ANTONIO — Texas Governor Greg Abbott declared a state of disaster for six Hill Country counties on April 6 as flash flooding driven by an atmospheric river event caused the Guadalupe and Blanco rivers to crest at levels not seen since the catastrophic 2015 Memorial Day floods.
The National Weather Service issued a Flash Flood Emergency — its highest-level flood alert — for Kerr, Kendall, Comal, Hays, Blanco, and Gillespie counties beginning April 5. Rainfall totals of 12 to 18 inches over 36 hours overwhelmed drainage systems and caused rapid rises on multiple river systems.
Water rescue teams from the Texas Division of Emergency Management and the Texas Army National Guard conducted more than 400 rescues by boat and helicopter over a 24-hour period. The Texas Water Development Board reported that the Guadalupe River at Kerrville crested at 38.2 feet, surpassing the previous record of 36.8 feet set in 1987.
Damage assessments were still ongoing as of April 7, but preliminary estimates from the Texas Department of Insurance placed insured losses at $1.2 billion to $1.8 billion, with a significant portion attributable to flood damage in areas outside the Special Flood Hazard Area.
Restoration contractors in the San Antonio and Austin markets reported being overwhelmed with service calls within hours of the flooding. Several firms activated mutual aid agreements with contractors in Houston and Dallas to supplement local capacity.
The event is expected to accelerate legislative discussions in Texas about mandatory flood insurance requirements and updated FEMA flood map accuracy in the Hill Country region.
