Texas has been hit by devastating floods for the 2nd year in a row, in pictures
Listen to this article
Average 4 minutes
The audio version of this article was created by AI-based technology. It can be mispronounced. We are working with our partners to continuously review and improve the results.
Parts of Texas remained at risk of dangerous flooding Friday as some areas saw water recede enough for cleanup efforts following days of punishing rains blamed for two deaths.
The US National Weather Service issued a flood emergency early in the morning for the town of Sonora in Sutton County, 274 kilometers northwest of San Antonio.
The local sheriff’s office used a boat to rescue one person and local officials were urging residents in low-lying areas along the Dry Devils River to evacuate as the rain continued to fall, although the request was not mandatory, said Chief Deputy Jon Gann.
“The water came up to the top of the banks,” Gann said. “If we get anything else, we’ll be at home.”
Flood warnings were issued for several counties in the Texas Hill Country, where many areas are still reeling from last year’s devastating floods. Flood warnings were in place over the weekend for many areas downstream from the worst-hit areas, where rain fell on Friday. Some rivers were expected to reach historic levels.
Some areas west of San Antonio have seen 60 inches or more of rain since the storms began Tuesday. Rescuers who were riding in boats and helicopters saved more than 200 people, including drivers trapped in their homes, said Gov. Gregg Abbott.
Storms and flooding threaten many counties near the Mexican border and in the Hill Country near San Antonio. An estimated six million residents across Texas were under a flood watch this week.
One person who died was driving on a flooded road that washed away near Uvalde, authorities said. Another victim, John Mark Steward, 65, of Kerrville, died after his trailer was swept away in Goat Creek on the Guadalupe River, his wife said. The Guadalupe is the same river that was destroyed by floods last year that killed two children and counselors at Camp Mystic.
Slow-moving severe weather was expected to move northwest on Friday toward the Texas Big Bend in the western part of the state, the weather service said.
In Uvalde, one of the towns hardest hit by the flooding, the water was receding and officials said the main highway, Route 90, had reopened. Floodwaters covered the city overnight and into Thursday, closing many roads outside.
“It’s crazy two times in one year,” said Josiah Rodriguez, who woke up to the sound of heavy rain around 2 a.m. local time Thursday in Kerrville. He walked through flooded streets to help evacuate relatives.
“Last year there was no warning about it,” he said. “It just happened overnight and it took everyone by surprise. This year, there are a lot of warnings, a lot of precautions.”
Residents say they were caught off guard last year and did not receive a warning when the floodwaters overflowed the Guadalupe River. Some local leaders have been criticized for not doing so quickly.
So far, Guadalupe remains below the record levels reached in 2025. Near Camp Mystic, which has not reopened since last year’s disaster, the Guadalupe near Hunt reached about 6.3 feet, enough to cause flooding, according to US Geological Survey and National Water Prediction Service data.
