Multiple deaths have been reported in Texas after heavy rain caused flash flooding of a river, while search teams used boats to conduct rescues Friday as fast-moving water threatened riverfront communities near wildlife habitats and campgrounds.
As much as 10 inches (25 centimeters) of heavy rain fell in just a few hours overnight in central Kerr County, causing flash flooding of the Guadalupe River. The Kerr County sheriff’s office confirmed fatalities but did not provide additional details.
A flood watch issued Thursday afternoon estimated isolated amounts up to seven inches. That shifted to a flood warning for at least 30,000 people overnight.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said the state was providing resources to Hill Country communities dealing with the flooding, including Kerrville, Ingram and Hunt.
“I urge Texans to heed guidance from state and local officials and monitor local forecasts to avoid driving into flooded areas,” Abbott said in a statement.
The Guadalupe’s river gauge at the unincorporated community of Hunt, where the river forks, recorded a 22 foot rise (6.7 meters) in just about two hours, according to Bob Fogarty, meteorologist with the National Weather Service’s Austin/San Antonio office. Fogarty said the gauge failed after recording a level of 29 and a half feet (9 meters).
“We think the river’s higher than that,” Fogarty said. “The gauge is completely underwater.”
The riverfront communities include several camps, wildlife habitats and campgrounds. Texas Game Wardens, part of the state parks and wildlife agency, said on Facebook that search and rescue teams are conducting rescues throughout the region and sending more boats to help.
“This is the kind of thing that will catch you unaware,” Fogarty said. “The water’s moving so fast, you’re not going to recognize how bad it is until it’s on top of you.”
Meanwhile, strong thunderstorms were being blamed for at least three deaths in central New Jersey, including two men in Plainfield who died after a tree fell onto a vehicle they were traveling in during the height of a storm there, according to a city Facebook post.
The men were ages 79 and 25, officials said. They were not immediately publicly identified.
“Our hearts are heavy today,” Mayor Adrian O. Mapp said in a statement. “This tragedy is a sobering reminder of the power of nature and the fragility of life.”
The city canceled its planned July Fourth parade, concert and fireworks show. Mapp said the “devastating” storms had left “deep scars and widespread damage” in the community of more than 54,000 people and it was a time to “regroup and focus all of our energy on recovery.”
Continuing power outages and downed trees were reported Friday throughout southern New England, where some communities received large amounts of hail. There were reports of cars skidding off the road in northeastern Connecticut.
