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Runaway barge from Nimitz Lake recovery operation snagged power lines, later wedged under Sidney Baker bridge
Cable break knocked out power to more than 900 customers Thursday; water treatment plant remains without direct power
Kerrville press conference on July 16 flood
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River & Flood Watch
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Symphony of the Hills Fourth of July Performance
The Lead’s stories
Community Foundation launches regional flood fund, says housing and “muck and gut” work are greatest immediate needs
Foundation says new fund won’t touch remaining 2025 Kerr County donations; no grants issued yet as needs assessment gets underway
Kerrville Pets Alive mobilizes flood relief effort for lost, displaced pets
Organization partners with Austin Pets Alive to clear shelter space; delivers crates and supplies to two flood shelters
Your guide to Kerr County’s recovery from July 16 flood
This is your one-stop place for all things related to road closures, resources and businesses that are open and closed today.
How Thursday unfolded: A timeline
A timeline of Kerr County’s second major flood in a year.
Kerrville holds first media briefing, says no one missing after flood in city limits
Haley said no deaths or missing persons have been reported within Kerrville city limits. The county has confirmed at least one flood-related death in the broader county area, outside city limits.
Fatality confirmed, homes and businesses destroyed as torrential rain overwhelms Kerr County
Kerrville, Kerr County declare disaster; officials to brief media at 4 p.m.; rain chances easing into the weekend
Flood turns deadly with at least one confirmed fatality; search underway for missing person on Goat Creek
The Sheriff’s Office has not released the identity of the person who died. The Lead will withhold additional details pending official confirmation and family notification.
Kerr County disaster widens as county, city both declare emergencies; power restoration underway
Flood Warning extended to Hunt as rescues continue across the county; Community Foundation launches new relief fund
Kerrville declares disaster, seeks state and federal help as flooding devastates Kerr County
Mayor Joe Herring Jr. says damage exceeds city’s capacity to recover alone; river receding from historic crest but still dangerous as more rain looms
Guadalupe River flood emergency intensifies at Center Point; catastrophic damage threat as more rain looms
River gauge rose 32 feet in four hours; NWS warns of a crest similar to July 4, 2025
Flood warning issued for Guadalupe River at Hunt, with crest expected above flood stage Thursday morning
The weather service said minor flooding is forecast. At 7.0 feet, flow extends over low sections of the riverbank. At 10.0 feet — bankfull stage — water extends into low areas of the flood plain, and lower bridges on the north and south forks of the Guadalupe along Highway 39 and FM 1341 become impassable.
Rain eases in Kerrville, but Center Point river gauge shows sharpest rise yet as flood threat continues
By The Lead’s count of the station’s hourly readings, roughly 2.5 additional inches fell between 7:15 a.m. and 2:15 p.m.
Camp Mystic owners move six-family lawsuit to federal court, plan to consolidate all cases in Houston
The filing argues the lawsuits belong in federal court because the debtor entities are named defendants and the claims against them “will have a substantial effect” on the bankruptcy estate.
Heavy rain surges through Kerrville as flooding threat remains active
The station recorded 1.6 inches of rain in the six hours ending at 6:55 a.m. Rain intensified after that reading, with an additional 0.46 inches recorded by 7:55 a.m. as thunderstorms producing heavy rain moved through the area. Visibility dropped as low as 1.5 miles amid the heaviest rain, and humidity held near 94%.
Guadalupe River discharge surges at Center Point as rain continues to pound Kerr County
The gauge height at Center Point measured 7.05 feet as of 6:55 a.m. Wednesday, up from 4.13 feet recorded the prior Thursday, July 9, before this week’s rain began. The river at Center Point has averaged 3.689 feet on this date over the past 18 years, based on 18 years of data, with a historical high of 8.49 feet for the date.
The Year: The Flood’s Impact on Kerr County
The Lead’s Special Report
The monster in the canyon: What the storm actually was — and what was never asked
Nine months after the flood, federal meteorologists tell the full story. In 15 hours of legislative testimony this week, none of it came up.
At 12:56 a.m. on July 4, 2025, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service office in Austin sent a message through its professional communications platform: “Some cell mergers about to take place in central Kerr County. This will be an area to watch for potential flash flooding.”
Eighteen minutes later, a flash flood warning went out to cell phones across the Hunt area — the ninth such warning issued for the Guadalupe River corridor since 2020. The previous eight had all expired without a mass casualty event.
By 4:03 a.m., NWS had upgraded that warning to a Flash Flood Emergency — the most urgent alert the agency can issue. Kerr County Emergency Management Coordinator Dub Thomas was home sick that night. Whether anyone else in Kerr County’s emergency structure was actively monitoring professional NWS channels during those critical hours remains unknown. Read more: https://kerrcountylead.com/the-monster-in-the-canyon-what-the-storm-actually-was-and-what-was-never-asked/
The Lead’s Special Sections
Arts and Culture
Nearly 100 ways to get out this week in Kerr County
The Lead counted roughly 94 listed happenings across the seven days, and that’s before factoring in the events that pop up last-minute on Facebook.
What’s coming up at Arcadia Live for the rest of July
Arcadia Live has a full slate on tap for the back half of July, mixing free family matinees, trivia and bingo nights, and two screenings tied to the one-year mark of last year’s flood.
Museum of Western Art to host public reading of Declaration of Independence Wednesday
Doors open at 4:30 p.m., with the program starting at 4:45 p.m. with an introduction from the Daughters of the American Revolution. The reading itself begins at 5 p.m. sharp in the museum’s main gallery.
Photo galleries
Photo gallery: The 2026 Down Home Parade in Center Point
The Center Point community gathered in force on Saturday for the annual Down Home Parade
Photo gallery: The Lead’s Fourth on the River photos since 2022
Since 2022, The Kerr County Lead has covered Fourth on the River from the crowd at Louise Hays Park — the bands, the fireworks, the kids splashing in the Guadalupe, the whole town turning out for the Hill Country’s biggest Independence Day party.
Photo gallery: The 2026 Bluebell Bike Parade
Riders of all ages decorated their bikes before setting off on the charming neighborhood parade route, adding a lighthearted, family-friendly moment to the holiday.
Photo gallery: Symphony of the Hills’ “Stars, Stripes and Spirit” concert
Conductor Dr. Eugene Dowdy said the free concert was meant to honor both the tragedy and the community’s resilience, and before the performance, the public viewed nine original paintings from artist Robert R. “Bobby” Cahill’s “Freedom” series, tracing the history of the American flag since 1776.
Photo gallery: The 2026 Fourth on the River
The free, all-ages celebration featured a full day of live music — including Los Juanos, Jamie Lin Wilson, Junior Brown and William Beckmann, several of whom were booked for last year’s canceled show.
Sports
Meet the Edwards siblings, Kerr County’s homeschool track and field powerhouse
Now it’s on to Iowa, where three Edwards kids will take the runway at Drake University with a Junior Olympics medal, and a little Hill Country pride, on the line.
Enchanted Rock opens rugged new Backcountry Area to hikers July 7
The roughly 640-acre expansion, tucked behind the park’s iconic granite dome, has been years in the making as part of the state’s Centennial Parks initiative. Monday’s opening marks the first phase of public access — and it’s not for the casual visitor.
Pat Holmes, AFL All-Star who later called Kerrville home, dies at 85
Durable as well as decorated, he started every game of his first five seasons and never missed a game in seven years with the Oilers, appearing in all 98 and starting 96.
Obituaries
Samuel Randolph Haley: July 12, 1940-July 10, 2026
Randy loved nature’s reality and infinite variety. Focusing on basic scientific principles, he encouraged students to understand rather than try to memorize. Most of his students sought pre-professional careers in health sciences.
Gerald “Jerry” F. Jedow: 1941-July 12, 2026
In 1965, Jerry married the love of his life, Maryann Beno, in Bridgeport, Connecticut. Together they shared more than 61 years of marriage and companionship, building a life centered on family, love, and lasting memories traveling all over.
Joseph W. Allen: July 31, 1929-July 9, 2026
Throughout his life, Joe was deeply involved in his community. He served as a Boy Scout troop leader, served on the Ingram City Council, and hauled equipment for the Ingram Tom Moore High School Band.
Gail Ann Schmitt: Feb. 9, 1945-July 10, 2026
She also served on the school council at Notre Dame Catholic School and volunteered with Meals on Wheels through the Dietert Center, generously sharing her time and talents.
Birgit Woodrum: Oct. 26, 1940-July 6, 2026
Throughout her career, she worked for Sears, Alpine Lodge Restaurant, The Inn of the Hills, State Aire, and Peterson Health.
Community voices
Wayne Uecker: So, God made a small-town Texas business owner
In this Paul Harvey-inspired piece, Kerrville resident Wayne Uecker praises the small business owners of Kerr County.
Editorial: A year later, the hardest comment to hear
So when “nobody told us” gets said out loud, a year on, it lands as a heavy sigh for everyone who has spent that year telling. The nonprofits that stood up relief funds within the week. The case managers. The volunteers.
Commentary: How a trip to Ingram helped bond, unite the San Antonio Spurs to greatness
That trip was initiated by Spurs ownership and management, but it was executed by head coach Mitch Johnson, who made trips to Kerr County in the days immediately after the flood. Johnson saw the devastation firsthand through his volunteer efforts; he connected with the community, especially Ingram Tom Moore football coach and athletic director Tate DeMasco.
They came for Brenda Hughes. Here’s what they used — and what the truth is.
This has been an extraordinary campaign. Not because of anything Hughes has done, but because of what has been done to her.
Recent photos by The Kerr County Lead.
The Mission of The Kerr County Lead
Covering community news in the heart of the Hill Country.
Founded in 2021, The Kerr County Lead aims to provide high-quality journalism for Kerrville, Texas and the surrounding communities of the splendid Texas Hill Country. In the coming years, Texas faces exponential growth and the challenges of managing land, resources and water. At the same time, the Hill Country offers a robust quality of life and culture. With this mission, The Lead focuses its work on the stories that matter most to the readers in Kerr County.
