Fatality confirmed, homes and businesses destroyed as torrential rain overwhelms Kerr County

The Kerr County Sheriff’s Office has confirmed at least one death in flooding in Center Point, as torrential rainfall Thursday destroyed homes and businesses across the county in a disaster local officials say may exceed last year’s catastrophic July 4, 2025 flood in some areas.

Search and rescue crews, including mutual aid teams from Marble Falls and Crosby, continued working an active scene Thursday on Goat Creek Road off Texas Highway 27, where at least one home was destroyed and a business was seriously damaged.

Rain fell at historic rates

Iowa Environmental Mesonet station data shows the ground was already saturated heading into Thursday: Ingram logged 1.89 inches of rain Wednesday, and Kerrville received 3.23 inches. Then the rate exploded. As of 1:30 p.m. Thursday, Ingram had recorded 18.84 inches for the day alone — roughly ten times Wednesday’s total — while Kerrville logged 8.39 inches, more than double its Wednesday mark. Statewide precipitation statements from NWS Austin/San Antonio put Ingram’s storm total since Sunday, July 12, at 24.38 inches, meaning the overwhelming majority of that multi-day total fell in a matter of hours Thursday morning.

Kerrville’s high temperature ran 13 to 14 degrees below normal both days — 78°F Wednesday and 77°F Thursday, against a climatological average near 91.5°F — consistent with the heavy, sustained cloud cover that accompanied the rain.

The National Weather Service upgraded to a Flash Flood Emergency for central Kerr County — Hunt, Ingram and Kerrville — at 3 a.m. Thursday, later extending it to 11:30 a.m. as rainfall rates hit four to six inches per hour.

Town Creek devastated Kerrville businesses

As The Lead surveyed the scale of the disaster Thursday, it became clear that Kerrville’s worst damage was done along Town Creek, where dozens of homes and businesses were damaged or destroyed. The exact number is not yet known. It was the feeder creeks — Town, Goat and Dietert — where there are no river gauges, that appeared to do the worst damage in Kerrville, even as attention focused on the mainstem Guadalupe.

Gibson’s Discount Center, a Kerrville landmark, suffered significant damage, along with other businesses near Town Creek, including an auto stereo and electronics business on Main Street. The Peterson Urgent Care Center had more than a foot of water inside it.

Both city and county have declared disaster

Kerrville Mayor Joe Herring Jr. declared a local state of disaster for the city and formally requested state and federal assistance from Gov. Greg Abbott, saying in a letter routed through Texas Division of Emergency Management Chief Nim Kidd that damage to the city is “of such severity and magnitude that an effective response is beyond the City’s capabilities to recover without supplementary state and/or federal assistance.” Kerr County Judge Rob Kelly has separately declared a disaster for the county.

City officials are scheduled to hold a press conference at 4 p.m. Thursday at Kerrville’s Public Safety Building.

More river rise expected, though rain is easing

Kerr County Emergency Management Coordinator Shori Harmon warned Thursday that an additional major rise was expected on the river from the headwaters, with all units operating under extreme caution as a result. The National Weather Service extended a Flood Warning to the Guadalupe River at Hunt, forecasting a crest of 21.3 feet — moderate flood stage, well below last year’s catastrophic flooding at that location, when the river crested at an all-time record 37.52 feet on July 4, 2025.

The forecast is trending toward improvement. The National Weather Service calls for a 50% chance of showers and thunderstorms this afternoon with a high near 84, dropping to a 40% chance tonight with a low around 72. Rain chances fall further Friday, with only a 20% chance of showers before 10 a.m. and skies gradually clearing to mostly sunny with a high near 87. Friday night carries just a 20% chance of showers after 1 a.m.

Blackhawk helicopters were searching near Schumacher Crossing in Hunt Thursday morning, according to radio traffic monitored by The Lead. Several area camps reported themselves safe via social media Thursday, including Camp Waldemar as of 5:10 a.m., Camp Camp, Camp Honey Creek, Camp Hermanson and Mo-Ranch. Kickapoo reported it was sheltering in place. The Lead has not independently confirmed these reports with camp administrators or Kerr County officials.

Water system strained

Public Works crews identified a major water line break on the Arcadia Loop bridge Thursday. The damaged section has been isolated, causing a temporary water service interruption for homes along Arcadia Loop until repairs are completed. The city’s water treatment plant remains offline, with water pressure being maintained through the groundwater network. The city is asking all residents to minimize water use to help conserve the system.

Bridges washed out

• Bear Creek Bridge is gone, confirmed by state troopers
• The Sidney Baker Street bridge is closed after a barge — part of the ongoing recovery effort to locate the remains of Cile Steward and Jeff Ramsey on Nimitz Lake — became wedged underneath it
• Anderson Ranch Bridge, on Junction Highway, washed out
• Ingram Hills Road Bridge washed out
• Henderson Branch Bridge, on Bandera Highway (Texas 173), washed out
• The Highway 39 bridge in the 900 block suffered a severe washout and needs repair
• Main Street and Water Street bridges are covered in debris after Town Creek overtopped both
• Francisco Lemos Street and G Street bridges are closed until further notice

With numerous connector bridges impassable, east-west travel in and out of Kerrville and Ingram is effectively cut off.

Roads

• Interstate 10 is closed west of Kerrville
• Highway 27 is closed between Ingram and Mountain Home; also flooded at Silver Creek and Steel Creek, where 6 feet of water covered the highway
• Highway 39 is shut down at the Ingram Dam store, with washouts and debris blocking multiple blocks
• Medina Highway is closed from Upper Turtle Creek through Medina
• The 480 Bridge in Center Point rose 3 to 4 feet in under 45 minutes; water reached 4 feet deep at the 480/Highway 27 intersection
• Numerous additional roads are closed throughout Center Point, including Spur 100, River Road and Indian Creek Road

Center Point damage

There are also reports of significant home damage in Center Point, especially along the river, though The Lead has not fully confirmed the extent. The Center Point Fire Department building itself flooded, and a family living next door was evacuated.

Active rescues and evacuations

Crews have been in the field since 2 a.m., staging at City West Church and a local school gym. Responders have reported attic rescues, including one requiring a chainsaw to cut through a roof, and tree rescues, including a vehicle occupant pulled to safety. Evacuations are underway along the CP River Road and Sutherland Road corridor in Center Point, on Paradise Avenue and Vaughn Street in Kerrville, at Comfort RV Park behind Los Gallos, and in the Skyline Drive and Sims Road area of Center Point. Kerr County Sheriff’s Office, Fire Command, Texas Parks and Wildlife game wardens, and volunteer fire departments from Ingram and Comfort are among the agencies responding, along with a swiftwater boat crew from Junction Fire Department.

River levels

• Guadalupe River at Hunt: 12.2 feet as of 7:50 a.m.; 24-hour max of 20.5 feet; forecast to crest at 21.3 feet
• Guadalupe River at Kerrville: 16.8 feet as of 5:05 a.m., forecast to crest at 22.5 feet
• Guadalupe River at Center Point: 37 feet; the gauge rose 32 feet in four hours
• Bear Creek gauge, Kerrville: 27 feet

Shelter, power and utilities

Calvary Temple Church, at 3000 TX-534 Loop in Kerrville, remains the active shelter, with capacity for approximately 500 people. City West Church, at 3139 Junction Highway in Ingram, is serving as a reunification center.

Kerrville Public Utility Board reported 39 active outages affecting 2,181 customers Thursday, down from 98 outages and more than 2,500 customers earlier in the morning, out of KPUB’s approximately 24,587 total customers. CTEC, which serves north and west Kerr County, reported about 800 customers without power in the Ingram area and areas north of Interstate 10.

How to help

The Community Foundation of the Texas Hill Country has launched the Texas Hill Country Flood Relief Fund to support recovery from Thursday’s flooding. “Our hearts break that the Texas Hill Country is once again facing catastrophic flooding. Just one year after the devastating July 2025 floods, many of our neighbors are again in harm’s way,” said Austin Dickson, the foundation’s CEO. Donations can be made at cftexashillcountry.fcsuite.com.

Closures today

Kerrville City Hall, Butt-Holdsworth Memorial Library, Development Services offices, the 216th District Court (per District Attorney Lucy Wilke), MHDD outpatient centers, the Dietert Center, Art Camp at the Kerr Arts and Cultural Center, KPUB’s lobby and drive-thru, and Peterson Health clinics and urgent care locations are all closed Thursday. Ingram ISD is not holding classes, though activities are continuing.

This is a developing story and will be updated after Thursday’s 4 p.m. press conference.