Rain eases in Kerrville, but Center Point river gauge shows sharpest rise yet as flood threat continues

Rain over Kerrville tapered through Wednesday afternoon, but the Guadalupe River near Center Point recorded its highest rise of the week so far, according to National Weather Service station data and U.S. Geological Survey gauge readings, as forecasters continued to warn of a dangerous flooding threat across Kerr County.

At the Kerrville station, 1.6 inches of rain fell in the six hours ending at 6:55 a.m. Wednesday. Rain continued through the morning — including 1.02 inches in the three hours ending at 9:55 a.m. — before gradually weakening into light rain and drizzle by early afternoon. 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., putting the day’s total in Kerrville at approximately 4 inches, though the storm’s heaviest impact appears to have shifted east.

The Guadalupe River near Center Point saw its sharpest rise of the week by early Wednesday afternoon, according to USGS gauge data. After two smaller surges earlier in the week — to about 6.6 feet Monday and 7.7 feet Tuesday — the gauge climbed to roughly 9.6 feet before receding to just under 8 feet by mid-afternoon Wednesday. That’s well above the river’s historical mean of 3.689 feet for this date and approaching the 18-year high of 8.49 feet recorded for July 15 — a mark this week’s crest appears to have already exceeded.

The heaviest rainfall and greatest flooding concern Wednesday centered on Center Point, Comfort and eastern Kerr County, areas that have also seen the most significant river response this week.

The rise comes as a flash flood warning remains in effect for southeastern Kerr County and western Gillespie County, and as a broader flood watch continues for Kerr County and 20 other South Central Texas counties through Thursday evening. The National Weather Service has warned of a dangerous, multi-day flash flooding threat driven by repeated rounds of torrential rain, with the potential for significant downstream river flooding continuing into Thursday.