Torrential rains have claimed two lives in Texas as the state braces for “record-shattering” rainfall over the next 24 hours.
Emergency services have already conducted 230 rescues, including a dramatic helicopter operation that saved a man and his dog from a submerged truck.
Texas has mobilized a substantial response, deploying 2,350 emergency responders and 1,400 pieces of equipment, including Black Hawk helicopters and swiftwater rescue boats.
Officials are acutely focused on preventing a repeat of the devastating human toll from a year ago, when floods in the same Texas Hill Country region killed at least 135 people, among them 27 campers and counselors, mostly children, at a summer camp.
“We’re facing record-shattering rainfall that leads to very dangerous flooding. We want to do everything we possibly can to protect our lives,” Governor Greg Abbott told reporters after a briefing, flanked by emergency response officials.
The National Weather Service reported that 10 to 20 inches (25 to 50 cm) of rain had already fallen across parts of the Hill Country over the past two days.
This region includes Camp Mystic, a Christian summer camp for girls on the Guadalupe River, which was the site of last year’s tragedy.
Abbott identified the latest victims as a man whose recreational vehicle was swept away and a woman whose vehicle was overcome by floodwaters.
He urged residents to avoid roads until the storms are expected to subside late Friday. Currently, 125 roadway sections across the state have been impacted, with 87 closures, including a bridge that was struck by a barge.
Uvalde and Johnson City are among the areas of greatest concern. The Nueces River near Uvalde is forecast to surpass its 1996 record crest, while the Frio and Pedernales rivers are also anticipated to reach some of their highest levels ever recorded.
