Central Texas faces continued flood threat after days of heavy rain and catastrophic flooding. Over 80 deaths have been reported, including 27 at Camp Mystic in Kerrville. Additional flooding occurred in the Austin area, with more deaths and missing persons. Heavy rainfall is expected to continue, with a flood watch issued for the region.
Millions in Central Texas remain under threat of flooding Monday as the region enters its fourth consecutive day of rain in an already wetter-than-normal summer that has brought catastrophic flooding and several rounds of deadly storms.
Among those under watch are areas already devastated over the Fourth of July weekend. At least 81 people have died in flooding triggered by unrelenting rain Thursday night into Saturday afternoon.
A tragedy that unfolded along the Guadalupe River on Friday battered Kerrville and the all-girls Camp Mystic, which sits on the riverbank, about 65 miles northwest of San Antonio. On Monday, the camp confirmed the deaths of 27 campers and counselors, of which 10 bodies are still not recovered. More than 70 deaths were reported in the region, and more than 850 people were rescued during the Fourth of July flooding.
Another flash flood struck the San Gabriel River and Austin area early Saturday, where at least 12 people died and 16 remain missing in Burnet, Williamson and Travis counties.
Here's a look at where the storms struck hardest — and how quickly conditions turned deadly.
How the Kerrville, Texas, flood gauge jumped on July 4
The suddenness of the disaster at Camp Mystic is starkly illustrated by data from a gauge on the Guadalupe River near Kerrville. The gauge surged from less than two feet to more than 34 feet in just over an hour on July 4.
Which cities in Texas received the most rainfall? Map shows rain totals
While Kerrville — which saw more than 11 inches of rain over three days — faced the worst flooding due to its location along the Guadalupe River, it didn’t receive the heaviest rainfall in Central Texas over the holiday weekend.
In Liberty Hill, which sits about 110 miles northeast of Kerrville and is a nearby suburb of Austin, residents received nearly double the total, with more than 20 inches.
Heat map shows where the heaviest rain fell over the weekend
Texas weather watches and warnings
The National Weather Service office in Austin has issued a flood watch across the Hill Country and along the Interstate 35 corridor through 7 p.m. Monday
"There remains a threat of flash flooding from slow moving heavy rains overnight and through the day on Monday somewhere over the watch area," the advisory states.
The weather service warns of the potential for 2 to 4 inches of rainfall — with isolated amounts of up to 10 inches — from overnight showers and possible continued development throughout the day in the watch area.