Flash flooding in Texas Hill Country killed John Mark Steward in Kerrville after floodwaters swept away his RV home overnight. Heavy rain across Central Texas also sent rivers and creeks out of their banks, triggering rescues and evacuations across several counties.
The family of the 65-year-old said he died in Kerrville. The Kerr County Sheriff’s Office said the man who died in its county was in an RV home when floodwaters carried it away overnight.
Kerr County and Uvalde County
Two people were reported killed in the historic floods on Thursday, including a 74-year-old man from Uvalde County. Historic Texas Hill Country flash flooding also triggered rescues and evacuations across Kerr, Uvalde, and Kendall counties after more than 28 inches of rain.
The Texas Game Wardens helped rescue more than 40 individuals from submerged vehicles and flooded homes. As of July 16, more than 30 rescues had been completed, and most of them happened between 5 a.m. and 9 a.m.
Pedernales River and Lake Travis
Fredericksburg Fire/EMS said historic flooding caused rising water across the Pedernales River. The river flows directly into Lake Travis in Austin, and The LCRA expected Lake Travis water levels to rise 5–7 feet overnight because of heavy rainfall and controlled releases.
Travis County officials asked people to stay out of the water while The National Weather Service kept a flood warning for Kerr County in effect until 6 p.m. on Friday, July 17. Fredericksburg Fire/EMS chief Lynn Bizzell said, “This event is not over, and we urge everyone to remain weather aware tonight, continue monitoring official updates and never drive through flooded roadways.”
Gillespie County Warning
The National Weather Service also issued a flood advisory for Gillespie County until 1 a.m. on Friday, July 17. Lynn Bizzell said, “Today’s successful operations were made possible by the outstanding teamwork of our dedicated staff, volunteer fire departments, and state agency partners who worked together to keep our community safe.”
She also said, “We’re also grateful to the residents of Gillespie County for heeding warnings and taking precautions.” The warnings and road restrictions left residents across Kerr, Gillespie, Uvalde, and Kendall counties still dealing with rising water after the first rescues were already underway.
What remains most urgent is the same problem crews faced on July 16: the water was still moving, and people were still being told to stay away from it.
