Flood threat hinders search and recovery operations

On Monday, Kerr County officials ordered search and recovery volunteer crews to temporarily suspend their search operations near the Guadalupe River as a new flood threat developed with heavy rainfall.

“Due to the incoming threatening weather, all volunteers should vacate the river area, and move to higher ground for their safety,” said the city of Kerrville in a Facebook post. “Only teams working under the direction of Kerr County Emergency Operations Center Unified Command are permitted in the response zone.”

Recovery efforts were initially halted early Sunday morning as heavy rainfall moved through Kerr County. The Kerrville Police Department reported that ground searches for flooding victims had been paused before 8 a.m. due to “flood danger.”

Operations in West Kerr County were able to resume Sunday afternoon, but the National Weather Service reissued a flood warning for the Guadalupe at Hunt.

Early Monday, KPD posted on its Facebook page that water levels in the river at Hunt, already at nearly 8.5 feet by 6:30 a.m., were expected to rise 6 more feet in the coming hours, which would be considered a “moderate flood stage.”

“A weak cold front stalled across the Hill Country and created several rounds of showers and thunderstorms across the area. The front combined with a disturbance to create locally heavy downpours and stall search efforts during the weekend,” broadcast meteorologist Cary Burgess said. “Creeks, rivers and streams reported rising water conditions Sunday and Monday.”

Kerr County officials emphasized that people should exercise serious caution around low-water crossings.

In a press conference last week, officials explained that the crossings in the West Kerr County area easily flood, as they did on the morning of July 4, trapping people on small “islands” of land and making it difficult for emergency responders to reach them.

A flood watch remained in effect for most of the Hill Country through 9 p.m. Monday. The National Weather Service issues a watch when flooding is possible and a warning when flooding is imminent.

“Looking ahead, we could see a few more showers and storms Tuesday with locally heavy downpours possible,” Burgess said. “Current forecast models support this system lifting out of the area Tuesday night with drier weather conditions expected Wednesday through Friday. Stray storms are still possible each afternoon due to daytime heating.”

This article was originally published in the July 15, 2025 edition of the Kerrville Daily Times.