Deadly flooding on Guadalupe River over years
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18hon MSN
Plans to develop a flood monitoring system in the Texas county hit hardest by deadly floods were scheduled to begin only a few weeks later.
More than 111 people have died across six counties after flash flooding from heavy rain began affecting the state last week.
The heavy rain that turned a river in Texas into a raging wall of water was fueled by unique atmospheric conditions, according to meteorologists and climate scientists.
Walston drove from his home to the Center Point Bridge on FM 480 near Highway 27, where he shot video of the river below. He recorded nearly 38 minutes of surging water as it rose over 20 feet, carrying massive cypress trees, debris and even a house.
4don MSN
A swift-moving flood that swept through the Hill Country of Texas on Friday, killing at least 79 people and leaving many more missing, was a flash flood.
As early as July 2, officials at the Texas Division of Emergency Management, or TDEM, were publishing news releases warning that “heavy rainfall with the potential to cause flash flooding is anticipated across West Texas and the Hill Country” and were preparing resources such as swift-water rescue boat squads.
In the wake of disaster, people are relying on the volunteer fire department, the backbone of the Hill Country.
Over just two hours, the Guadalupe River at Comfort, Texas, rose from hip-height to three stories tall, sending water weighing as much as the Empire State building downstream roughly every minute it remained at its crest. The force of floodwater is often more powerful and surprising than people imagine.
The region of Texas where flash flooding killed more than 90 people -- including dozens of campers -- is known for its tendency to experience flood emergencies.
At least 120 people have been found dead since heavy rainfall overwhelmed the river and flowed through homes and youth camps in the early morning hours of July 4. Ninety-six of those killed were in the hardest-hit county in central Texas, Kerr County, where the toll includes at least 36 children.