Heavy flooding continues west of San Antonio in Uvalde County, where a massive bridge has collapsed amid nonstop rain in the Texas Hill Country.
According to the Texas Department of Public Safety South Texas Region, the Farm to Market 481 bridge collapsed around Friday morning, July 17, due to severe flooding along the Nueces River.
Aerial images from DPS’s Aircraft Operations Division show that the bridge is missing a large section of roadway. The bridge collapse comes at a critical time, as search and rescue crews continue their efforts across the county, where a number of roads have had access points cut off by flood damage.
The department is instructing residents to stay away from flooded areas, reminding them to obey all road closures and never drive through barricades.
“Your safety comes first,” DPS said in a Facebook post at 8:36 a.m. Friday.
As many communities across the Texas Hill Country begin to recover, officials in the Uvalde area are still calling for evacuations as severe weather continues to affect the area. At 11 a.m., the state agency informed residents that a large surge of water is moving through Uvalde County and that several evacuations are underway in Crystal City.
The Uvalde Police Department also urges residents of the Chalk Bluff community to evacuate voluntarily at this time.
“Please prioritize your safety and be prepared to leave quickly if conditions worsen,” the department said in a Facebook post.
As of Friday morning, two people have died due to flooding across the state, including a man whose body was found in Uvalde floodwaters on Thursday and a Kerrville man whose home was swept away.
FM 481 runs from the southern portion of the county toward the City of Uvalde. It is crossed by the Nueces River.