People gather to watch as the Pedernales River floods Ranch Road 1623 in Stonewall, Thursday, July 16, 2026.
Mikala Compton/Austin American-Statesman
The Pedernales River became a fast-moving torrent Thursday as flooding forced evacuations in Gillespie County and sent water rising with startling speed. The National Weather Service urged residents along the river to seek higher ground immediately after the Pedernales at Fredericksburg climbed about 15 feet in just 2½ hours. By midafternoon, the river at Johnson City was forecast to approach 22 feet, reaching major flood stage.
Among those watching the river surge was Kim Isbell, who stood in the driveway of Arrowhead Creek Vineyards in Stonewall as floodwaters swallowed the 45-foot RV she and her husband, Mark, keep on the property.
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People gather to watch as the Pedernales River floods Ranch Road 1623 in Stonewall, Thursday, July 16, 2026.
Mikala Compton/Austin American-Statesman
The couple evacuated around 10 a.m., grabbing personal belongings and their 3-year-old dog, Purdy.
Kim Isbell buried her face in her hands as she continued to watch the river rise. Overnight, the water had climbed before receding about 3 feet by morning, briefly easing the couple’s fears. Then evacuation messages arrived.
“All of a sudden, we’re looking out and the water’s rising quickly,” Kim Isbell said, tears streaming down her face. “We just grabbed what we could from the camper and packed stuff up. It’s devastating.”
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The couple tried to hitch the RV to a friend’s vehicle and pull it to higher ground, but the tires were already stuck in thick mud.
Mark Isbell, owner of Arrowhead Creek Vineyards, opens a gate alongside his dog, Pedernales, as the Pedernales Riverfloods his property in Stonewall, Thursday, July 16, 2026. Isbell, his wife Kim and their dog were able to evacuate the RV they reside in on the property before the flood swelled and overtook their home.
Mikala Compton/Austin American-Statesman
The Isbells remained hopeful the vineyard itself would escape major damage because it sits on higher ground. Still, Kim Isbell said they spent much of the morning fielding calls from customers asking whether the winery was open.
“I don’t blame them,” she said. “They just can’t understand what’s going on here unless they see it themselves.”
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The flooding prompted evacuations across the area. Fredericksburg opened an emergency shelter at First Baptist Church, where displaced residents and their pets gathered Thursday afternoon.
Among them was Denise Hase, 69, who has lived at the Morris Ranch Road RV Park for 11 years.
She was evacuated by firefighters around 9 a.m. and couldn’t collect any belongings before fleeing. When she opened the door to her RV Thursday morning, floodwater rushed in above her ankles. She believes her RV was likely swept away.
Despite the chaos, Hase’s first concern was for an elderly neighbor with ongoing health problems.
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“I was very insistent,” she said. “I told them, please help him. Don’t do anything else.”
Hase arrived at the shelter with her two dogs and a cat. Shelter volunteers quickly stepped in, bringing dog beds and leashes and offering her a guest bedroom.
The Perdenales River floods over Mark Isbell’s RV home at Arrowhead Creek Vineyards in Stonewall, Thursday, July 16, 2026. Isbell, his wife Kim and their dog were able to evacuate the RV before the flood swelled and overtook their home.
Mikala Compton/Austin American-Statesman
“When you meet people like this in a small town, it’s easier,” Hase said, holding the hands of two women seated beside her in the fellowship hall.
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A longtime hotel worker in the area, Hase said she was searching for a place to stay while figuring out what would come next.
“I’m also going to be fundraising for a new RV,” she joked.
By Thursday afternoon, Gov. Greg Abbott had confirmed at least one person was killed in the broader Hill Country flooding between Kerrville and Comfort and said more than 70 people had been rescued. Officials warned the flood threat remained dangerous as water continued moving downstream through the Hill Country.
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Back along the Pedernales, residents continued watching the current carry away refrigerators, kayaks, barrels and large tree trunks — debris locals call “river sharks” — as they braced for more water.