UVALDE, Texas (NewsNation) — At least two people have died as flooding continues to ravage the Texas Hill Country, an area that suffered deadly flooding around this same time last year, as rescue crews worked to reach residents still stranded by rising water.
Gov. Greg Abbott confirmed the two deaths Thursday: a 74-year-old man swept away in his car in Uvalde and a 65-year-old man swept away in his RV in Center Point. Abbott said crews have rescued at least 200 people stranded in cars or flooded homes, and the state has deployed more than 2,350 emergency responders and more than 1,400 vehicles to assist rescue efforts.
The governor’s office said some residents have been unable to reach hospitals, and some local hospitals are not operational because of storm damage.
At least 2 dead as Texas flooding forces evacuations and rescues
The Texas Emergency Medical Task Force has partnered with the Texas National Guard to run helicopter medical transports, airlifting people to facilities for care.
Gov. Abbott issues major disaster declaration in response to flooding
Abbott held a press conference in Uvalde Friday afternoon on the state’s ongoing response to severe storms and flash flooding alongside state and local emergency management and public safety officials.
“Our paramount goal is to make sure nobody else loses their life,” Abbott said in the press conference.
Abbott issued a major disaster declaration during the press conference that will open the door to federal relief to assist in the rebuilding of the region. Abbott said the declaration will be on its way to President Trump after the conclusion of the press conference. The declaration includes 28 counties hardest hit by flood waters with the possibility that more counties can be added.
Abbott said more than 2,700 personnel, 1,500 vehicles, 90 boats, and 20 aircraft have been deployed to rescue more than 270 people.
“Uvalde was hit very, very hard, but the community and the people in this community are strong and resilient,” Abbott said in the press conference.
Abbott additionally said the Nueces River poses the most danger in the coming days. He added that despite the rain weakening, rivers will continue to rise and still pose a threat to people near those waters.
Cleanup will begin in the coming days when water recedes, according to Abbott. The state also has a place for people to donate to the state’s relief effort at rebuildtx.org.
Mandatory evacuation orders remained in place for areas around Crystal City, roughly 40 minutes south of Uvalde, while a surge of water hit Ozona, where response teams were conducting water rescues.
In Uvalde, rivers remained high Friday, with debris visible in a city park and in trees showing how high the water had risen. Just outside the city on Highway 481, the bridge over the Nueces River collapsed in the flooding, with sections of asphalt missing on both sides; it remains closed indefinitely. Highway 90 outside Uvalde also remained closed.
A Texas Game Warden helicopter crew — including a pilot, rescue swimmer and a Texas Department of Public Safety hoist operator — conducted hoist rescues in Uvalde County, including airlifting a young girl, her family and two dogs from a home that was largely underwater, according to video released by Texas DPS.
WATCH: Helicopter rescues kids from Texas floodwaters
The Comfort Volunteer Fire Department said it responded to numerous calls across the Hill Country for flooded homes, welfare checks, evacuation assistance and multiple water rescues.
In Kerrville, more than two feet of rain has fallen over the past four days across parts of central and south Texas. While the Guadalupe River has receded substantially, streets and roadways in the city sustained heavy damage, with several roads washed away, closed or impassable, according to Kerrville police.
The flooding comes almost exactly a year after Kerrville’s catastrophic July 4, 2025, flood, when 28 people died at Camp Mystic after the Guadalupe River overflowed its banks.
In the Kerrville neighborhood where a family — the Romeros — disappeared during last year’s flood, many homes remain empty or abandoned, and several lots were never rebuilt, a NewsNation crew found on a return visit.
Some families who lived there never returned. But signs of recovery are emerging: Next to the former Romero home, a new house is being built on a substantially higher foundation.
Guadalupe River surges more than 30 feet
Rain has eased across parts of Texas, but officials warn the danger is far from over as floodwaters continue to threaten communities and the risk of isolated tornadoes remains.
Emergency officials are urging residents to stay off flooded roads and never attempt to drive through standing water. In many areas, streets remain submerged, marking travel impossible, while authorities warn that roads weakened by floodwaters could buckle or collapse.
The worst flooding has been reported in Uvalde and parts of Texas Hill Country, where vehicles have been swept away, and some communities remain completely cut off.
Texas braces as Guadalupe River floods again after last year’s devastation
Some areas have received more than a foot of rain, sending the Guadalupe River surging more than 30 feet. The National Weather Service described the surge as a “large and deadly flood wave.”
Officials said summer camps that were devastated by last year’s flooding were spared this time, and all campers are safe.
Even so, the flooding has reopened emotional wounds for many residents.
Seeing the Guadalupe River swell once again brought some people to tears, reminding them of the deadly flooding that struck the area just over a year ago.
Officials said warnings were issued earlier than they were last year, evacuations began sooner, and many families left before conditions deteriorated.
Flooded roads leave residents isolated
Still, residents who remained said floodwaters have left them stranded.
“So people really can’t get anywhere,” Uvalde resident Carmen Rodriguez said. “Our main street is closed and can’t go east or west right now, but we’re hoping for the best.”
Another resident, Toby Guerrero, said flooded roads have made it impossible to access essential services.
“I can’t get through to the local grocery store or the Walmart,” Guerrero said. “My wife got sick, and I need to get prescriptions for her; I can’t get through. In that sense, it’s pretty bad.”
People gather to watch as the Perdenales River floods Ranch Road 1623 in Stonewall, Texas, Thursday, July 16, 2026. (Mikala Compton/Austin American-Statesman via AP)
A flood-damaged car hangs from a fence on Wednesday, July 15, 2026, in Boerne, Texas. (AP Photo/Darren Abate)
Ella and Grace Sanford and their dog Benjamin ride on a Texas Game Wardens rescue boat after being evacuated from their home after flooding in Uvalde, Texas, on Thursday, July 16, 2026. (Casy Sanford via AP)
This aerial photo provided by David Fry shows flooding in Uvalde, Texas, on Thursday, July 16, 2026. (David Fry/Medina Real Estate Photography via AP)
A U.S. Geological Survey hydrologic technician surveys water levels along the Pedernales River using an acoustic doppler profiler on Thursday, July 16, 2026, in Fredericksburg, Texas. (AP Photo/Joel Angel Juarez)
COMFORT, TEXAS – JULY 16: Luke Mixon, left, and Trent Sursa, right, look at the Guadalupe River under I-10 after heavy rain caused flooding in Comfort, Texas on Thursday, July 16, 2026. Mixon said he was at an RV park in Comfort during the July 4, 2025 flood. They said it was a 75 year flood, so I didn’t expect to see anything like this again, Mixon said about the flood. (Aaron E. Martinez/The Austin American-Statesman via Getty Images)
CENTER POINT, TEXAS – JULY 16: The Guadalupe River is seen on July 16, 2026 in Center Point, Texas. Flash floods swept across parts of Central Texas, bringing heavy rainfall, prompting evacuations, and triggering multiple water rescues. (Photo by Brandon Bell/Getty Images)
Water along the Pedernales River floods the Gillespie County Safety Rest Area on Thursday, July 16, 2026, in Stonewall, Texas. (AP Photo/Joel Angel Juarez)
Large structure gets swept away in Guadalupe River floodwaters in Texas
Gov. Greg Abbott has declared a disaster across dozens of counties as recovery efforts continue.
Officials are urging residents to follow evacuation orders, avoid floodwaters and never drive around road closure barricades, warning that conditions can change rapidly even after the rain has stopped.
NewsNation affiliate KXAN contributed to this report.
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