Why Hill Country has been vulnerable to catastrophic flooding

DALLAS — Emergency resources are rushing into the Texas Hill Country Saturday in the aftermath of deadly and destructive flooding that struck the area Friday morning. 

At least 24 people are dead and more than 20 others are missing from a children’s camp in Kerr County, officials said. 

Governor Greg Abbott signed a state disaster declaration for 15 counties, including Kerr, and vowed to provide aid to local communities. 

The area where the flooding occurred is near the so-called “Flash Flood Alley,” one of the most flash-flood-prone areas in North America, WFAA previously reported. Flash Flood Alley is the area along Interstate 35, particularly between Dallas–Fort Worth, Austin and San Antonio, which consistently experiences frequent, intense and fast-developing flooding events.

Several factors contributed to the catastrophic flooding Friday. Here’s what led up to the destructive storm. 

Several factors led up to the catastrophic flooding Friday across the Hill Country. We can go back to earlier last week when Tropical Storm Barry made landfall over southeast Mexico. The remnants from that storm made their way north into Texas.

There was a combination of moisture from Barry and the moisture coming in from the Gulf that made rainfall rates too much to handle. Parts of the Hill Country have been going through a severe to extreme drought, making the shallow and rocky terrain even more difficult to take on all at once.

A Flood Watch is still in effect through this evening across parts of the Hill Country. An additional one to two inches with isolated higher totals are possible through today.

The Guadalupe River levels could change later today, but as of Saturday morning, the water is receding in a few locations.