Two people are dead in Texas Hill Country, including 65-year-old John Mark Steward, whose mobile home was swept away by floodwaters. This catastrophe strikes just over a year after similar rains killed over 130 in the same region. USA TODAY reported the deaths on July 17, 2026.
Extreme rainfall has deluged parts of Texas Hill Country, with some areas receiving nearly 2 feet of rain in recent days. Leakey, Texas, recorded 23.37 inches since Monday afternoon. Another station in Kerrville, a city hit hard by storms in July 2025, saw 20.71 inches fall.
Most of the rain concentrated in Uvalde, Kinney, Bandera, Kerr, and Gillespie counties, where totals ranged between 6 and 13 inches, Governor Greg Abbott stated on July 16. The National Weather Service anticipates more heavy rain on July 17 due to a slow-moving weather pattern.
The Recurring Cost of Neglect
The relentless downpour has again pushed rivers like the Guadalupe, Nueces, and Frio to near or above record levels. The Nueces River near Uvalde reached a preliminary record crest of 28.01 feet on July 16, surpassing its 1996 record of 24.88 feet. Governor Abbott claimed the Nueces was expected to reach twice the flow of Niagara Falls.
Photos from Kerrville show the Guadalupe River covering roads and submerging trees. Video from Texas Game Wardens depicted vehicles swept away by the torrent. Hundreds of water rescues have been performed, Abbott confirmed.
One victim, a male near Comfort, died after his RV was swept away. A female in Uvalde drowned after floodwaters carried her car off a road. Governor Abbott did not release their identities or ages.
Jennie Steward identified one victim as her husband, John Mark Steward of Kerrville. She told the Associated Press that she was visiting her parents when a neighbor informed her their mobile home had been swept away. "It’s really hard that I wasn’t there with him," she stated, noting they had just celebrated their third anniversary.
The State's Reactive Measures
Governor Abbott stated, "We're facing record-shattering rainfall that leads to very dangerous flooding. We want to do everything we possibly can to protect all lives." Fifty-nine Texas counties were under a flood watch on July 16.
More than 230 water rescues have been performed since the flooding began, Abbott said. He reported 2,350 emergency responders were working on flood response, deploying about 1,400 vehicles, including helicopters, rescue boats, and high-profile vehicles.
Texas Game Wardens conducted rescues from homes and submerged vehicles. They shared video of a responder carrying a child through floodwaters to a waiting boat. Another video showed a helicopter rescue.
Officials urged residents to avoid driving on water-covered roads.
Lives Lost, Foundations Unchanged
This current disaster echoes the flooding just over a year ago, on the night and early morning of July 4, 2025. That event saw the Guadalupe River inundate communities, killing more than 130 people, including 28 at Camp Mystic, a Christian summer camp for girls. Governor Abbott asserted that lessons learned from the 2025 flooding helped prevent more catastrophe this time, though he noted the riverfront campgrounds' water behavior was different. He said over 80 people were cleared from campgrounds early on.
Flood warning systems, installed after the 2025 disaster, were activated. Yet, despite these post-hoc reforms, the systemic vulnerability of the working class to extreme weather events remains, as evidenced by the new fatalities and widespread destruction.