Abbott: River Flowing at Rate Double That of Niagara Falls

Texans who thought they'd just endured a "hundred-year flood" last summer are facing another punishing round, with fast-rising rivers in Hill Country killing at least two people and forcing many others from their homes. Unceasing rain has pushed the Guadalupe, Frio, Pedernales, and Nueces rivers to some of their highest levels on record, reports the New York Times. Gov. Greg Abbott said flow on the Nueces near Uvalde is projected at roughly double that of Niagara Falls. The community of Comfort, meanwhile, saw the Guadalupe jump more than 25 feet in an hour. More:

• Fatalities and rescues: One man died when his RV was swept away near Comfort, and a woman was killed while driving in Uvalde, even as helicopters and rescue boats pulled others to safety. The BBC has dramatic bodycam footage of one girl being airlifted to safer ground. Officials report upward of 230 rescues and have deployed more than 2,000 state emergency responders, per the Times.

• Taking storms seriously: Communities from Uvalde to Kerrville are being told to shelter in place, with roads, sewers, homes, schools, and businesses inundated. Kerrville's mayor credited new sirens—installed after last year's deadly floods—and more urgent evacuations with saving lives this time. "What happened last year was a warning to people on or near rivers," Abbott said on Thursday, per the AP. "No one can be complacent."
• Local anxiety: The Texas Tribune notes that this recent round of floods has shattered locals' illusion that last year's catastrophic deluge was a one-off. "When it did it last year, [we were] like, 'Oh my God, it's never happened before, ever, so maybe it won't happen again in our lifetime,'" says one Center Point resident. "And here we are, a year and a few days later."
• Why so bad? Meteorologists explain to ABC News why the flash flooding in the Lone Star State has been so excessive. "From a meteorological and a hydrological perspective, it may be at an even more extreme than the 2025 flood event," Marshall Shepherd, head of the University of Georgia's Atmospheric Sciences Program, tells the outlet.
• It's not over: The National Weather Service issued a rare "high risk" alert for excessive rain, warning of more storms and up to 8 additional inches in already soaked areas before a gradual drying trend expected early next week, per the Times.
• Photo documentation: The Austin American-Statesman has pics of some of the devastating storm damage.