Texas Hill Country on Alert for Flooding as Heavy Rains Approach

A band of severe storms bearing down on central Texas has raised concerns about flooding, with heavy rains expected near the site of last year’s deadly Fourth of July floods.

Communities in the Texas Hill Country could see up to six inches (15 centimeters) of rain in some areas late Thursday through Friday evening, according to the US National Weather Service. Flood watches have been issued across a broad stretch from the Permian Basin in West Texas into Louisiana, covering the cities of Austin and San Antonio.

The storms will fall on a state coping with extensive drought. While most of the rain will be “beneficial,” local forecasters said, high rainfall rates could trigger life-threatening flash flooding, particularly in areas with poor drainage and along creeks and streams.

Central Texas is still reeling from last summer’s catastrophic floods, which killed more than 160 people, including 37 children. State officials announced Thursday that Camp Mystic — which lost 25 campers and two counselors in the disaster — withdrew its licensing application to reopen later this year.

Photo: The Pedernales River in Dripping Springs, Texas, in 2023