Convenience Big Store: How the Guadalupe River swelled 20 feet in 95 minutes

July 7, 2025

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☁️ Temperature check: High of 91; low of 76. Forecast: Houston starts a new work week with downpours Monday as the Hill Country continues to deal with heavy rain and the risk of flooding.

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Good morning, Houston!

In case you're just catching up, here's what you should know to start your day:

Need to know: At least 68 people are dead, including 28 children, due to flooding along the Guadalupe River.
Top of the chart: The most-read story on our site yesterday was the heartbreaking news about two sisters found dead from the floods with their hands locked together.

Now, the rest of the news.

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People search for survivors near the Guadalupe River in Hunt, Saturday, July 5, 2025.

Photo by: Jason Fochtman, Houston Chronicle

A 'raging torrent': How the Guadalupe River swelled 20 feet in 95 minutes

Though the Guadalupe River basin high in the Texas Hill Country is known for its flooding danger, the lack of a modern flood warning system sent campers and others in low-lying areas scrambling with little sounding of alarms.

Local emergency officials and the National Weather Service get their information from four gauges along the Guadalupe River upstream from Kerrville, where the flash flooding that killed at least 68 people occurred on July 4.

One of four gauges on the river failed, likely because of the wall of water that surged downstream in the early hours of Friday. In places, water rose 40 feet above the streambed. As crews raced to respond to low areas along the river, and campers and others fled, a review of the sensor data shows the river grew in height, width and speed with sudden force.

No design, dam or flood control project is going to solve the threat posed by the uppermost part of the river basin.

Video: League City woman rescued from flood after clinging to tree for 5 hours

Tina Perry is still searching for her husband Brad, a former volunteer firefighter in League City.

Friends of people missing in Texas flooding search on their own along Guadalupe

The massive debris field along Texas 39 was scattered with mangled vehicles, clothing and other possessions.

Flooding photos show devastation at Camp Mystic, across the Hill Country

Here's a look at some of the photos from Camp Mystic, Kerrville and other areas in the Texas Hill Country that were devastated by flooding.

Mayor Whitmire removes food insecurity board member after Camp Mystic comments

Sade Perkins has been a member of the city's food insecurity board since 2023. Her term expired in January.

Houston police moved on from suspended cases scandal. How much has changed?

Experts and conversations among department supervisors have raised serious questions about how comprehensively the city has dealt with the issue.

Learn how to protest your property taxes in Harris County with our comprehensive guide, featuring expert insights and custom data tools.

Photo by: Houston Chronicle

The ultimate Harris County property tax guide

If you've protested your property tax appraisal, you may need to go in front of the Harris County Appraisal Review Board. But what do you say? We built a first-of-its-kind interactive tool to help you organize your evidence into a short script — without you having to write a line.

⚾ Sports

Houston Astros' Yainer Diaz (21) and Christian Walker embrace after Diaz hit a home run during the eighth inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Dodgers, Sunday, July 6, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jessie Alcheh)

Photo by: Jessie Alcheh, Associated Press

Sweep LA: The Astros concluded a six-game road trip with three wins in a row over the Los Angeles Dodgers, the NL's top team. It was Houston's first sweep at Dodger Stadium since 2008.

All-Star Status: Jeremy Peña and Hunter Brown are All-Stars for the first time while closer Josh Hader is a six-time selection.
Reunited: Héctor Neris was part of Houston's bullpens in 2022-23 and part of 2024 before starting this season in Atlanta. The Astros are bringing him back for a third time.
Rockets: The finalized mega trade resulted in Houston acquiring Kevin Durant and Clint Capela, while giving up two picks in this year's draft, five future second-round picks, cash and David Roddy.
Gold Cup: Mexico rallied to defeat the U.S. in the final at NRG Stadium. The title is the second in a row and 10th overall for Mexico.

🗣️ Opinion

From the Editorial Board: The Central Texas floods, and the children lost at Camp Mystic, have stunned us. We grieve, and we ask what can be done to prevent this from happening again.
Also from the Editorial Board: President Trump has pandered to his MAGA base through the subterfuge of re-renaming forts after soldiers with the same last names as Confederates.
What's the best way to die? Longtime Houston Chronicle columnist Mike Snyder reflects on the death of his friend, and contemplates his own.
One reader in the Austin American-Statesman Letters to the Editor writes that it is reckless for the U.S. to withdraw its support from Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance.

📅 Events at the Chronicle

EVENT: How the rest of hurricane season looks for Houston — and how to prepare

Readers are invited to a live, virtual event with newsroom meteorologist Justin Ballard and expert guests at 12 p.m. CST on Thursday, July 10.

They're essential to Houston's growth, but many undocumented construction workers face wage theft, underpayment and rising risks of ICE enforcement, writes real estate reporter Marissa Luck.

Nearly 300,000 construction workers were undocumented in Texas in 2022, almost a quarter of the state's construction workforce statewide, according to the most recent data available from the American Immigration Council, an immigrant advocacy nonprofit.

Many construction companies use E-Verify, a free online federal system that allows employers to check whether someone is legally authorized to work in the U.S., but compliance can be inconsistent across the large, diverse sector.