A lot of the reported deaths within the July 4 floods occurred in Kerr County, Texas, alongside the Guadalupe River. Provisional flood gauge knowledge from the U.S. Geological Survey, recorded at numerous factors alongside the river, confirmed water ranges spiking to report ranges over the course of some hours.
The flood gauge nearest Camp Mystic is about 5 miles downstream of the camp, the place the South and North forks of the Guadalupe River merge. It recorded an increase of greater than 25 ft in two hours, earlier than going silent for the remainder of the day.
The web site for the Nationwide Water Prediction Service lists what may occur if a given flood gauge hits sure ranges. For the Guadalupe River at Hunt flood gauge — the one downstream from Camp Mystic within the chart above — one may count on to see:
- “Main flooding” at camps alongside the South Fork of the river (an space that features Camp Mystic) at 25 ft
- “Disastrous life-threatening flooding” at 32 ft
The realm is understood for being vulnerable to flash flooding. Ana Campbell of Texas Public Radio reported:
As any Texan is aware of, the climate right here is unpredictable. That’s due to the state’s distinctive place between chilly, dry air from the north and moist, heat air from the Gulf of Mexico. Central Texas particularly is susceptible to intense rainstorms. Water fills the Colorado and Guadalupe rivers and their tributaries, making the world a well-liked vacation spot for boaters and swimmers.
However when sure climate patterns collide like they did on Friday, the world is inundated with water that rushes via the hills and canyons. The ample limestone retains the water from soaking into the bottom, so it rushes into the valleys, Sarah Spivey, a meteorologist with KSAT, informed NPR.
