Hundreds of homes damaged by Texas floods as concerns remain downstream
Central Texas lakes and hill country counties recover
Hundreds of homes and businesses were damaged by last week's floods in the Texas Hill Country, and while recovery is underway, dangerous conditions remain across Central Texas as floodwaters continue moving downstream.
AUSTIN, Texas - Hundreds of homes and businesses were damaged by last week's floods in the Texas Hill Country, and while recovery is underway, dangerous conditions remain across Central Texas as floodwaters continue moving downstream.
Texas' long recovery ahead as flood danger remains
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said nearly 600 homes and 100 businesses were damaged or destroyed across Kerr, Kendall and Comal counties during the floods that killed two people.
What we know:
State leaders said Monday they are shifting from emergency response to recovery, but warned that the threat is not over for communities downstream.
Gov. Greg Abbott said nearly 600 homes and 100 businesses were damaged or destroyed across Kerr, Kendall and Comal counties during the floods that killed two people. Kerr County sustained the heaviest damage, with nearly 500 homes affected.
First responders rescued at least 530 people statewide during the flooding.
A woman drives past vehicles and golf carts washed out of Buckhorn Lake Resort and onto the shoulder of the Interstate 10 frontage road near Goat Creek Road by flooding, July 17, 2026. (Sara Diggins/The Austin American-Statesman / Getty Images)
Meanwhile, water continues to move through the Highland Lakes system. The Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA) still has one floodgate open at Mansfield Dam and multiple floodgates open at Tom Miller Dam as of Monday afternoon. Hydrogeneration is also being used at Buchanan, Wirtz and Max Starcke dams to move floodwaters downstream.
Mansfield Dam opened its floodgates over the weekend for the first time since 2019.
As of Monday morning, Lake Buchanan was at 100% capacity, while Lake Travis had reached 105% capacity.
Because of the swift water and dangerous currents, Austin's waterway ban remains in effect until 5 p.m. Tuesday for Lake Austin, Lady Bird Lake and the Colorado River downstream from Longhorn Dam.
Abbott provides update on flooding situation in Texas
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott says hundreds of homes and businesses have been damaged across three counties because of flooding last week.
What they're saying:
Gov. Abbott warned that even though skies have cleared in many areas, communities downstream are still at risk.
"Just because the skies may be clear here right now, doesn't mean the aggregation of water that's flowing downstream has peaked. Downstream, the waters will continue to rise and continue to pose dangers for those local communities," Abbott said.
Abbott said the Guadalupe River crested at nearly 38 feet in Comfort on Thursday before dropping to about five feet by Monday.
He also credited improvements made since last year's devastating floods.
"Almost all rivers in the region hit record highs. They said in Kerrville, the flooding this year was worse than the flooding last year. Sirens and warnings, they worked."
Abbott said officials remain especially concerned about downstream communities, including Carrizo Springs and Cotulla, where floodwaters are expected to continue posing risks over the coming days.
Dig deeper:
Texas Division of Emergency Management Chief Nim Kidd said investigators are still examining what happened after a privately owned barge broke loose during the flooding and struck a bridge in Kerrville.
The barge, which was being used to remove debris from last year's flooding, has since been recovered and moved while engineers assess the bridge.
When asked whether the equipment had been properly secured before the storm, Kidd said those conversations still need to take place with the company that owns it.
Kidd also urged Texans to stay out of area waterways while dangerous currents persist.
"Tell people not to kayak in the water right now. We're using resources and trying to rescue people going out there, those trying to get sport on. That needs to stop," Kidd said.
By the numbers:
- Nearly 600 homes and 100 businesses damaged or destroyed across Kerr, Kendall and Comal counties.
- Nearly 500 damaged homes were in Kerr County.
- At least 530 people rescued statewide.
- Floodwaters affected 52 state-maintained roadways, according to TxDOT.
- Nine roads remain under repair.
What's next:
Recovery efforts continue across the Hill Country, but officials say flood dangers remain as water works its way downstream.
At the same time, forecasters are monitoring a tropical system developing in the Gulf that could bring additional heavy rainfall to Texas later this week, raising concerns for already saturated areas.
Tropical Depression 2 strengthening in Gulf as it heads toward Texas
Southeast Texas is facing a heightened threat of tropical weather later this week, as a developing system in the northeastern Gulf is projected to march toward the Texas coast.
What you can do:
People interested in volunteering for recovery efforts can sign up through Kerr Together, which is coordinating volunteers with relief organizations.
Those wishing to make donations can find information through local flood relief organizations.
The Source: Information in this story came from a news conference held by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and previous FOX Local reporting.