MediterraneanGrocery Wholesalers in San Antonio, TX

One of Texas' most popular rivers flooded over the weekend and contributed to Texas' catastrophic flooding that claimed over 80 lives, including two dozen children at Camp Mystic.

Here's what to know about the layout of the river and the role it played in one of the state's deadliest flash floods in modern history.

Where is the Guadalupe River in Texas? Where does the Guadalupe River start and finish?

The Guadalupe River stretches across Central Texas and down to south-central Texas. Starting with "its North and South Forks in Kerr County, the spring-fed stream flows eastward into Kendall and Comal Counties where it then turns and flows south to the Gulf of Mexico," the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department reports. The length of the river is about 250 miles.

A major river system and the fourth-largest river basin entirely within Texas, the Guadalupe River Basin flows from the Texas Hill Country to San Antonio Bay.

Where is the Texas flooding happening?

How high did the Guadalupe River rise?

At one point in the early hours of Friday, state officials reported the Guadalupe River had risen 26 feet in just 45 minutes.

Although the U.S. Geological Survey has recorded the river flooding more than a dozen times since 1978, the Independence Day 2025 flood is among the worst in its history. The USGS recorded the Guadalupe River's discharge peaking at a staggering 111,000 cubit feet per second at 7:30 p.m. on Friday.

What is 'Flash Flood Alley'?

The Guadalupe River and its surrounding areas in Texas Hill Country have historically been prone to flash flooding, earning the nickname "Flash Flood Alley." This area is particularly hazardous, as river levels increased rapidly at the end of last week and over the weekend.

Flash Flood Alley is a curved-shaped region about 300 miles long and 50 miles wide in central and south-central Texas, extending from north of Dallas to southwest of San Antonio. Its location, weather patterns and geology often combine to create devastating floods.

Those factors include:

— USA TODAY contributed to this report.

(This story was updated to add a photo gallery.)

An emergency flight is set to take off tomorrow to help overcrowded shelters by relocating animals displaced by recent flooding. (Austin Pets Alive!)

AUSTIN, Texas — An emergency flight is set to take off on Wednesday to help overcrowded shelters by relocating animals displaced by recent flooding.

Austin Pets Alive is collaborating with Wings of Rescue and Best Friends Animal Society to transport 125 cats and dogs currently housed in shelters.

The rescue mission will commence around 5 a.m. from San Marcos. Fifty of the animals will be relocated to a humane society in Fort Worth, while the remaining 75 will be flown to Kanab, Utah, home to the nation's largest no-kill animal sanctuary.

"We know that our shelters are overcrowded, and those pets are adoptable," said a representative of Austin Pets Alive. "They're ready to find homes. They're fantastic, and now may not be the right time for them to be adopted in San Antonio, but you know what they are. They're lovely communities that are ready to adopt and support the greater San Antonio and Austin areas with the floods."

The representative added, "We see a lot of suffering, human and animal suffering, and we're just grateful to help where we can. Right now, we want to help the animals that are sick or injured, or healthy and just alone and ready to be reunited with their families. So that's our focus right now."

Austin Pets Alive and Best Friends Animal Society have already assisted in finding foster homes for hundreds of dogs and cats affected by the flooding. Those interested in supporting their efforts can visit their websites to learn how to contribute.

An ongoing debate around Texas' use of emergency alerts been has reignited among residents in the wake of the deadly flooding that devastated parts of the Hill Country and Central Texas.

The conversation across social media platforms is part of a greater focus on Kerr County's use of the alert system and who was responsible for notifying county residents about the evacuations and weather alerts issued by the National Weather Service. The county also asked for help from the state to purchase a new siren warning system, but was denied, according to a report by the Houston Chronicle.

Meteorologists, including AccuWeather Forecast Operations Vice President Dan DePodwin, have defended NWS and AccuWeather forecasters in the debate around whether there was enough notice for severe weather response. National media, like the New York Post, has tried honing in on who was in charge during the flash flooding alerts locally, which Kerr County Sheriff Larry Leitha reportedly did not answer in a Tuesday, July 8, press conference.

Texans took to multiple regional Reddit forums, including the Texas and Austin subreddits, to discuss whether there was a missed opportunity to use the emergency alerts, but also a conversation around whether people even have the alerts enabled on their phones at all due to the state's use of the system for Amber Alerts and Blue Alerts.

In October, at least 4,500 complaints were filed to the FCC over a Blue Alert sent to all of Texas at around 5 a.m. via the emergency alert system.

On Apple products, there are options for AMBER Alerts, Emergency Alerts and Public Safety Alerts, but each state has its own policy and procedures to utilize the services. On Android, there are a number of Crisis alert options that are managed by local officials.

A member of the Texas subreddit issued a PSA to other users on Saturday, July 5, to double check their phone settings to make sure emergency alerts are enabled. And while there was resounding pushback over the state's historical use of the alert system, some users provided alternatives for those who wanted a way to stay informed when it comes to severe weather.

"Nope all my government alerts are set to off bc Texas has proven over and over they misuse the s*** out of the alert system. I’ve been woken up too many times at 4am for s*** that isn’t remotely close to me and wouldn’t matter to me even if it was," the user said. "What I DO have on [is] 'severe weather notifications' for my current location on in the weather app."

"Due to the abuse of the system by officials, I have AMBER and Public Safety alerts turned off. I have Emergency Alerts enabled with all sub-options enabled. I got multiple (relevant) weather alerts over the course of the past few days," a user in /r/Austin said.

"If you usually silence your phone at night and are concerned you’ll miss severe weather alerts, a NOAA Weather Radio is also an excellent option," another user said. "You can select which counties and what kind of watches and warnings you want audible alerts for. Mine has woken me up for tornado warnings nearby before."

Most of the reported deaths in the July 4 floods occurred in Kerr County, Texas, along the Guadalupe River. Provisional river gauge data from the U.S. Geological Survey, recorded at various points along the river, showed water levels spiking to record levels over the course of a few hours.

The river gauge closest to Camp Mystic is about five miles downstream of the camp, where the south and north forks of the Guadalupe River merge. It recorded a rise of more than 25 feet in two hours, before going silent for the rest of the day.

The website for the National Water Prediction Service lists what might happen if a river gauge hits certain levels. For the Guadalupe River at Hunt river gauge — the one downstream from Camp Mystic in the chart above — one might expect to see:

The area is known for being susceptible to flash flooding. Ana Campbell of Texas Public Radio reported:

As any Texan knows, the weather here is unpredictable. That’s because of the state’s unique position between cold, dry air from the north and moist, warm air from the Gulf of Mexico. Central Texas in particular is prone to intense rainstorms. Water fills the Colorado and Guadalupe rivers and their tributaries, making the area a popular destination for boaters and swimmers.But when certain weather patterns collide like they did on Friday, the area is inundated with water that rushes through the hills and canyons. The abundant limestone keeps the water from soaking into the ground, so it rushes into the valleys, Sarah Spivey, a meteorologist with KSAT, told NPR.

In the days following historic flash flooding that has claimed the lives of more than 100 people in Central Texas and the Texas Hill Country, Texans have come together with an outpouring of love, support and community resources to aid those impacted as they process this natural disaster. Among those, a pillar in Austin's business community is putting their money where their mouth is, rallying community members to help them donate to local disaster relief funds.

Austin's homegrown P. Terry's Burger Stand has joined the flurry of businesses aiding the greater Central Texas and Hill Country communities, marking this Thursday, July 10, as a day to enjoy some burgers, fries and shakes while giving back to those in need. P. Terry's will donate 100% of its profits made at all 36 locations statewide on Thursday to support Austin Disaster Relief Network.

"We are grateful to local authorities, first responders, and volunteers for their tireless efforts," the burger business shared in a social media post on Monday, July 7. "Please join us in supporting our neighbors in need."

P. Terry's isn't alone in donating proceeds and rallying support for flood victims and afflicted communities. San Antonio, Austin, Hill Country and some South Texas establishments have joined the effort to collect essential supplies, collect funds and donate proceeds to the likes of the Kerr County Flood Relief Fund, individual GoFundMe fundraisers, Texas Search and Rescue, Central Texas Mutual Aid, Salvation Army and World Central Kitchen.

On the business front, others contributing to recovery and rebuilding work include Austin-founded Kendra Scott, Walmart, Texas Roadhouse and Bubba's 33, Taco Palenque and more.