In the early morning of July 4, a flash flood emergency was issued for Austin and San Antonio by the National Weather Service in Texas. According to the NWS, a flash flood emergency is "exceedingly rare" and is only used when "there is a severe threat to human life and catastrophic damage."

Less than two hours later, the Guadalupe River rose from 7.67 feet to 29 feet. The flash flood happened quickly. Homes in Kerr County, the most severely affected area, were completely submerged in water. As of this writing, at least 111 people are confirmed dead, including dozens of adults and children.

This is not the first time that Texas has suffered tragic consequences from rapidly rising waters. During a 2015 Memorial Day tragedy, 13 people died and 400 homes were destroyed. In 1987, the Guadalupe River rose to 29 feet, killing 10 teenagers in a bus. The Texas Hill Country is exceedingly vulnerable to floods. It has steep rolling terrain with thin drought-affected soil over limestone, which amplifies flood surges. The Hill Country is known as "Flash Flood........

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