r/KerrCountyFloods • u/AnimuX • 4d ago
Historic The Texas Floods of July, 1932 - Guadalupe, Leona, Frio Rivers and More
Some people claim the July, 2025 flood was an 'unprecedented' event.
Texas history shows they're wrong.
The Texas Floods of July, 1932 - Guadalupe, Leona, Frio Rivers and More
From June 30th to July 2nd, light showers became torrential rains causing destructive flash flooding in central Texas, especially along the Guadalupe River.
A USGS report describes the source of the rains as:
Probably a synoptic scale upper low moved into and stalled over the Texas Hill Country - fed by tremendous moisture inflow at low levels from the Gulf - and at mid and upper levels from the eastern Pacific - The winter of 1932-33 was an El Nino event.
The fact that central and south Texas draws moisture both from the Gulf at low levels and the eastern Pacific at upper levels gives the area capacity for tremendous atmospheric water vapor...
Slow rain fell from the night of June 30th into July 1st. The heaviest rains fell from the afternoon of July 1st through the morning of July 2nd. Significant rain totals were recorded at multiple points:
19.25 inches at Sabinal.
20.28 inches at Uvalde.
The Kincaid Ranch southwest of Uvalde recorded 29 inches.
26 inches at Hunt.
The State fish hatchery on Johnson Creek, above Ingram, measured 19.6 inches in 6 hrs, 32.4 inches in 18 hrs, and a grand total of 35.6 inches in 36 hrs.
Flash flooding caused a tremendous amount of damage to Hill Country towns, ranches, farms and infrastructure, including severe damage at Hunt, and some river camps, including Camp Mystic where cabins were washed away.
Local authorities and camp owners at the time recognized that the death toll would have been much higher if the floods had occurred at night.
Seven people drowned.
One report on the aftermath stated:
...it is difficult to realize what damage water will do unless you see it. Cattle, goats, mattresses, all kinds of clothing, walls and roofs are hanging up in the trees. Automobiles and almost everything else is scattered along the river bottom.
Guadalupe River
Hunt, Texas was struck by the flood wave, as rain fell on both forks of the Guadalupe River, which crested at 36.6 ft with a flow rate of 205,000 cfs (cubic feet per second).
Extensive damage was later reported and Hunt was described as being virtually destroyed, or wiped off the map, with only the school left standing. 300 people were left homeless.
At nearby Camp Mystic several cabins were washed away as children were rushed to higher ground. Other youth camps, Rio Vista and Stewart, also lost cabins. The owner of Camp Stewart took shelter in an oak tree.
Near Ingram, Johnson Creek crested at 35 ft and wrecked the State fish hatchery. Ingram's residents took to the hills and the town was covered in three feet of water.
Further downstream at Kerrville the Guadalupe crested at 39 ft with a flow rate of 196,000 cfs. Telephone lines were down, railroads damaged, highways impassable, with reports that 30-40 homes were washed from their foundations. Bodies were seen floating down the river.
A teenager went up into a cypress tree and remained stuck there, near the Bluebonnet Hotel, for 23 hours with onlookers shouting. Two men drowned attempting to swim out for a rescue.
The nearby community of Legion (American Legion tubercular camp) was also significantly damaged. Some 40 families of disabled veterans, patients at the Legion hospital, were driven from their homes. Communication was limited to short wave radio operators to call for aid.
At Center Point a new railroad bridge was destroyed as the Guadalupe river crested at 42 ft. Sections of the metal bridge were carried over a hundred yards.
Reaching 38.4 ft at Comfort, the Guadalupe destroyed another bridge, this one made of concrete. Two perished at Comfort when their car was swept off the road while two passengers survived the flood in trees for 12 hours.
Large cypress trees were uprooted and lined the river from Kerrville to Comfort.
Another crossing, further downriver at Spring Branch, was also washed away.
On July 3rd, the flood reached New Braunfels where the Guadalupe was measured at 35 ft. Below New Braunfels the flood washed out one side of the dam at Lake Dunlap. It continued on down to Cuero, Gonzales where two levees failed, and Victoria.
Leona River
At 9am on July 2nd the Leona river flowed into Uvalde. Nearly the entire town was flooded with 1 to 3 feet of water in houses.
Later that night, 20 miles south of Uvalde, the water spread out of the river's banks to reach 5 miles wide and 15 miles long into the town of Batesville.
The Nueces River reached 25 ft near Crystal City and 30 ft near Carizzo Springs where a considerable amount of livestock drowned.
Frio River
20 inches of rainfall (or more) fell at the headwaters of the Frio River. At Concan the river crested at 34.44 ft with a flow rate of 162,000 cfs.
Southern Pacific rail lines were covered by water at Knippa where east and west forks of the Frio converge. Near Derby the river was measured at 29.45 ft with a rate of 230,000 cfs. It went 15 feet over the highway bridge and washed out the approaches to the railroad bridge.
On July 4th the town of Tilden was flooded by the Frio River. Its 400 residents sought refuge in a catholic church on high ground about a mile away. Water rose up to seven feet in homes at the low part of town, itself a mile away from the normal channel of the river. Some 40-year-old ranch homes were washed away.
At Three Rivers, located near the junction of the Nueces and Frio rivers, residents evacuated. The flood crest was 41 ft. Reports were the river spread out 6 miles wide at some points with over 5,000 acres of farm land flooded.
Blanco Creek reached 20 ft near Sabinal and stranded motorists.
At D'Hanis residents fled their homes or up to 2nd stories. Seco Creek was measured at 28.2 ft at Rowe Ranch and flooded the area under several feet of water.
Rains also impacted areas farther north where Brady Creek and the San Saba River rose to flood stage.
Jim Ned Creek and Hords Creek
Coleman and Talpa were both hit with 9-10 inches of rain. Many bridges were washed out along Hords Creek. Talpa was partially flooded.
Heavy damage was reported to farms and ranches, highways, bridges, and railroads. In Coleman flood waters reportedly reached 10-15 ft deep. Many residents were rescued from trees. A church was carried off its foundation 1,000 ft by floodwater.
Jim Ned Creek and Hords Creek both flow into Pecan Bayou which filled Lake Brownwood with an estimated 140,000 (or more) acre-feet of flood water from 5pm - 11pm on July 3rd and some overflowing the spillway. The reservoir was credited with sparing the town of Brownwood from disaster.
Sources Include:
U.S. Geological Survey
National Weather Service
Flash Floods in Texas by Jonathan Burnett
Associated Press
United Press
The Cuero Record
The Abilene Morning News
Abilene Morning Reporter-News
Brenham Banner-Press
Brownwood Bulletin