In Hunt, Texas, where the Guadalupe River forks, more than seven inches of rain has fallen since Thursday afternoon—the highest total in that area since the early 1990s. This led to a rapid rise of the Guadalupe River, which accelerated to over 29 feet before sunrise, the second-highest crest ever. The intensity of the rain took officials and residents by surprise.

The National Weather Service had issued a flood watch advisory for a broad swath of central Texas early Thursday afternoon, urging residents of several counties to be on alert for flood warnings.