Emergency sirens wailed in Comfort this morning, signaling emergency conditions and a mandatory evacuation, as the surging Guadalupe River continued its historic rise.
Boerne Fire Department, Kendall County Sheriff's Office and Comfort Volunteer Fire Department officials drove the length of Water Street at 9:45 a.m. issuing a mandatory evacuation, as the Guadalupe began overflowing its banks early this morning.
As many as 13 nches of rain fell in Kerrville overnight and into the morning, sending the dormant Guadalupe into a rage, sweeping away homes, vehicles, trailers, trash dumpsters, storage sheds and anything else in its path.
13 deaths have been recorded in Kerrville as of 5 p.m., with search and rescue operations underway as officials try to determine just how many people remain unaccounted for.
The Kerr County Sheriff’s Office confirmed the fatalities but said additional information will not be released until families are notified.
Evacuations and "reunifications" still are in progress along the river as what authorities called a “deadly flood wave” moves downstream, threatening Kerrville and Comfort and other areas.
While situations were not as severe in Comfort, residents still heeded warnings to head to higher ground.
"I haven't seen it like this since 1987," said Robert Castro, standing under the cover of The Tinsmith's Wife business, a block up from his home on Water Street.
"We're about 10 feet up, so we'll be OK," Castro said. "Now we just have to wait for it to start to recede.
"It's come up, and it'll go down, it always does," he added.
Barricades blocked access to much of the flats area, where flooding is most severe.
The water level in Comfort began to recede shortly after noon, allowing anxious residents the opportunity to return by 1 p.m.
Some points along the Guadalupe that were running at 5 feet during the week were measuring as high as 43 feet -- a 37-to-38 foot wall of water raging downstream.
Sandy Galindo said her family was awake this morning when first made aware of the rising waters. She said they grabbed some essentials and prepared to leave.
"We were waiting on my son to move his RV, that's what took the longest," said Galindo, a longtime resident of Comfort who now lives in the home she bought from her parents.
Kendall County Sheriff's Lt. Kevin Klaerner, who arrived on scene in the county's large armored vehicle, said the county was joined by Boerne Fire Department, Comfort Fire Department, Texas State Highway Patrol and several fire apparatus from surround stations and counties.
A hard rain began to fall at 10:30 a.m., further stressing an already taxed drainage system. Photos taken at 9:30 a.m. showed points clearly underwater just 45 minutes later.
Thunderous rolled through at 11 a.m. as lightning bolts lit the otherwise ominous gray sky. The hard rain falling for the past half hour began to lighten somewhat, still falling hard enough to add depth to the rising floodline.
Kendall County and Boerne first responders have been dispatched to Kerrville to aid in searches and with any other needs that may arise.
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