The Texas Hill Country has been notorious for flash floods caused by the Guadalupe River. Here's why the area is called "Flash Flood Alley."

The Guadalupe River has risen to catastrophic levels in the same area three times in the past century, impacting camps and campers each time.

The flash floods that killed at least 100 people in central Texas last week is only the latest Guadalupe River disaster to claim lives.

As search and rescue efforts continue in response to the “catastrophic” and deadly flooding of the Guadalupe River in Kerr County on Friday morning,

Maps show how heavy rainfall and rocky terrain helped create the devastating Texas floods that have killed more than 120 people.

The Guadalupe River has a history of deadly flooding. Here is a look over the decades. (AP video Marshall Ritzel/Albee Zhang)

Teens at the Pot O’ Gold Christian Camp near Comfort, Texas, were swamped by a wall of water as they tried to escape.

Some camps in the region had to be evacuated, and local newspapers described how Camp Mystic was among those cut off from the outside world. According to a Kerr County history book, floodwaters at Camp Mystic almost reached the top of the dining hall’s stairs.

The Guadalupe River, winding through the scenic Texas Hill Country, has a hidden danger that struck with devastating force in July 2025. Heavy rains caused the river to surge, leading to one of the deadliest floods in recent history.

A major flood event also struck the Texas Hill Country in July of 1987 after a series of 17 thunderstorms moved slowly, in succession, over the headwaters of the Guadalupe River in Kerr County. Anywhere from 5 to 10 inches of rain fell on the flood-prone areas, now deemed “Flash Flood Alley,” according to a National Weather Service report.