A new flood warning for the Guadalupe River at Hunt is giving travelers in western Kerr County a direct reason to delay river crossings and recheck access on Tuesday morning. The National Weather Service expects the river to remain near flood stage through late July 14, while a broader South Central Texas flood watch continues through Thursday evening.
The warning is not a forecast of a repeat of the region’s worst floods, and the Hunt gauge was expected to stay below the level associated with moderate lowland flooding. It still creates a practical travel problem because low water crossings can become unusable before a main highway or an entire county is formally closed.
- Warning window: The Guadalupe River flood warning at Hunt remains in effect until 11 a.m. CDT on Tuesday, July 14.
- River forecast: The Hunt gauge was forecast to oscillate near the 10 foot flood stage, with an expected peak of about 11.4 feet.
- Access risk: The Weather Service says higher water can reach Schumacher Crossing and temporarily isolate headwater areas as low water crossings flood.
- Regional risk: A wider flood watch covers Kerr County and much of South Central Texas through Thursday evening.
- Best traveler decision: Do not test water over a road, postpone riverfront recreation, and confirm the exact route with local and state tools before leaving.
What the Hunt river warning says
The National Weather Service warning for Hunt says minor flooding is forecast along the Guadalupe River. At the Monday evening observation, the river stage was 7.8 feet, and forecasters expected it to rise around the 10 foot flood stage before easing later Tuesday.
The forecast peak of about 11.4 feet is below the 12 foot level at which the Weather Service describes moderate lowland flooding at Schumacher Crossing east of Hunt. That distinction matters, but it is not permission to assume every smaller crossing, private road, campground approach, or river access point is safe.
A river gauge describes conditions at one measured location, not every fork and drainage channel feeding the Guadalupe. Heavy rain can raise creeks and low crossings away from the gauge, so travelers should treat a route level closure or barricade as the final authority for that road.
The wider flood window extends beyond Tuesday morning
The Hunt warning sits inside a larger wet weather pattern across South Central Texas. The Weather Service flood watch remains in effect through Thursday evening for Kerr, Bandera, Gillespie, Kendall, Real, Edwards, Uvalde, Bexar, Travis, and other counties from the Hill Country to the Rio Grande Plains.
Forecasters said two to six inches of storm total rain could fall across the watch area, with isolated totals of 10 to 15 inches possible in parts of the western Hill Country, southern Edwards Plateau, and Rio Grande Plains. A watch means flooding is possible across a broad area, while the river warning at Hunt addresses a more specific forecast on the Guadalupe.
Independent local reporting also confirms that this is more than a routine shower forecast. The Bandera Bulletin reported Monday night that two to six inches had already fallen in the warned Bandera, Kerr, and Medina County area as flash flooding affected creeks, streets, underpasses, and low locations.
Which trips need the strictest check
Riverfront stays, camp pickups, rural lodging, fishing access, and drives that use private or county low water crossings carry the clearest exposure. A reservation address may remain open while the final road segment becomes unsafe, so guests should ask the property for its currently usable approach rather than relying only on a navigation app.
Campers and RV travelers should use a higher safety threshold because a site near a creek or river can lose access before water reaches the living area. Travelers comparing Hill Country stops through Deep Arrival’s Fredericksburg RV parks guide should confirm flood exposure and road access directly with the campground before moving a rig during the watch.
Day trips built around swimming, tubing, paddling, fishing, or a riverside picnic should wait until local authorities and the property operator confirm access. Even after rain stops at a lodging address, upstream runoff can keep a river or crossing elevated and moving faster than a traveler expects.
Through drivers on major roads still need to check the exact route, but they should not interpret a countywide warning as proof that every state highway is closed. The useful distinction is between a verified open route and an unverified shortcut that crosses a creek, drainage channel, or river access road.
| Tuesday plan | Best decision before departure |
|---|---|
| Crossing the Guadalupe or a creek on a low road | Use only a route confirmed open by local authorities, and turn around at water or a barricade |
| Checking into riverfront lodging | Call the property and verify the final approach, parking area, and overnight exit route |
| Picking up a camper or visiting a camp | Follow the camp’s instructions and avoid adding traffic to a restricted road |
| Moving an RV through western Kerr County | Delay if the route depends on a low crossing or an unconfirmed rural road |
| Swimming, tubing, paddling, or fishing | Postpone until the operator and local authorities confirm safe water and access conditions |
Use live local tools instead of a single forecast snapshot
The Weather Service warning says the next river statement is due Tuesday morning, so the forecast can change before the listed expiration time. Travelers should reopen the alert page, check the Upper Guadalupe River Authority River Hub for current river and rainfall information, and use DriveTexas or county notices for road conditions.
A weather app can show rain moving away while runoff is still moving downstream. The safest sequence is to confirm the official warning, confirm the exact road, confirm the property or activity is operating, and then decide whether the trip still has a reliable exit route if another storm develops.
West Kerr County has added new warning infrastructure during 2026, including river sirens and a live dashboard. KSAT reported in July that six of seven planned sirens had been installed and that local groups were training residents and visitors to use alerts, radios, and the River Hub together.
Those tools improve awareness, but they do not make a flooded crossing passable. A siren, phone alert, campground message, or roadside barricade should trigger action, and a traveler who is already on higher ground should not drive toward the river simply to inspect conditions.
Build the day around verified access
Travelers who can postpone a river dependent plan until after the morning warning update have the simplest option. Anyone who must move should choose the route with the fewest creek and river crossings, keep enough fuel for a detour, share the route with someone outside the vehicle, and avoid arriving on an unfamiliar rural road after dark.
The broader watch through Thursday means a Tuesday reopening is not a guarantee for the rest of the week. Keep lodging and activity plans flexible, preserve cancellation messages, and recheck conditions on each travel day rather than treating one clear drive as an all clear for the full stay.
Is the Guadalupe River at Hunt expected to reach major flood stage?
No. The July 13 Weather Service forecast called for the Hunt gauge to peak near 11.4 feet, close to the 10 foot flood stage and below the 12 foot level associated with moderate lowland flooding at Schumacher Crossing.
Does the Kerr County flood warning mean every road is closed?
The warning does not mean every road is closed. It identifies a river and low crossing risk, so travelers should verify the exact state, county, private, or campground road they intend to use.
When does the Hunt flood warning end?
The warning is scheduled through 11 a.m. Central time on Tuesday, July 14, but the Weather Service can extend, replace, or cancel it. A broader regional flood watch continues through Thursday evening.
What should travelers do if water covers a road?
Turn around and use a verified alternate route. Do not estimate depth, follow another vehicle into the water, move a barricade, or assume a familiar crossing is safe because it was passable earlier.
