One day after heavy flooding along the upper Guadalupe River near Kerrville swept 136 people to their deaths, July 5 runoff from heavy rainfall in the lower Guadalupe River area below Canyon Dam sent campers and residents scrambling to safety on River Road between Jacob’s Creek and Elm Creek.
Stranded with them for several hours were Comal County Road Department crews, several Comal County Sheriff’s Office deputies and a county commissioner.
The scene was chaotic. (To see an Instagram reel of Jacob’s Creek crossing River Road and into the Guadalupe River near Sattler click here.)
“I’ve been a river rat for nearly 30 years, so I’m glad I was there to calm folks down and assure them that they were on high ground,” said Pct. 4 Commissioner Jen Crownover.
Comal County Judge Sherman Krause wants to make sure that never happens again.
Included in the recommended 2026 $181 million budget presented at Commissioners Court Aug. 7 is $1.5 million for a bridge over Jacob’s Creek, along with $5 million for flood-control structure improvements for the county’s six flood-control dams.
Crownover said the county’s emergency management coordinator, Jeff Kelley, and the Water Oriented Recreation District of Comal County (WORD) are in the very early stages of developing emergency-action plans for campgrounds, RV parks and Air BnBs along the river.
On Aug. 6, San Angelo Republican state Rep. Drew Darby filed HB 19, requiring campgrounds to submit flood disaster plans.
Responding to a question about this legislation, Pct. 1 Commissioner Doug Leecock said he wants to wait and see what comes out of Austin.
“At this juncture, the best thing to do is wait and see what comes out of the legislature as they begin negotiations,” he said.
“There’s not a one-size-fits-all solution to everything, however, I consider it critical to be engaging of the resorts/outfitters because they have the operational knowledge of how to improve processes. Instituting regulations without understanding the processes may not be effective. It needs to be a joint effort.”
An article in today’s Texas Tribune said the Texas House recently passed legislation that would require any property with cabins or designated spaces for camping to develop a “flood disaster plan,” but doesn’t say what the plan should include.
“Another bill would require all campgrounds in floodplains to have emergency evacuation plans that they would have to follow anytime the National Weather Service issued a flash flood warning,” Paul Cobler and Edison Wu reported. “It would also require campground cabins to have ladders so people could climb onto rooftops as a last resort.”
All tourism businesses operating in Canyon Lake are required to obtain permits from WORD to ensure mandatory compliance with local regulations. To see a list of lodgings, including campgrounds, RV parks and Airbnbs, click here.
