The deadly floods that struck Texas on the 4th of July caught local officials off guard as the torrential rains caused the Guadalupe River to overflow in minutes.

Before heading to bed before the Fourth of July holiday, Christopher Flowers checked the weather while staying at a friend’s house along the Guadalupe River. Nothing in the forecast alarmed him. Hours later,

Hundreds of residents, campers and visitors were plucked to safety after the Guadalupe River rapidly swelled in Texas Hill Country with little warning.