Photo of the flooding in the Guadalupe river on July 17.
Cause
Training effect of slow-moving thunderstorms triggered by a mid-level low interacting with a cold front and massive amount of moisture from the Gulf of Mexico.
The 1987 Guadalupe River flood was a major flash flood that occurred along the Guadalupe River in the U.S. state of Texas. The flooding began after a train-effect of thunderstorms brought torrential rain to the headwaters of the river in the late evening of July 16,and moved slowly eastward during the early morning of July 17. The National Weather Service,San Antonio,issued a series of flash flood warnings from 1.01am. People along the river and its tributaries were evacuated,and law enforcement officials instructed camp officials to move everyone to high ground,clear of the floodplain. By 4.35am,Camp Mystic officials reported that all campers were accounted for.[1]
During the following hour,a flood crest 30 feet (9.1m) to 3 feet (0.91m) high was reported to be gaining height,west of Hunt. A massive flood wave traveled rapidly downriver,through Ingram,Kerrville,and eventually Comfort,Texas. Over 300 children were attending a church camp at the Pot O' Gold Ranch,about 2 miles (3.2km) upriver from Comfort. Although around 2am law enforcement officials warned the camp against trying to cross the river,around 7.45am buses and a van attempted evacuation. The last bus and the van got stuck. Passengers were helped to wade to dry ground,but a wall of water swept 39 teenagers and 4 adults away. Ten teenage children drowned,the others were rescued.[1]
Meteorological synopsis
During the evening hours of July 16 and 17,severe thunderstorms began developing and slowly moved eastward through the Hill Country. Heavy rainfall occurred as a training effect started as a result of storms following one another. This was started by a mid-level low interacting with a weak cold front to the north and tremendous amount of moisture from the Gulf of Mexico.[1]
Impacts and casualties
Before the floods,over 300 children from several churches attended a church camp at the Pot O' Gold Ranch,located about 2 miles (3.2km) southwest of Comfort,Texas. On July 17,the camp was planning to conclude on that day when the floods hit.[1]
At around 2 a.m. CDT,officers were notified to the camp and again four hours later of flood wave coming down the Guadalupe River and to not try and cross the river. Around 7:45 a.m.,a caravan of buses and a van left the camp.[1] The buses and van encountered a flooded low water crossing on the Guadalupe River just outside the camp gate and decided to turn away and try an alternate route. While the first buses manage to escape,the rapidly rising water from the river caused the water to overflow,and the backwash from the convoy caused the last bus to stall and a van behind it to be left stranded.[1]
An attempt was made to evacuate the children off the bus and van,however as they were wading back to dry ground,a huge flood wave crashed upon the campers,with forward speed of 70mph (110km/h).[2] The campers and adults attempted to reach dry ground through a human chain,but the rushing water scattered them. Thirty-nine teenagers and four adults were swept into the flood waters. Ten of the teenagers tragically drowned. The remaining 33 children and adults survived as a result of a series of rescues,including dramatic helicopter rescues of several clinging to tree tops,conducted by Texas Department of Public Safety,the US Army's 507th Medical Division,and a local television news station from San Antonio,Texas.[1][3]
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