Just within the last 3 to 6 hours, the National Weather Service reports south central Kerr County has received between 5 to 10 inches of rain, prompting a flash flood emergency until 7 a.m. Friday, July 4.

Heavy rainfall has overwhelmed multiple low water crossings and areas along the Guadalupe River, local authorities reported.

Flash flooding is common enough around the crescent-shaped region from Dallas through the Hill Country, the area earned the nickname "Flash Flood Alley."

Even when floods can be anticipated, communicating their severity to the public is a tall order. Because flash floods are very localized, even neighborhood-level warnings may seem like false alarms to some residents, leading to what the journalist Zoë Schlanger has dubbed “ alert fatigue .”

As the National Weather Service (NWS) issued fresh flash flood warnings for Texas on Sunday, emergency crews were forced to suspend their operations

With more than 170 still missing, communities must reconcile how to pick up the pieces around a waterway that remains both a wellspring and a looming menace.