Why are flash floods in Texas so deadly?

As rescuers continue searching for survivors from deadly flash flooding in Texas' Hill Country over the Fourth of July weekend, state officials say they could not have foreseen the incident. Yet skeptics point out that flooding of this nature is actually quite common in the area. With over 100 people dead, including 27 kids and counselors from a girls' summer camp, residents and experts will be working to prevent tragedies like this in the future. But why are flash floods in this area of Texas so deadly?

What did the commentators say?

The recent floods developed incredibly fast, with torrential downpours causing the Guadalupe River near San Antonio to rise 26 feet in just 45 minutes. But these types of floods are a "known risk in central Texas, which the National Weather Service has identified as the most flash-flood-prone area in the country," said The Globe and Mail. There are "three factors that put localities at risk of flash flooding," including "steep terrain, intense storms and soil conditions that exacerbate flood risk." Texas' Hill Country "sits at the intersection of all three," making it a prime target for flooding.

In this region of Texas, the "hills are steep, and the water moves quickly when it floods. This is a semi-arid area with soils that don't soak up much water, so the water sheets off quickly and the shallow creeks can rise fast," said Hatim Sharif, an engineering professor at the University of Texas at San Antonio, at The Conversation. When these creeks come together at a river, as in the case with the Guadalupe, it can "create a surge of water that wipes out homes and washes away cars and, unfortunately, anyone in its path."

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This is often exacerbated during the Atlantic hurricane season, when the torrential rain from these storms can batter Texas. The recent flooding "arose from the fading remnants of Tropical Storm Barry," and this system "parked over Texas where it converged with a band of moisture moving north, forming thunderstorms that squeezed out a torrential downpour," said Vox. While a flood watch was in effect the day prior, many Texans had "gone to bed on Thursday night unaware such a catastrophic storm would wake them in terror in just a few hours," said the BBC.

What next?

These types of flash floods are likely to continue plaguing parts of the U.S., as "climate change will only make events like this more common," said Time. Hotter temperatures will lead to more frequent heavy rain as "rising ocean temperatures intensifies evaporation, making the air wetter and leading to stronger and more destructive storms."

As blame for the catastrophe continues to be placed all around, questions are "piling up about whether local officials in a region nicknamed 'Flash Flood Alley' should have done more to prepare," said NPR. Some local Texas officials have lambasted the National Weather Service, saying the agency did not provide proper warning (the NWS denies this). Workforce cuts made to the NWS by the Trump administration have also come under fire.

Given the increasing risk of deadly floods, some say better warnings are needed for the future. "We didn't know. We knew we'd get rain, we know the river rises, but nobody saw this coming," Kerr County Judge Rob Kelly told CBS News. "We had no reason to believe that this was gonna be any, anything like what's happened here."