On July 4, 2025, the Texas Hill Country was hit by devastating flash floods that left homes damaged and claimed at least 135 lives. To everyone impacted by the recent Central Texas floods, SBCA sends our heartfelt condolences—with particular compassion for families grieving loved ones and for those who have lost their homes and livelihoods. This tragic event powerfully illustrates how extreme rainfall in overdeveloped watersheds can quickly turn into disaster.
SBCA’s work has in the past and will continue in the future to address the root causes of worsening flood risk—offering both immediate and long-term solutions for regional resilience. We have been widely recognized for our efforts to prevent large-scale development in environmentally sensitive aquifer recharge zones. While the threat that such development poses to water quality is broadly understood, its role in increasing flood risk is often overlooked. Impervious surfaces—like asphalt, concrete, and rooftops—prevent rainwater from soaking into the ground. Stormwater races across these surfaces, gathering speed, volume, and pollutants before pouring into nearby creeks and rivers. This flash runoff overwhelms natural drainage systems, erodes stream banks, and can lead to catastrophic flash floods. In natural Hill Country landscapes, porous soils and vegetation help to absorb rainfall and slow its journey to rivers. But in overdeveloped watersheds, excessive impervious cover can help turn a rainstorm into a flash flood event.
