The deadly flash floods in Texas that killed more than 100 people over the Fourth of July holiday weekend will cause an estimated $18 billion to $22 billion in total damage and economic loss, AccuWeather said.
The weather forecasting service said the preliminary estimate accounts for damage to homes, businesses, campgrounds, recreation facilities, as well as disruptions to commerce and supply chain logistics and financial losses from extended power outages and road closures. The estimate also accounts for major travel delays, tourism losses and damage to infrastructure, as well as long-term physical and mental health care costs for survivors and families who lost loved ones.
The preliminary estimate includes both insured and uninsured losses and is based on a variety of sources.
“The damage, impacts on future tourism, cost of search and recovery efforts, extensive cleanup that will be needed, as well as insurance claims after this catastrophic flash flood, will have long-lasting economic impacts in the Hill Country region of Texas,” said AccuWeather Chief Meteorologist Jonathan Porter.
Persistent, heavy rainfall inundated the Texas Hill Country with up to 12 inches in some areas, causing the level of the Guadalupe River to increase approximately 30 feet within an hour, AccuWeather said.
The Texas Hill Country is considered one of the most flash-flood vulnerable parts of the United States, with hilly terrain and flood-prone areas. Porter questioned the proximity of residences to the Guadalupe River in an area known to produce severe flash flooding.
“Outside of consideration of this tragedy, why were camps and RV parks where people sleep even built and operated in such close proximity to these high-risk creeks, streams and rivers?” Porter said.
The Texas flash floods are the latest weather disaster in 2025, adding to severe weather outbreaks in the central U.S. this spring, the Los Angeles County wildfires in early January and a historic winter storm that brought freezing temperatures to the Gulf Coast in late January.
AccuWeather estimates that flash flooding, tornadoes, wildfires and other extreme weather events in America have caused a combined total damage and economic loss of $371 billion to $415 billion so far this year.
Topics
Texas
Flood
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