July 1, 1932 was a big day in the history of Kerr County, because that was the day that the river rose up out of its banks in a mighty flood, pushing its way toward the gulf and etching the sight into the memory of every living person who saw it.
Over the years I've heard lots of stories about the big flood of '32 and I can't tell you how many pictures I've seen of it. It made a bold mark on those who were there, and while the pure facts of the stories they tell don't always exactly jibe with one another, the bigger story, the story of warning they hand down to us -- well, that story comes through loud and clear.
The Guadalupe is a slumbering beast that only needs a nudge from the clouds to dance in our streets. I know we've had a hard time remembering what rain is this summer, wondering out loud why we spent the money on fool accessories in our automobiles, accessories like windshield wipers, when we could have invested in bigger, stronger, more powerful air conditioners. The kind that not only part your hair, but frost it, too. Soon we'll have to draw pictures of clouds for our young ones, so we can pass our knowledge to the next generation. "Rain," we'll say, "is when water falls from the clouds in the sky."
But the rain did fall July 1st, 1932, and it fell on ground that was already soggy.
https://joeherringjr.blogspot.com/2010/09/flood-of-32-big-one-part-2.html
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