Eight-year-old girls at sleep-away camp, families crammed into recreational vehicles, local residents traveling to or from work. These are some of the victims.

As a climate scientist who calls Texas home, I can tell you that the Hill Country of Texas is no stranger to flooding. Meteorologists often refer to it as “Flash Flood Alley” because of its steep terrain, shallow soils, and its history of sudden and intense rainfall.

Early on the morning of July 4, the Guadalupe River in central Texas overflowed its banks, causing catastrophic flooding. As of July 9, at least 111 people had died, and homes and businesses along the river were washed away in the affected parts of Texas Hill Country,