These days, I get unnecessarily anxious whenever it rains.

Looking out at the rain, I can't help but feel a worried thought, "What if it happens again?"

In the past month, over 280 people have lost their lives due to flooding in San Antonio and the surrounding areas.

It's truly an unbelievable number.

News reported that on the night of June 12, heavy rain caused numerous vehicles to be swept away by rapid currents east of San Antonio Airport, resulting in the deaths of 13 people who could not escape or be rescued.

It was quite shocking news, especially since it was such a sudden disaster while driving.

Then, just three weeks later, on the morning of July 4, another unbelievable report came in.

"A heavy rain, which occurs once in a hundred years, poured down on Kerr County."

Due to this heavy rain, the river level, which was less than 1 meter, reportedly rose to a staggering 9 meters in an instant. As a result, more than 270 people, including teenagers attending a summer camp who could not escape, have died or gone missing.

In less than 30 days, it feels chilling to think that over 280 lives have been lost to flooding in the San Antonio area.

The characteristic of this flood was simple yet extremely deadly.

It rained too quickly and in too large an amount. In the area near the Guadalupe River, over 25cm to 30cm of rain fell in just 4 hours.

Typically, if it rains 3cm per hour, it is considered heavy rain. If it exceeds 6cm per hour, most areas cannot withstand it.

In reality, the roads transformed into rivers in an instant, and towns, camps, and accommodations were swept away by the currents.

There was no time to escape. People woke up to find the water up to their knees, and outside their doors were filled with floating furniture and trees.

This area is known as 'Flash Flood Alley' due to the frequent occurrence of flash floods.

It has clear geographical weaknesses such as thin soil, sloped terrain, and difficult drainage structures.

Moreover, when sudden heavy rain occurs, people can only be caught off guard without a chance to escape.

It was the same this time. What was particularly shocking was that 21 of the victims were children, many of whom were attending a summer camp near the Guadalupe River.

Search operations for the missing are still ongoing, but local officials have stated, "It is becoming increasingly difficult to find survivors."

Hearing that made my heart sink.

What must the families waiting for the children and adults who have not yet returned be feeling?

In fact, this area has seen tragedies in the past.

In 1987, a church bus was swept away by floods while crossing a bridge, resulting in the deaths of 10 teenagers.

Even after 37 years, the same sorrow is repeating itself.