In 1987, sudden and intense rainfall caused the river to surge at an unprecedented rate in mid-July, leading to a tragedy that killed 10 campers at Pot O' Gold Christian Camp, a summer camp near Comfort, Texas. The campers drowned when their bus attempted to evacuate them and was overtaken by floodwater.

Catastrophic flooding killed 68 people in Kerr County, Texas, alone, where water washed through an all-girls summer camp, killing over two dozen people and sparking a desperate search for missing campers.