Hopes fade for Texas flood victims as death toll tops 95
National Weather Service (NWS) forecasts on Monday predicted up to 10cm more of rain could douse Texas Hill Country, with isolated areas possibly receiving as much as 25cm.
Allison Santorelli, a meteorologist with the NWS weather prediction centre in College Park, Maryland, said the potential for renewed flooding was particularly heightened by the saturated condition of the soil and mounds of debris strewn around the river channel. A flood watch was posted until 7pm.
State emergency management officials had warned on Thursday, ahead of the July 4 holiday, that parts of central Texas faced the possibility of flash floods based on NWS forecasts.
However, twice as much rain as was predicted fell over two branches of the Guadalupe upstream of the fork where they converge, sending all the water racing into the single river channel where it slices through Kerrville, city manager Dalton Rice said.
Rice said the outcome, the result of an unpredictable combination of circumstances, was unforeseen and unfolded in two hours.
'Why didn't we evacuate? Evacuation is a delicate balance,' he said in response to reporters' questions on Monday.
'If you evacuate too late you risk putting buses, cars, vehicles and campers on roads into low water areas, trying to get them out, which can make it more challenging.
'It's very tough to make those calls because what we also don't want to do is cry wolf.'
The chief meteorologist for commercial forecaster AccuWeather, Jonathan Porter, said authorities had ample time to move people to higher ground before the flood struck.
Rice and other public officials, including governor Greg Abbott, said the circumstances of the flooding, and the adequacy of weather forecasts and warning systems, would be scrutinised once the immediate situation was brought under control.
Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer on Monday asked a government watchdog to investigate whether budget cuts imposed by US President Donald Trump's administration contributed to delays or inaccuracy in forecasting the floods.
Senator Ted Cruz, a Texas Republican, said there would be time to examine whether more could have been done to prevent the loss of life but it was not the time for 'partisan finger-pointing.'
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IOL News
10-07-2025
- IOL News
In Texas, The Cost of Early Warnings was Paid in Death
A volunteer looks for missing people, following severe flash flooding that occurred during the July 4 holiday weekend, in Hunt, Texas, on July 6, 2025. Rescuers in Texas raced against time Sunday to find dozens of missing people, including children, swept away by flash floods that killed at least 59, as forecasters warned of new deluges. Local Texans joined forces with disaster officials to search through the night for the missing, including 27 girls from a riverside Christian summer camp. Texas Governor Greg Abbott said Camp Mystic on the banks of the Guadalupe River, where some 750 girls had been staying when the floodwaters hit, had been "horrendously ravaged in ways unlike I've seen in any natural disaster". Image: Ronaldo Schemidt / AFP In the early morning of July 4th, a flash flood emergency was issued for Austin and San Antonio by the National Weather Service (NWS) in Texas. According to the NWS, a flash flood emergency is 'exceedingly rare' and is only used when, 'there is a severe threat to human life and catastrophic damage.' Less than two hours later, the Guadalupe River rose from 7.67 feet to 29 feet. The flash flood happened quickly. Homes in Kerr County, the most severely affected area, were completely submerged in water. As of this writing, at least 82 people are confirmed dead, including dozens of adults and children. This is not the first time that Texas has suffered tragic consequences from rapidly rising waters. During a 2015 Memorial Day tragedy, 13 people died and 400 homes were destroyed. In 1987, the Guadalupe River rose to 29 feet, killing ten teenagers in a bus. In fact, Texas's Hill Country is exceedingly vulnerable to floods. It has steep rolling terrain with thin drought-affected soil over limestone, which amplifies flood surges. In fact, Hill Country is known as 'Flash Flood Alley' because it floods so much. Heartbreaking stories of the present-day calamity continue to emerge. Among the dead were two second graders from Highland Park, described as 'best friends.' Two sisters, 13 and 11 years old, perished in the floods. A high school soccer coach and his wife died, too, along with so many others. At Camp Mystic, a children's sleepaway camp, 27 have been confirmed dead, including campers as well as counsellors and the camp director, who reportedly died trying to save the lives of the children. Camp Mystic was an unbelievable tragedy. The camp, at the time of the flooding, hosted approximately 750 campers and was located along the Guadalupe River in Hunt, Texas. The cabins that the victims were in were located less than 500 feet from the Guadalupe River bank, and most were sleeping in their cabins when the floodwater struck at around 3 a.m. A tragic and shocking way to die. The response to the flooding has been what you expect following such a massive tragedy. Over 1,000 personnel are currently involved in search and rescue operations, with more than 400 first responders from 20 agencies in Kerr County alone. In addition, over 100 vehicles and K9 units are actively searching, and the search area has expanded to include other counties as well. Of the 850 people rescued or evacuated, over 150 were rescued by helicopter. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Next Stay Close ✕ Unfortunately, this tragedy, while certainly unavoidable, could have been mitigated. Kerr county's first emergency alert didn't occur until just hours before the flooding occurred. In fact, many residents reported receiving phone alerts hours after the flooding already happened. And, of course, rural areas which lacked cell phone service were unable to receive communications. And seven years ago, flood warning sirens were considered in Kerr County, but were not implemented due to budget constraints. According to Kerr County Judge Rob Kelly, who is the county's top elected official, 'the public reeled at the cost.' Incredibly, just hours from the flooding sits a facility that manufactures HESCO flood barriers. These barricades, which are built in Texas and are typically deployed across the continental U.S. in times of need, sat at the ready and could have saved lives. For decades, these proven defences have been used to stop the horrific impacts of hurricanes and floods. And despite the monumental nature of the challenge, Texans bravely stepped up by rescuing neighbours, comforting strangers, and showing the world what true grit looks like. In the face of bureaucratic failures, the heart and tenacity of Texans never wavered. Governor Greg Abbott immediately declared a disaster for over 20 counties and designated Sunday as a day of prayer for flood victims. President Trump has promised robust federal aid and indicated that he plans to visit Texas on July 11th. Preparedness for Acts of God are of paramount importance for any state or locality. No cost is too great to protect Americans. If there is a lesson to be learned from this, it is that actively monitoring severe weather patterns and implementing early warning systems saves lives. And you simply cannot put a price on that. * Armstrong Williams ( @arightside) is a political analyst, syndicated columnist and owner of the broadcasting company, Howard Stirk Holdings. He is also part owner of The Baltimore Sun. ** The views expressed here do not necessarily represent those of Independent Media or IOL.
eNCA
09-07-2025
- eNCA
More than 160 people still missing days after deadly Texas floods
HOUSTON - More than 160 people remain unaccounted for after devastating floods in Texas, the state governor said Tuesday, marking a dramatic increase in the number of missing from a tragedy that has so far claimed 109 lives. Four days after flash floods roared through several Texas counties, some in the middle of the night, hopes of finding survivors were fading -- and Governor Greg Abbott warned that the list of those unaccounted for could yet rise. "Just in the Kerr County area alone, there are 161 people who are known to be missing," he told reporters Tuesday as the grim search continued. "There very likely could be more added to that list," he said, adding that the figure was based on people reported as unaccounted for by friends, relatives and neighbors. Kerr County, part of a central Texas region known as "Flash Flood Alley," suffered the most damage, with at least 94 fatalities. That includes at least 27 girls and counselors who were staying at a youth summer camp on the Guadalupe River when it burst its banks as the Fourth of July holiday began in the early hours of Friday. Torrents of water swept through the camp, scouring cabins as hundreds of people slept. Five campers and one counselor were still missing as of Tuesday evening, according to Abbot, as well as another child not associated with the camp. "There's nothing more important in our hearts and minds than the people of this community, especially those who are still lost," Abbot said. Elsewhere in the state, there have been at least 15 fatalities recorded so far, the governor added. Ben Baker with the Texas Game Wardens said search and rescue efforts involving helicopters, drones and dogs were extremely difficult because of the water and mud. "When we're trying to make these recoveries, these large piles can be very obstructive, and to get in deep into these piles, it's very hazardous," Baker said. "It's extremely treacherous, time-consuming. It's dirty work, the water is still there." The US National Weather Service on Tuesday declared a flash flood emergency in Ruidoso, a small town 184 miles (296 kilometers) south of Albuquerque, in the neighboring state of New Mexico. Officials reported several people were trapped by sudden floodwaters, with multiple homes sustaining damage. The NWS said the Rio Ruidoso may have crested more than 20 feet (six meters). Rain 'won't deter' search In the town of Hunt, the epicenter of the disaster, an AFP team saw recovery workers combing through piles of debris with helicopters flying overhead. Javier Torres, 24, was digging through mud as he searched for the body of his grandmother, after having located the remains of his grandfather. He also discovered the bodies of two children, apparently washed up by the river. Officials warned of more heavy rain ahead that could affect the search -- though Baker said it "won't deter" the efforts. President Donald Trump is due to visit Texas with First Lady Melania Trump on Friday. "We brought in a lot of helicopters from all over... They were real pros, and they were responsible for pulling out a lot of people," Trump said. Meanwhile, questions intensified over whether Trump's government funding cuts had weakened warning systems, and over the handling of the rescue operation. During an at-times tense news conference, Baker skirted a question on the speed of the emergency response. "Right now, this team up here is focused on bringing people home," he said. Shel Winkley, a weather expert at the Climate Central research group, blamed the extent of the disaster on geography and exceptional drought, when dry soil absorbs less rainfall. "This part of Texas, at least in the Kerr County flood specifically, was in an extreme to exceptional drought... We know that since May, temperatures have been above average," Winkley told reporters. The organization's media director, Tom Di Liberto, said staffing shortages at the National Weather Service had contributed to the disaster.
The Herald
09-07-2025
- The Herald
Death toll from Texas flood hits triple digits as tally of missing tops 180
The Kerr County dead include 27 campers and counselors from Camp Mystic, a nearly century-old all-girls Christian summer retreat on the banks of the Guadalupe near the town of Hunt. The camp director also died. Five girls and a camp counselor were unaccounted for on Tuesday, Abbott said, along with another child not associated with the camp. As of Tuesday, 15 other flood-related fatalities had been confirmed across a swath of Texas Hill Country known as "flash flood alley", the governor said, bringing the total of lives lost to 109. Reports from local sheriffs and media have put the number of flood deaths outside Kerr County at 22. However, authorities said they were bracing for the death toll to climb as flood waters recede and the search for victims gains momentum. Law enforcement agencies have compiled a list of 161 people "known to be missing" in Kerr County alone, Abbott said. The roster was checked against those who might be out of touch with loved ones or neighbours because they were away on vacation or out of town, according to the governor. He said 12 people were missing elsewhere across the flood zone, a sprawling area northwest of San Antonio. "We need to find every person who is missing. That's job number one," Abbott said. On Tuesday, San Antonio-born country singer Pat Green disclosed on social media that his younger brother and sister-in-law and two of their children were among those "swept away in the Kerrville flood". Hindered by intermittent thunderstorms and showers, rescue teams from federal agencies, neighbouring states and Mexico have joined local efforts to search for missing victims, though hopes of finding more survivors faded as time passed. The last victim found alive in Kerr County was on Friday. "The work is extremely treacherous, time-consuming," Lt-Col Ben Baker of the Texas game wardens said at a press conference. "It's dirty work. The water is still there." A water-soaked family photo album was among the personal belongings found in flood debris by Sandi Gilmer, 46, a US army veteran and certified chaplain volunteering in the search operation along the Guadalupe at Hunt. "I don't know how many people in the album are alive or deceased," she said, flipping through images of two toddlers and a gray-haired man. "I didn't have the heart to step over it without picking it up and hoping to return it to a family member."
