logo
Mourning begins in Texas where more than 170 are still missing from flash floods

Mourning begins in Texas where more than 170 are still missing from flash floods

Boston Globe10-07-2025
More than 170 people have been reported missing, most in Kerr County, where nearly 100 victims have been recovered. The death toll remained at 120 Thursday, nearly a week since the floods first hit.
Advertisement
Authorities say they have carefully gone over the list of those unaccounted for, but those numbers are often tough to pin down in the immediate aftermath of a disaster.
Get Starting Point
A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday.
Enter Email
Sign Up
The unrelenting power of the floods forced families to make unnerving escapes with little time to spare in the middle of the night. One woman recounted how she and others, including a toddler, first climbed into an attic and then onto a roof where they heard screams and watched vehicles float past. Photos and videos captured their ordeal.
More than 2,000 local, state, and federal workers were involved in the search for victims. Stifling heat and mounds of trees, hunks of lumber and trash made the task more difficult.
At a small shopping center damaged in the floods, people piled debris gathered from the rivers. Officials hope to eventually set aside personal items so residents find their possessions.
Advertisement
On Wednesday, hundreds prayed, wept, and held one another at a prayer service, among the first of many somber gatherings to come in the weeks ahead.
'Our communities were struck with tragedy literally in the darkness,' said Wyatt Wentrcek, a youth minister.
David Garza drove more than an hour to support his loved ones.
'I'm from here, and I was here in the '78 flood and the '87 flood,' Garza said. 'I just wanted to be a part of this.'
Some at the service wore green ribbons for the girls from Camp Mystic, the century-old Christian summer camp where at least 27 campers and counselors died.
Parents of children who were at the many summer camps in Hill Country have credited the teenage counselors with ushering campers to safety and helping keep them calm during the chaos.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott called on state lawmakers to approve funding for new warning systems and emergency communications in flood prone areas when the Legislature meets later this month. Abbott also asked for financial relief for the response and recovery efforts.
'We must ensure better preparation for such events in the future,' he said in a statement Wednesday.
Public officials in the area have come under repeated criticism amid questions about the timeline of what happened and why widespread warnings were not sounded and more preparations were not made.
Kerr County Sheriff Larry Leitha has said those questions will be answered after the victims are recovered.
Local leaders have talked for years about the need for a flood warning system, but concerns about costs and noise led to missed opportunities to put up sirens.
Advertisement
President Trump has pledged to provide whatever relief Texas needs to recover and is planning to visit the state Friday.
Polls taken before the floods show Americans largely believe the federal government should play a major role in preparing for and responding to natural disasters, which are becoming a growing worry. On Tuesday,
The devastation in Texas stretched from Hill Country all the way to just outside the state's capital. At least 15 people died in the Austin area and adjacent counties.
Just north of Austin, flood waters from the San Gabriel River swamped two RV parks in Georgetown.
Teri Hoffman watched the water lift up her camper with her two dogs inside.
'The camper just kind of goes over on its side and starts floating. And then all the other campers just started crashing into it,' she said.
Rescuers were able to save the dogs and she managed to dig out the last picture she has of her late mother. Everything else from the RV where she lived with her husband and children is gone, she said.
'I couldn't look at it,' Hoffman said. 'I had to walk away.'
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Oregon K9 teams to aid in search for missing Texas flood victims
Oregon K9 teams to aid in search for missing Texas flood victims

Yahoo

time3 days ago

  • Yahoo

Oregon K9 teams to aid in search for missing Texas flood victims

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Two local K9 teams are joining others from across the country to aid in the search for those lost during the catastrophic Texas floods. According to the Columbia County Sheriff's Office, their K9 teams, made up of volunteer handlers and their dogs, are being deployed at the request of Texas state officials. Cram Fire approaches megafire status, crosses 90K acres The floods originally began just before daybreak on July 4, when destructive, fast-moving waters rose 26 feet on the Guadalupe River, washing away homes and vehicles. The waters laid waste to the and an all-girls Christian summer camp, Camp Mystic, lost at least 27 campers and counselors. So far, officials estimate the floods have killed over 132 people. After search operations were temporarily paused due to threats of more flooding in the area, FEMA's Urban Search and Rescue teams fully resumed operations on Monday, Here is where extreme drought can now be found in Oregon At a news conference the same day, authorities said 101 people remain missing, including 97 in the Kerrville area. The other four were swept away in other counties. Swift water rescue teams have also been sent to Uvalde, Del Rio and Concan in anticipation of possible flooding in those communities on the Frio River, officials added. 'This is incredibly difficult work, but it's also profoundly important,' said Columbia County Sheriff Brian Pixley. 'Our hearts are with the victims, their loved ones, and the communities facing unimaginable loss. We're honored to lend our support however we can.' The Associated Press contributed to this report. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Number missing in Texas floods drops from 97 to 3, Kerr County officials say
Number missing in Texas floods drops from 97 to 3, Kerr County officials say

Axios

time4 days ago

  • Axios

Number missing in Texas floods drops from 97 to 3, Kerr County officials say

The number of people missing in Texas' catastrophic flooding has fallen to three from 160 in the immediate aftermath of the extreme weather event, said Kerr County officials as the search enters a third week. The big picture: The July 4 flooding killed at least 135 people — with 107 fatalities occurring in Kerr County, including children at Camp Mystic, a Christian summer camp for girls, along the banks of the Guadalupe River. The last missing persons count six days ago was 97. Zoom in: Officials did not immediately detail what accounted for the considerable drop, though Kerrville Police Department's Jonathan Lamb said in a Sunday statement: "This process takes time, but is essential to ensure that every lead is thoroughly followed and each person is properly accounted for." The Kerrville Police Department noted a Saturday Facebook post, "Through extensive follow-up work among state and local agencies, many individuals who were initially reported as missing have been verified as safe and removed from the list." What's next: Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has called a special legislative session on the tragedy that will convene in Austin, starting Monday. "A select committee is expected to conduct a hearing in Kerr County on July 31," according to a Sunday post on the county's Facebook page. What we're watching: "While the updated figure offers some relief, searchers remain focused on reuniting the three individuals who are still unaccounted for with their families," per Lamb's statement. "State and local officials continue to work with urgency and care to locate them, while supporting affected communities through the ongoing recovery process." Between the lines: Scientists say the record rainfall event that triggered the flooding underscores how climate change can make extreme precipitation events even worse.

3 people are still missing from deadly July 4 floods in Texas county, down from nearly 100
3 people are still missing from deadly July 4 floods in Texas county, down from nearly 100

Politico

time5 days ago

  • Politico

3 people are still missing from deadly July 4 floods in Texas county, down from nearly 100

The death toll in Kerr County, 107, held steady for much of this week even as the intensive search continued. The flash floods killed at least 135 people in Texas over the holiday weekend, with most deaths along the Guadalupe River in Kerr County, about 60 miles northwest of San Antonio. Just before daybreak on July 4, the destructive, fast-moving waters rose 26 feet (8 meters) on the Guadalupe, washing away homes and vehicles. The floods laid waste to the Hill Country, a popular tourist destination where campers seek out spots along the river amid the rolling landscape. It is naturally prone to flash flooding because its dry, dirt-packed soil cannot soak up heavy rain. Vacation cabins, youth camps campgrounds fill the riverbanks and hills of Kerr County, including Camp Mystic, a century-old Christian summer camp for girls. Located in a low-lying area of a region known as 'flash flood alley,' Camp Mystic lost at least 27 campers and counselors. The flooding was far more severe than the 100-year event envisioned by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, experts said, and it moved so quickly in the middle of the night that it caught many off guard in a county that lacked a warning system. In Kerrville, about 100 miles west of Austin, local officials have come under scrutiny over whether residents were adequately warned about the rising waters. President Donald Trump and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott have pushed back aggressively against questions about how well local authorities responded to forecasts of heavy rain and the first reports of flash flooding. Crews have been searching for victims using helicopters, boats and drones. Earlier efforts were hampered by rain forecasts, leading some crews to hold off or stop because of worries about more flooding.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store