Texas flooding live: At least 95 dead - as new pictures show devastation at children's camp
Here's our US correspondent Martha Kelner's latest report on the flooding in Texas.
She was speaking on The World With Yalda Hakim.
Emergency responders are now in their fourth day of search and rescue efforts now.
At least 95 dead in Texas floods
The number of dead across Texas has now risen to 95.
Four deaths have been confirmed in Burnet County, our US partner network NBC News reported, citing officials.
The vast majority of those killed by the flash floods were in Kerr County, where 75 people have died.
The others have died in: Travis County: seven
Kendall County: six
Williamson County: two
Tom Green County: one
National Weather Service warns: 'Flash flooding likely'
Thunderstorms are said to be on the move, with flash flooding "likely" in some areas today, a forecaster has warned.
In its latest update, the National Weather Service warned: "Scattered incidents of flash flooding remain likely for the next few hours."
It added as much as four inches of rain an hour was possible.
The warning referred to areas in the Texas midwest, the Edwards Plateau and west-central Texas.
Kerr County implements burn ban as fires interfere with search and rescue efforts
Kerr County has implemented a burn ban after fires interfered with search and recovery efforts.
The county is the worst-hit area by the Texas flash floods.
After an emergency meeting earlier today, all precincts in Kerr County are implementing a burn ban.
"People burning debris were causing an issue with ongoing, primary search-and-rescue operations in and along the Guadalupe River," the county said in a statement shared on social media.
Heat created by fires, lit by residents in an effort to clear debris, interfered with drones and heat-detecting equipment being used in searches for the missing.
The fires also "present other problems" for emergency workers trying to recover bodies, the sheriff said.
Don Harris, Kerr County commissioner for Precinct Four [where much of the flooding occurred], said: "We understand that everyone has got plenty of debris.
"We know that. But pile it up and wait. "
The ban will be in place until at least next Monday.
Help sent by neighbouring state
A neighbouring state sent aid to Texas and said it will "always answer the call" to help.
Louisiana governor Jeff Landry sent Texas 14 swift-water rescue workers to help with the flash flood response.
He also sent a task force leader, three boat operators, three boat bowmen, and three boat support personnel.
"Our first responders are among the best in the nation, and these men and women will always step up when disaster strikes," Landry said in a statement.
"Louisiana stands with Texas, and we are committed to doing whatever it takes to assist in their recovery."
In pictures: Wall of debris in aftermath of floods in Ingram - as Mexican firefighters come to US aid
Here are some of the latest pictures from Texas.
Firefighters from Mexico joined the emergency response to help the clear up.
In places, a wall of debris was left by the flash floods.
Jesus Gomez said his team recovered the body of one victim killed in the floods.
"It's hard, but first responders, we're a different breed, pretty much," Gomez said.
The team is from Acuna, a Mexican border town about 120 miles (193km) southwest of Kerrville, Texas.
Five million people in Texas still covered by flood watch alerts
Rain has continued to fall in parts of Texas today.
We have been reporting on what this means for Texans and rescue efforts - with the the threat of flooding still very real.
To bring home the scale of the warnings, our US partner network NBC News says five million people in central Texas are still covered by flood watches.
Affected areas include San Angelo, Killeen, Kerrville, San Antonio and Austin.
Slow-moving showers and storms with heavy rain continue to impact parts of the already-saturated region, NBC added.
The victims and people missing that have been named so far
As we've been reporting today, 10 girls are still missing from Camp Mystic in Kerr County, Texas, after Friday's floods.
At least 91 are now dead across Texas, the White House said earlier this evening.
The first details of victims and those still missing began emerging at the weekend.
The director of Camp Mystic, Dick Eastland, is confirmed to have died in the flash flooding - he died while trying to save children at the camp, local media reported. His grandson George paid tribute to him on Instagram, saying: "A husband, father, grandfather, and mentor to thousands of young women, he no longer walks this earth, but his impact will never leave the lives he touched."
Renee Smajstrla was one of 700 girls at the summer camp when flash flooding swept through. Her uncle confirmed, in an email on Saturday to The Washington Post, that the eight-year-old was among those who died. He said of her: "We are thankful she was with her friends and having the time of her life," adding - "she will forever be living her best life at Camp Mystic".
Tap below for a full list of the victims we know about so far.
'The road ahead will be long': Texas city issues update
One of the cities hit by the flash floods in Texas has warned "the road ahead will be long".
Burnet County has confirmed four deaths so far.
In an update, the city of Burnet thanked emergency services and told residents how they can help recovery efforts.
They were directed towards central hubs, where aid can be donated.
Residents were also asked to separate "hazardous materials" from "general debris".
"Please continue to use extreme caution and do not attempt to cross low-water crossings."
Watch: Flash floods 'raged' through parts of Texas
Jay Gray, senior national correspondent with our US partner network NBC News, has been talking to us - describing how water "raged" through Kerr County.
He also said, despite a lot of debate in the US about whether the warnings came fast enough, that wasn't as much of a focus in the local area.
Watch his full report, talking to chief presenter Mark Austin, below:
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Daily Mail
7 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Critical mistake made by county officials during Texas floods that could have saved countless lives
Officials in the Texas county where more than 100 people have died from the July 4 flash flood did not use technology that would have sent Amber Alert-like messages to everyone in the vicinity of the Guadalupe River, according to a bombshell new report. Kerr County officials did not use the more powerful notification tool they had even after a National Weather Service meteorologist warned them about the potential for catastrophic risk, per The Washington Post. The meteorologist, identified as Jason Runyen, posted his warnings in a Slack channel that local officials and reporters were in. He was unfortunately proven right. In the early morning hours of July 4 the river rose at least 30 feet in Hunt, Texas, near where Camp Mystic was. More than two dozen children and staff from the all-girl Christian summer camp were killed. Across the county, about 160 people thought to be washed away by the flood remain missing. Experts say Kerr County officials could have used the Integrated Public Alert & Warning System, or IPAWS, to save more people who were in bed sleeping at the time the waters were rising. IPAWS are similar to Amber Alerts in that they force phones to vibrate and emit a loud, jarring tone as long as they're on and have a signal. Abdul-Akeem Sadiq, a professor at the University of Central Florida who researches emergency management, told the Post that local authorities not sending IPAWS messages to targeted areas was a critical mistake. The National Weather Service did send alerts to Kerr County through IPAWS, but Sadiq argued that if they had also come from local officials, residents would have trusted them more and perhaps listened. 'If the alert had gone out, there might be one or two people who might have still been able to receive that message, who now, through word of mouth, alert people around them,' Sadiq said. He spoke about the phenomenon of people in frequently-flooded areas like this area of Texas ignoring alerts because they come so often. And usually, they amount to not that much. The National Weather Service issued 22 alerts through IPAWS on July 4, and each message used increasingly dire language. County officials, though, also have the added knowledge of the area that federal weather forecasters might not. If they had sent IPAWS alerts earlier, they could have described risks to certain neighborhoods or provided more specific guidance on how to stay safe, experts said. Instead, county officials used a more limited warning system called CodeRED. When activated, it send voice messages to landlines listed in the White Pages and text messages to cellphones of people who have signed up, the Post reported. Some locals didn't get CodeRED messages until 10:55am, according to screenshots obtained by the Post. That was over five hours after the river reached its highest recorded level. It's unclear why Kerr County leaders opted not to use IPAWS in the early stages of the July 4 natural disaster, especially when they've used it in the past to warn about much less dangerous threats. William B. 'Dub' Thomas, Kerr County's emergency management coordinator, used IPAWS last July to warn that the Guadalupe River could rise four feet, the Post reported. The alert told residents to avoid low-level river crossings and move their belongings away from the river. That flash flood came and went with no major injuries. Kerr County officials did eventually use IPAWS; it was activated on July 6, two days after the worst of the flooding. That alert was sent out because they were worried about another round of rising water levels. Daily Mail approached Thomas for comment on the disaster response. A communications team representing state and local officials said in a statement to the Post that county leaders are focused primarily on rescue and reunification and are 'committed to a transparent and full review of processes and protocols.' This revelation that IPAWS went unused comes as Kerr County officials are facing harsher scrutiny as time goes on. During a Tuesday press conference, one reporter asked Kerr County Sheriff Larry Leitha if anyone at emergency management office had been awake to push a button to send an emergency alert. Leitha snapped back, 'Sir, it's not that easy to just push a button. And we've told you several times.'
NBC News
12 hours ago
- NBC News
As questions mount over Texas floods, a key decision-maker remains silent
KERRVILLE, Texas — Before the flash flooding in Texas' Hill Country materialized in the early hours of July 4, Kerr County's most senior elected official said he had no inkling of the pending disaster that would sweep away structures and set off harrowing rescues across the region. 'We didn't know this flood was coming,' County Judge Rob Kelly said at a news conference later that morning, in response to why summer camps along the rain-swollen Guadalupe River weren't evacuated earlier, before many were missing or feared dead. 'We do not have a warning system,' he added, referring to the sirens along the river in other counties, used to notify of imminent flooding. The following day, at a news conference with Gov. Greg Abbott and other state officials, Kelly said of the preparedness effort: 'It's just Hill Country, and we didn't know.' In Texas, the county judge serves many functions in addition to judicial duties, including serving as the head of emergency management and handling many administrative functions in the county. But with a death toll surpassing 100 people — 60 adults and 36 children in Kerr County alone — and at least 176 still unaccounted for as of Friday, county officials are facing questions about what actions were taken ahead of the flooding and who was in command and communicating with the National Weather Service, particularly once the agency issued its first flash flood warning at 1:14 a.m. Efforts to reach Kelly this week, including by phone and at the emergency operations center, his office and his home, were unsuccessful. He hasn't spoken publicly since his appearances at news conferences in the immediate aftermath of the flood. In addition, William 'Dub' Thomas, Kerr County's emergency management coordinator, has not spoken publicly and did not return repeated requests for comment. He also could not be reached at the emergency operations center or his home. Thomas, who has been the county's top emergency coordinator since 2015, is responsible for its emergency management plan, the emergency notification system known as CodeRed, its search and rescue team and other disaster-related duties, according to the Rotary Club of Kerrville website. Previously, while working for the Texas Department of Public Safety, Thomas helped direct the state's response to several catastrophic events, including the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster in 2003 and Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Kelly, a Republican who first took office in 2018 and was re-elected in 2022, has worked as a commercial litigation attorney and, in his role as county judge, he oversees Kerr County's four-person commission and its budget. Kelly was a certified member of the Kerr County Community Emergency Response Team, according to a bio on the Rotary Club of Kerville website. 'I truly believe God has been preparing me for this position all my life,' Kelly said in The Kerrville Daily Times in 2017 about running for the county judge before the election. 'I didn't go looking for this job, it came looking for me.' Tom Pollard, the former county judge Kelly replaced, said that in any major event, such as a disaster that requires an evacuation, the emergency management coordinator is in charge but takes direction from the county judge. 'The buck stops with the county judge's office, but the management director handles it and just gets going,' Pollard said. 'And he'll talk to a county judge every now and then, and if there's a decision that needs to be made, he'll consult with the judge who makes a decision.' Pollard said neither he nor his wife received emergency notifications on their phone in the early morning of the flooding. Kerrville Mayor Joe Herring said Tuesday on MSNBC that he saw no emergency alerts and was awakened only by a call from City Manager Dalton Rice at 5:30 a.m. By daybreak, the Guadalupe River had risen 26 feet in 45 minutes, according to sensor data. Just after 4 a.m., the National Weather Service had upgraded its flash flood warning to an emergency for Kerr County, advising that it was a 'PARTICULARLY DANGEROUS SITUATION. SEEK HIGHER GROUND NOW!' Facebook posts from Kerrville police were posted after 5 a.m. regarding 'life threatening' flooding, but it's unclear whether officials were communicating with residents in other ways before then. Whether emergency alerts around that time would have been received on all phones is unclear. Spotty cell service or none at all is not uncommon in parts of the county, northwest of San Antonio. Others may not have had their phones with them, like the young girls who were staying at Camp Mystic in the unincorporated community of Hunt, where officials say at least 27 campers and staff members died. Federal Emergency Management Agency records obtained by NBC Dallas-Fort Worth show that Kerr County officials didn't use its Integrated Public Alert & Warning System, or IPAWS, to send warnings with safety instructions to all cellphones in the affected area the day of the flooding. As the water began rising in Kerr County, the National Weather Service delivered an IPAWS flood warning to phones as early as 1:14 a.m., NBC Dallas-Fort Worth reported. However, it's up to county or city officials in general to send more urgent instructions, including whether to evacuate. Some families said they received a CodeRed alert from Kerr County, which is similar to an IPAWS message and can be sent via the sheriff's office. But the program allows people to opt out, meaning not everyone receives it. Dispatch audio obtained by NBC affiliate KXAN in Austin includes an Ingram volunteer firefighter asking a county sheriff dispatcher at 4:22 a.m. if they can 'send a CodeRed out to our Hunt residents, asking them to find higher ground or stay home?' The dispatcher responds: 'We have to get that approved with our supervisor.' It's unclear at what times CodeRed alerts were supposed to be sent. KXAN reported that one person near the flooded area said they received a voicemail at 1:14 a.m. from a number traced back to CodeRed, while another area resident received a CodeRed alert at 5:34 a.m. about the National Weather Service's 'flash flood warning,' suggesting inconsistencies among recipients countywide. The National Weather Service's San Antonio office did not immediately return a request for comment Friday about any communications it may have had with Kerr County. Kerr County Sheriff Larry Leitha said at a news conference Wednesday that his priority remains search and rescue efforts, but noted there would be an 'after-action' review of what happened on July 4. 'We'll get them,' Leitha said. 'I can't tell you when — in a week or two, OK? We're going to get them.' Raymond Howard, a council member in Ingram, another city in Kerr County, said he has a host of questions for county officials to investigate once the rescue efforts are exhausted, from preventative measures they plan to take going forward to the timing of emergency alerts. 'I did not get a CodeRed,' Howard said, 'and I'm signed up for CodeRed.' What's needed for the future, he said, is better planning and communication. 'It's too late for the victims and everything that's happened already, but for future floods, we can do something,' Howard said. 'It will happen again.'
Daily Mail
14 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Melania makes rare public statement with tribute to Camp Mystic girls
Melania Trump made a rare public statement on Friday as she paid tribute to the children who died in the terrible Texas floods. 'My deepest sympathy to all of the parents who lost beautiful young souls,' she said after touring the devastation with President Donald Trump. 'We are grieving with you.' The first couple toured damaged areas along the Guadalupe River in Kerrville, one of the towns devastated by the storms that have killed at least 120. They also were briefed by officials and took the opportunity to thank first responders. And they later privately met with family members of the victims. 'We pray with them, we hug, we hold hands,' the first lady said of that time. Melania Trump showed off a bracelet that she was given in honor of the victims from Camp Mystic, where at least 27 girls and counselors died in the flash floods. 'I met beautiful young ladies. They gave me this special bracelet from the camp in honor of all of the little girls that lost their lives. So we are here to honor them and also to give the support,' she said, holding up her arm with a silver charm bracelet on it. The first lady rarely speaks in public but made a heartfelt statement of support to the grieving and vowed to return to the area. 'I will be back. I promise to them. And I just pray for them and giving them my strength and love,' she said. More than 100 people are still missing a week after Texas Hill Country was hit by heavy rain and flash floods that destroyed homes and left families picking up the pieces. Emergency workers and volunteers are still searching through the debris and there are hopes some trapped residents could be found alive. But the death toll could still rise in the coming days. She and the president stayed close during the tour and shared a tender moment before they left for Texas. Outside the White House, Trump put his arm around the First Lady who was casually dressed in jeans, sneakers and a light jacket. Trump wore a blue suit and white shirt but no ties From Texas they will head to Bedminster, New Jersey, and the Trump National Golf Club there. On Sunday, they'll quietly mark the one-year anniversary of the assassination attempt on Trump in Butler, Pa. The Trump family will be together in the morning and, that afternoon, Melania Trump will accompany the president to MetLife Stadium in New Jersey to watch the Club World Cup Final match. But, first they'll mark a somber Friday in Texas. Their visit comes a week after heavy rainfall caused the Guadalupe River in Kerr County to rise 26 feet in less than an hour, killing at least 121, including dozens of children at the nearby Christian summer camp, Camp Mystic. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott joined the Trumps on the trip. Texas Senators Ted Cruz and John Cornyn traveled with the Trumps on Air Force One. Meanwhile, the death toll continues to rise, with more than 160 people still missing. Trump approved a major disaster declaration for Texas earlier this week. The president, unlike in other disasters, has not cast blame on anyone for the tragedy, calling it a horrible accident. 'I would just say this is a hundred-year catastrophe, and it's just so horrible to watch,' the president said on Sunday. It was a marked difference from his comments on California and the devastating wildfires in that state. Trump was loud and vocal in his criticism of Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom. Some of the hardest-hit areas of central Texas are places of strong Republican support that voted for Trump in the 2024 election. The White House also has pushed back at criticism that FEMA and the National Weather Service was understaffed, making early warning efforts more difficult. 'Blaming President Trump for these floods is a depraved lie, and it serves no purpose during this time of national mourning,' White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said at her briefing on Monday. And, in a Cabinet meeting this week, Trump praised Noem for her department's handling of the response. The Department of Homeland Security oversees the Federal Emergency Management Agency. 'You had people there as fast as anybody's ever seen,' the president told Noem. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, a Republican and close ally of the president, said Trump was saddened by the event, particularly over the loss of the children. 'He could not stop talking about how sad he was for all the little girls who have lost their lives,' said Abbott, who has spoken with Trump repeatedly. 'He recounted his own understanding of what happened with what was really a tsunami wave, a wall of water, that swept too many of them away.'
