Texas flood: Rescue operations hindered by heavy rain forecast
Most rescue crews were held off or ordered to stop amid worries of more heavy rain and the possibility of more flooding.
Meanwhile, authorities lowered the tally of people unaccounted for to 101, with 97 still missing in Kerrville and four more in neighbouring counties.
Officials have begun draining nearby reservoirs in a bid to locate submerged vehicles and victims.
No one rescued alive since July 4
The floods, which swept through the Guadalupe River basin after over a foot of rain fell in less than an hour, have left entire trailers buried or missing.
Most of those killed were children at Camp Mystic, an all-girls Christian summer retreat.
Authorities say no one has been rescued alive since July 4, when the flooding caught residents and tourists off guard before dawn.
Kerr County Judge Rob Kelly said on Monday that it has been difficult to know how many tourists were in the area when the flooding occurred.
'We don't know how many of them there are,' Kelly said.
Authorities face flak and threats
As the disaster has also raised questions about readiness, Governor Abbott has called for a special legislative session later this month to investigate the emergency response and preparedness measures leading up to the flood.
Kerr County lacked a flash-flood warning sirens, and officials are now facing mounting criticism and even threats.
The high death toll, in one of the deadliest floods in the US in decades, has sparked concerns over the lack of warning sirens in Kerr County and staffing shortages at the National Weather Service after staffing cuts under the Trump administration.
'They're just playing a blame game,' said Kerr County Commissioner Rich Paces, who reported receiving death threats.
Heavy rains are forecast to continue through Tuesday, with up to six inches expected in parts of central Texas, including already-hit areas.
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3 days ago
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Texas flood: Rescue operations hindered by heavy rain forecast
Texas, US – Search and rescue operations in Texas were hampered by rain forecasts for the second day in a row after the devastating July 4 floods killed at least 131 people. Most rescue crews were held off or ordered to stop amid worries of more heavy rain and the possibility of more flooding. Meanwhile, authorities lowered the tally of people unaccounted for to 101, with 97 still missing in Kerrville and four more in neighbouring counties. Officials have begun draining nearby reservoirs in a bid to locate submerged vehicles and victims. No one rescued alive since July 4 The floods, which swept through the Guadalupe River basin after over a foot of rain fell in less than an hour, have left entire trailers buried or missing. Most of those killed were children at Camp Mystic, an all-girls Christian summer retreat. Authorities say no one has been rescued alive since July 4, when the flooding caught residents and tourists off guard before dawn. Kerr County Judge Rob Kelly said on Monday that it has been difficult to know how many tourists were in the area when the flooding occurred. 'We don't know how many of them there are,' Kelly said. Authorities face flak and threats As the disaster has also raised questions about readiness, Governor Abbott has called for a special legislative session later this month to investigate the emergency response and preparedness measures leading up to the flood. Kerr County lacked a flash-flood warning sirens, and officials are now facing mounting criticism and even threats. The high death toll, in one of the deadliest floods in the US in decades, has sparked concerns over the lack of warning sirens in Kerr County and staffing shortages at the National Weather Service after staffing cuts under the Trump administration. 'They're just playing a blame game,' said Kerr County Commissioner Rich Paces, who reported receiving death threats. Heavy rains are forecast to continue through Tuesday, with up to six inches expected in parts of central Texas, including already-hit areas. DW
Times of Oman
4 days ago
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Texas flood: Rescue hindered by heavy rain forecast
Texas: Search and rescue operations in Texas were hampered by rain forecasts for the second day in a row after the devastating July 4 floods killed at least 131 people. Most rescue crews were held off or ordered to stop amid worries of more heavy rain and the possibility of more flooding. Meanwhile, authorities lowered the tally of people unaccounted for to 101, with 97 still missing in Kerrville and four more in neighboring counties. Officials have begun draining nearby reservoirs in a bid to locate submerged vehicles and victims. No one rescued alive since July 4 The floods, which swept through the Guadalupe River basin after over a foot of rain fell in less than an hour, have left entire trailers buried or missing. Most of those killed were children at Camp Mystic, an all-girls Christian summer retreat. Authorities say no one has been rescued alive since July 4, when the flooding caught residents and tourists off guard before dawn. Kerr County Judge Rob Kelly said on Monday that it has been difficult to know how many tourists were in the area when the flooding occurred. "We don't know how many of them there are," Kelly said. Authorities face flak and threats As the disaster has also raised questions about readiness, Governor Abbott has called for a special legislative session later this month to investigate the emergency response and preparedness measures leading up to the flood. Kerr County lacked a flash-flood warning sirens, and officials are now facing mounting criticism and even threats. The high death toll, in one of the deadliest floods in the US in decades, has sparked concerns over the lack of warning sirens in Kerr County and staffing shortages at the National Weather Service after staffing cuts under the Trump administration. "They're just playing a blame game," said Kerr County Commissioner Rich Paces, who reported receiving death threats.
Observer
09-07-2025
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Death toll from Texas flood hits triple-digits as tally of missing tops 180
KERRVILLE: The death toll from the July Fourth flash flood that ravaged a swath of central Texas Hill Country rose on Tuesday to at least 109, many of them children, as search teams pressed on through mounds of mud-encrusted debris looking for scores of people still missing. According to figures released by Governor Gregg Abbott, authorities were seeking more than 180 people whose fate remained unknown four days after one of the deadliest US flood events in decades. The bulk of fatalities and the search for additional victims were concentrated in Kerr County and the county seat of Kerrville, a town of 25,000 residents transformed into a disaster zone when torrential rains struck the region early last Friday, flooding the Guadalupe River basin. The bodies of 94 flood victims, about a third of them children, have been recovered in Kerr County alone as of Tuesday, Texas Governor Greg Abbott said at a late-afternoon news conference after touring the area by air. 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 perished. Five girls and a camp counselor were still 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 overall tally of lives lost to 109. Reports from local sheriffs' and media have put the number of flood deaths outside Kerr County at 22. But authorities have said they were bracing for the death toll to climb as flood waters recede and the search for more victims gains momentum. Texas Governor Greg Abbott speaks at a press conference in the aftermath of deadly flooding in Hunt, Texas. — Reuters 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 neighbors because they were away on vacation or out of town, according to the governor. He said another 12 people were missing elsewhere across the flood zone as a whole, a sprawling area northwest of San Antonio. "We need to find every single 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, neighboring 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 last Friday. "The work is extremely treacherous, time-consuming," Lieutenant Colonel Ben Baker of the Texas Game Wardens said at a press conference. "It's dirty work. The water is still there." - Reuters
