Texas Flood Live Updates: 59 Dead Including 15 Children
Flooding caused by a flash flood at the Guadalupe River in Kerrville, Texas. Photo by RONALDO SCHEMIDT/AFP via Getty Images
Texas authorities confirmed at least 59 people were dead as of Sunday morning, Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said on Fox News, and an unclear number were still missing.
Rescue teams are searching for a group of around 27 people who were attending Camp Mystic, an all-girls Christian summer camp on the banks of the Guadalupe River.
More than 850 people have been rescued across Kerr County, which saw some of the worst flooding, by the Coast Guard and at least 1,000 first responders from Texas state agencies, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said.
Kerr County Judge Rob Kelly, when he was asked why camps along the Guadalupe were not evacuated, told reporters Friday, 'I can't answer that, I don't know,' before saying the county had 'no reason to believe that this was going to be anything like what's happened here.'
W. Nim Kidd, director of the Texas Division of Emergency Management, faulted the National Weather Service for not predicting 'the amount of rain we saw,' though alerts were issued beforehand and as it became clear the region was facing a flash flood emergency.
The NWS issued a flash flood watch Thursday afternoon that noted Kerr County, where much of the flooding began early Friday morning, was a particularly vulnerable area, along with more urgent flash flood emergency alerts in the overnight hours as the disaster unfolded.
The NWS was one of several federal agencies targeted by the controversial cost-cutting efforts of the Trump administration's Department of Government Efficiency, and has recently laid off nearly 600 employees—around the same amount of staffers it lost in the 15 previous years, the Texas Tribune reported.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said the Trump administration would 'honor' a federal disaster declaration from Abbott, who also declared Sunday a 'day of prayer' as first responders search for the missing campers.
Forbes has reached out to the NWS for comment.
A representative for the union for NWS employees told CNN that the offices in Austin and San Antonio had 'adequate staffing and resources,' but also said the San Antonio office was missing a coordination meteorologist to work directly with emergency managers. When asked by a reporter from Kerrville if the government's preparedness was a 'failure,' Noem said the Trump administration was trying to 'upgrade' the technology the NWS uses to send alerts and notify the public about catastrophic weather events. 'For decades, for years, everybody knows that the weather is extremely difficult to predict, but also that the National Weather Service has done well,' Noem said at a press conference alongside Abbott. 'And at times we have all wanted more time, and more warning, and more alerts, and more notification.' Noem added the Trump administration is working to update what she called an 'ancient system has been left in place with the federal government for many, many years.' How Has The Nws Been Impacted By Federal Funding Cuts?
Some NWS field offices have reported the loss of around-the-clock staffing and reductions in weather balloon launches, which are crucial in collecting data on humidity, pressure, temperature and more elements needed to produce forecasts. The NWS office overseeing Kerr County, where at least 24 people have died in the floods, is the Austin/San Antonio Weather Forecast Office. Longtime meteorologist Troy Kimmel, who leads his own meteorological services company, told CBS Austin in May that local Texas offices such as the Austin/San Antonio office experienced some staffing shortages. The Austin/San Antonio office's website shows a total of six vacancies across its meteorological, management, observations and technician teams, though it is not clear how many of the vacancies are a direct result of cuts engineered by the Department of Government Efficiency.
Trump said Friday the deaths reported in Texas were 'shocking' and that the government would work with Texas Gov. Greg Abbott to provide federal aid. He added in a statement on Truth Social Saturday morning his administration is working with state and local officials in Texas, adding Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem would visit the state Saturday. Trump has insisted states should play a larger role in handling their own weather disasters, saying last month his administration intends to 'wean' states off help from the Federal Emergency Management Agency following this year's hurricane season. FEMA has lost hundreds of employees since Trump took office and ended its Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities program, which awarded around $4.6 billion to communities throughout the U.S. in an effort to prepare them for future weather disasters. What To Watch For
The National Weather Service issued a flood watch for San Antonio and several neighboring cities, warning of two to four inches of additional rainfall and excessive runoff that may result in flash flooding for rivers and creeks, low-lying areas and low water crossings. What Do We Know About The Missing Children?
The children considered missing as of Saturday were attending an all-girls Christian summer camp known as Camp Mystic. The camp has been around since 1926 and operates two sites along the Guadalupe River. The organization told parents in an email Friday morning it experienced 'catastrophic level floods.' according to The New York Times. Big Number
Over 1,000. That is how many rescuers were deployed in Texas on Saturday morning, the Associated Press reported.
The Guadalupe River has had a history of floods, with one of the most prominent incidents occurring in 1987, when five to 10 inches of rain fell in the upper headwaters of the river's basin. The river crested at 31.5 feet and flooding resulted in the deaths of 10 teenagers and 33 injuries. Inclement weather in Texas may continue in the coming months, as it and several other states are approaching the most active part of the 2025 hurricane season. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has predicted an above-average Atlantic hurricane season, forecasting a range of 13 to 19 named storms, six to 10 of which are forecast to become hurricanes.
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8 hours ago
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What happened in the hours before, during and after a catastrophic deluge hit Texas Hill Country
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Torrential rains transformed the pristine Guadalupe River, unleashing roaring cascades in the predawn hours of Independence Day along 40 miles of Kerr County, claiming at least 103 lives there alone, including 36 children. The confirmed death toll in Texas was 129 as of Friday evening. At least 150 people are still missing statewide – at least 140 of them in Kerr County. More than a summer's worth of rain had fallen in the area overnight into the holiday, swelling part of the river from about 3 feet to 30 feet in just 45 minutes and turning the beloved waterway into a killer. The catastrophic deluge laid waste to communities across Kerr and Kendall counties, where neighborhoods and RV parks, as well as the 18 or so youth camps attended by thousands of kids each summer, were swept away in its fury. 'The first thing I thought, 'This is not real. Wake up, Caroline. Wake up,'' Cutrona told CNN's Anderson Cooper. ''I'm in a dream,' and that's what I wanted it to be.' 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It describes a very tropical atmosphere with the potential for producing flooding rainfall in central and southern judges and city mayors are invited to join a daily call to discuss weather forecasts. A regional coordinator reached out personally to officials in the area, making sure they 'were aware there could be flooding,' Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick later said. 'The message was sent,' Patrick said. 'It is up to the local counties and mayors under the law to evacuate if they feel the need.' 'I will tell you personally, I did not receive a call,' Kerrville Mayor Joe Herring Jr. told reporters this week, adding he could not speak for the Kerr County NWS issues a flood watch, highlighting Kerrville, among other locations, as being at risk of flash flooding through the night into Friday. It forecast 5 to 7 inches of NWS issues an updated forecast for the Guadalupe River: 'Rapid runoff is expected, with locally considerable flash and urban flash flooding possible … the nocturnal timing will also enhance the hazard potential and impacts.' It notes the potential for a historic rainfall event, though it's unclear if that messaging reached emergency managers. The weather service's forecast offices for Austin, San Antonio and San Angelo, as well as the West Gulf River Forecast Center in Fort Worth, assign extra personnel to work Thursday night into the next day, according to NWS spokesperson Erica Grow Cei. Kerrville Mayor Herring later said he went outside Thursday night before the storm and looked at the sky. 'Partly cloudy. The sky was not angry and I thought to myself, 'someone's going to get rain, but it's probably not going to be us.' And I was wrong,' he said. 'I was awakened in the middle of the night by thunder. I looked outside, we had a light rain. In fact, the city of Kerrville really didn't have a lot of rain until later in the day.'Glenn Juenke, a Camp Mystic staffer, told CNN he was monitoring the rain gauges on the Guadalupe-Blanco River Authority's website. 'Many of the rain gauges were out of order or offline and were useless. They provided no information about the level of rainfall upstream of Camp Mystic where I was acting in the capacity of night watchman.'The NWS issues a flash flood warning, upgraded from the earlier watch, for parts of Kerr Guillen, who owns an RV park and restaurant in Kerrville, told CNN she closed her restaurant around 12:45 a.m. CT after July Fourth celebrations. When rain started to pour heavier over the next two hours, she drove to the edge of the river and observed its height. The water level appeared normal, she said. She called the Kerr County Sheriff's Office to ask whether the Guadalupe would rise with the rain and put her RV tenants in danger. She said she was assured they would be safe. About an hour after the call, Guillen said, she saw lights from a rescue team. One of the park's long-term residents had heard screaming and called Camp Mystic's Bug House cabin, owner Dick Eastland and his son, Edward, a camp director, helped a group of girls – clutching pillows and blankets – evacuate in ankle-deep water to a nearby recreation hall, a 12-year-old camper told CNN. With the water rapidly rising, the campers spent the night on the second floor, illuminated by flashlights. 'Everyone was scared because there was water coming in,' said the girl, whose mother asked she not be identified to protect her privacy. The girls sang, prayed and slept until about 6 a.m. when the rain stopped. When counselors did a roll call later, the girls realized some campers were missing. At Chatterbox cabin at the same camp, girls screamed as floodwaters swept inside, according to 9-year-old twin sisters who were there. Their mother also asked they not be identified. One twin let campers keep their 'lovies' and 'stuffies' on her top bunk for safety. The twins said they watched a car they believed would rescue them wash away in a surge of water. With counselors, the campers climbed out a window and waded through chest-high waters to higher ground. They later learned three Chatterbox campers were among the missing. 'We didn't know if they got … washed away in the rapids,' one girl said. 'Whenever we were cold, they kept giving us hugs and we were crying, they would always comfort us,' one twin said of the counselors. A rainbow appeared later that morning – which the girls said was 'a sign from God.'A local firefighter calls dispatch to report high water on the main highway getting to Hunt, Texas, from the east. 'Yes ma'am … Guadalupe is starting to come up and Schumacher is no longer passable at this time,' the firefighter says, referring to the scenic Schumacher Crossing over the City Manager Dalton Rice said first responders started to get swept away by floodwaters. 'That's how quick it happened,' Rice said. 'First responders who have experience, who are swift-water qualified.'A dispatcher tells first responders about people in distress along State Highway 39, which crosses the Guadalupe and runs through Texas Hill Country: 'We're getting multiple calls off of 39. People are stating their houses are flooding. We're trying to advise them to get to higher area.'Camp Mystic counselor Caroline Cutrona said the roar of thunder and lighting kept her awake. She noticed the camp had lost power. The cabin, where she watched over 14 girls ages 9 and 10, shook violently. Around the same time, video obtained by CNN shows a cabin at the boys Camp La Junta floating away in the NWS issues a flash flood emergency warning for Kerr County, stating, 'Move to higher ground now! This is an extremely dangerous and life-threatening situation.'A firefighter calls dispatch, asking for a CodeRED emergency alert to be issued: 'Is there any way we can send a CodeRED out to our Hunt residents, asking them to find higher ground or stay home?' The dispatcher responds: 'Stand by, we have to get that approved with our supervisor.'A gauge along the Guadalupe River, in Kerrville, shows water levels hit 23.4 feet. Water levels in that spot almost certainly crested above 23.4 feet, but the gauge didn't record data for three hours – between 4:45 a.m. and 7:45 a.m. local time –before picking back up its raging river bursts from its banks around this time, sweeping homes, cars, campers and cabins downstream. It took about 90 minutes for the 20-foot flood wave to move down the Guadalupe River overnight, triggering the river's second-highest crest on Fire dispatch announces: 'The river is completely swollen … there is a car with occupants in it floating down the river.' Rice, the Kerrville city manager, started getting phone calls around 5 a.m. local time. 'By the time we got back out there, the river had already risen 20 or 25 feet. It rose significantly in that amount of time. We almost got stuck when we went back,' he told CNN. 'Nobody could have ever predicted this.'Notifications sent by Kendall County indicate the first wireless emergency message for a flood warning was sent to residents at this time. Three more alerts were issued on the wireless warning system between 7 a.m. and 8:06 a.m. CT. Herring, Kerrville's mayor, told reporters: 'I individually did not receive a warning in time. When I woke up, I got a call from the city manager' around 5:30 a.m. local time. He said he went downtown and Louise Hays Park, which is perched on the river, 'was already inundated. That was the first time I knew.'A unit identified as 'Utility 51' asks a dispatcher at Kerr County Fire Operations: 'Can you advise who's running command?' Central dispatch responds: 'Sir, we don't have an incident command right now.'The NWS issues a more dire flash flood emergency warning of an imminent threat, specifically for US Coast Guard receives an initial call, although their specific launch time is unavailable. What was supposed to be an hourlong flight took between seven and eight hours due to weather conditions, according to the air Herring Jr. told the Texas Tribune he received an alert on his phone from the CodeRED obtained by CNN showed law enforcement officers in Kerr County shouting evacuation County posted on social media: 'Flooding along the Guadalupe River is happening now. Be safe and move to higher ground. Do not drive through water. Turn Around - Don't Drown!'The Kerr County Sheriff's Office confirms people have died during the 'catastrophic flooding event' in a post on social media. 'Those near creeks, streams, and the Guadalupe River should immediately move to higher ground,' the post said.A source told CNN affiliate KSAT neither the Kerr County Sheriff's Office nor the Kerrville Police Department sent a CodeRED Alert to some residents until this County officials declare a disaster due to 'extreme, life-threatening' flooding. When everyone remaining at Camp Mystic had finished lunch, Cutrona said one of the camp's directors pulled counselors aside and informed them 27 girls and the camp's owner, Dick Eastland, were missing. 'Camp Mystic's the safest place I've ever known, and I just couldn't believe it,' Cutrona US Coast Guard's MH-65 air crew arrives in the area and begins to rescue survivors. It is uncertain what time the air crew completed rescue efforts. 'The last live rescue, unless there's new information, and I don't believe there is, was made on Friday,' Kerr County Sheriff Larry Leitha said. As searchers agonizingly scour the area for unaccounted flood victims, local officials have been adamant they could not have done more to prevent the tragedy. CNN's Pamela Brown, Andrew Freedman, Emma Tucker, Mary Gilbert, Holly Yan, Alisha Ebrahimji, Alaa Elassar and Dalia Faheid contributed to this report.
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Rosie O'Donnell Blames Trump's ‘Horrible Decisions' for Texas Floods
Comedian Rosie O'Donnell believes President Donald Trump's 'horrible decisions' are to blame for the flash floods in central Texas that have killed at least 70. 'What a horror story in Texas,' O'Donnell, who moved to Dublin, Ireland, earlier this year after Trump was re-elected, said in a TikTok video posted Sunday. 'When the president guts all of the early warning systems and the weathering forecast abilities of the government, these are the results that we're going to start to see on a daily basis.' The Department of Government Efficiency had previously cut hundreds of jobs at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the National Weather Service (NWS) in its effort to cut government spending earlier this year. The NWS lost around 600 staffers at the time, according to a June report from The New York Times. 'It's because he put this country in so much danger by his horrible, horrible decisions and this ridiculously immoral bill that he just signed into law,' O'Donnell, whose feud with Trump dates back to 2006, continued. 'As Republicans cheered, people will die as a result and they've started already.' 'Shame on him … Shame on every GOP sycophant,' she concluded. Catastrophic flooding first struck central Texas on July 4 after torrential rains caused the Guadalupe River to rise around 26 feet within just 45 minutes. The surge washed out roads and destroyed property across six counties. Texas Emergency Management Chief W. Nim Kidd bemoaned inaccurate forecasts from the NWS in a press conference Friday, saying that 'the original forecast that we received Wednesday from the National Weather Service predicted 3-6 inches of rain in the Concho Valley and 4-8 inches in the Hill Country.' 'The amount of rain that fell at this specific location was never in any of those forecasts,' he said. The president has since issued a Major Disaster Declaration prompting the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to be activated in Texas. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem has also indicated that alongside emergency, on-ground support, the White House is also 'currently upgrading the technology' at the NWS and NOAA 'to renew this ancient system that has been left in place with the federal government for many, many years.' 'I do carry your concerns back to the federal government and to President Trump, and we will do all we can to fix those kind of things that may have felt like a failure to you and to your community members,' Noem continued. 'We know that everybody wants more warning time, and that's why we're working to upgrade the technologies that been neglected [for] far too long.'
