Texas flooding live updates: At least 91 killed, including 27 girls and counselors from Camp Mystic

Yahoo

2 days ago

At least 91 people have died and dozens of others are missing in Texas after flash flooding ravaged the state over the Fourth of July weekend.
Across the state, rescuers continue their efforts to search for the dozens still missing, including 10 campers and one counselor at an all-girls camp located along the Guadalupe River, near San Antonio, which rose more than 20 feet in less than two hours. Camp Mystic confirmed that 27 campers and counselors died during the weekend floods.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said at Monday's briefing that the death toll rose to 91.
Parts of central Texas are bracing for another day of localized flash flooding threats caused by slow-moving thunderstorms in the flood-ravaged area, according to weather officials. The storms could produce another 2 to 4 inches of rain, with an isolated total of up to 10 inches, according to the National Weather Service's Austin-San Antonio office. Nearly 5 million people, including those in the disaster areas, are under a flood watch that has been extended until 7 p.m. local time.
At the top of a daily briefing, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said 91 people have been confirmed dead in the Texas floods, relaying a figure provided by the Department of Homeland Security.
Leavitt said that President Trump will travel to the flood-ravaged state sometime later this week.
'President Trump loves you. We are praying for you, and he will be traveling to see you later this week,' she said.
Jonathan McComb from Corpus Christi, Texas, is one of the volunteers with Texas Search and Rescue (TEXSAR) that is helping to respond to the July 4 flash floods that devastated parts of central Texas.
McComb's mission with TEXSAR is also deeply personal. Ten years ago, McComb, his wife and two children were swept away by a flash flood on the Blanco River. McComb was the only one to survive the 2015 disaster.
'Great organization to get involved with and try and help others in tragic situations,' he said during a phone interview with KIII 3 News from the field.
McComb added, "I just think they need to know that there are a lot of people out here that are working hard and very vigilant and help find those who are missing or lost."
'I told myself when I was in the hospital — once I got out and saw what they were doing — I needed to join them to give back and to help others,' McCombs said.
Former first lady Laura Bush once worked as a drama counselor at Camp Mystic, Jenna Bush Hager revealed on NBC's "Today" show oMonday.
'My mom was a counselor there, but also so many of my friends were raised at this camp,' Bush Hager said of Camp Mystic, where at least 27 children and counselors died in the July 4 floods.
'Texas camps are institutions," she said. "This camp was 100 years old, so grandmothers, mothers, kids have all gone there.'
Former President George W. Bush released a statement Sunday saying he and Laura Bush were 'heartbroken' over the deadly floods.
'On this day of prayer, Laura and I are holding up our fellow Texans who are hurting,' the former president said. 'We are heartbroken by the loss of life and the agony so many are feeling. Those who have lost their precious children are facing a grief no parents should ever know. We are grateful to the first responders and volunteers who are working to find the missing and comfort the grieving at Camp Mystic and along the Guadalupe. We know our words cannot help, but we believe the prayers of so many Americans will.'
In a post on its Facebook page, the Kerrville Police Department said that "sightseers" traveling to the city to see flood damage are hampering search and rescue efforts.
"Our first responders were hampered by heavy traffic yesterday, mostly sightseers who are making things worse," officials wrote. "If you're not from here, don't come here to see flood damage. If you live here, avoid the river corridor so our first responders can do their jobs."
The post added that Kerr County remains under a temporary flight restriction.
"This means no drones. They are interfering with our air operations," the post said.
Speaking alongside officials in Kerr County, Texas, Sen. Ted Cruz called the loss of the children in the deadly flash floods at Camp Mystic "every parent's nightmare," and said that the time to ask what could have been done differently will come.
'Everyone would agree, in hindsight, if we could go back and do it again, we would evacuate,' Cruz said. 'Particularly those in the most vulnerable areas — the young children in the cabins closest to the water, we would remove them and get them to higher ground, if we could go back and do it again.'
The deadly floods have raised questions about whether the flood warnings came too late, and if staffing cuts at the National Weather Service contributed to the tragedy.
'I think this is not a time for partisan finger-pointing and attacks,' Cruz said. 'Now, after we come through search and rescue, after we come through the process of rebuilding, there will naturally be a period of retrospection where you look back and say, 'OK, what exactly transpired, what was the timeline and what could have been done differently to prevent this loss of life?''
Officials in Kerr County said the death toll there climbed to 75 — an increase of seven — as of 8:30 a.m. local time on Monday.
Among the 75 dead are 48 adults and 27 children, Sheriff Larry Leitha said. "Fifteen adults and nine children are pending identification," he added.
'At present, there are 10 campers from Camp Mystic unaccounted for and one counselor.'
The increase in Kerr County, along with 14 other deaths across Texas related to the flash floods, brings the total to 89, the Associated Press reported.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer is demanding an investigation into whether key vacancies at National Weather Service offices "contributed to the catastrophic loss of life" in this weekend's flooding in Texas.
In a letter to the Commerce Department on Monday, Schumer urged the agency's inspector general to immediately 'open an investigation into the scope, breadth, and ramifications of whether staffing shortages at key local National Weather Service (NWS) stations contributed to the catastrophic loss of life and property during the deadly flooding.'
Schumer said that 'vital forecasting, meteorology and coordination roles" were vacant at NWS offices in San Antonio and San Angelo.
'These are the experts responsible for modeling storm impacts, monitoring rising water levels, issuing flood warnings, and coordinating directly with local emergency managers about when to warn the public and issue evacuation orders,' Schumer wrote. 'To put it plainly: they help save lives.'
Scott Ruskin, a rescue swimmer for the U.S. Coast Guard, is being hailed as a hero for saving 165 people at Camp Mystic amid the deadly flash flooding on July 4. It was Ruskin's "first experience" saving lives at this magnitude, having completed his training six months prior, he told Good Morning America on Monday.
"They don't really know what my experience is or my rank or my age," he said. "They just know, 'Hey this guy is a professional, and he's here to help us.' And I kind of had to live up to that standard."
Ruskin said he has a different perspective on who the "real heroes" were in this emergency situation: "The real heroes, I think, were the kids on the ground," he told GMA. "Those guys are heroic, and they were dealing with some of the worst times of their lives, and they were staying strong. That helped inspire me to get in there and help them out."
Pope Leo expressed his condolences to the victims affected by the flash floods in Texas, writing in a post on X on Sunday: "I would like to express sincere condolences to all the families who have lost loved ones, in particular their daughters, who were at the summer camp, in the disaster caused by flooding of the Guadalupe River in Texas in the United States. We pray for them."
At a morning press conference, Kerr County Sheriff Larry Leitha said that as of 8:30 a.m., 75 bodies had been recovered, including 48 adults and 27 children.
Of those that were recovered, 24 are pending identification, Leitha said.
He added that 10 campers and one counselor from Camp Mystic remain unaccounted for.
Earlier Monday, the camp confirmed that 27 campers and counselors were killed in the deadly floods.
"Reuniting the families remains our top priority," the sheriff said.
In a live report from Camp Mystic on Sunday, CNN's Pamela Brown revealed that she attended the all-girls summer camp in Hunt, Texas, as a child.
'It's surreal coming back here 30 years later,' Brown said. 'I was a 10-year-old little camper here, full of so much hope and joy. It's a magical place, and I remember the excitement and anticipation of coming to Camp Mystic.'
Brown said she was "overwhelmed' with emotion and memories of the camp, which confirmed Monday that 27 people, including campers and counselors, died in the July 4 floods.
"I can't get over looking at those cabins right next to the Guadalupe River. That river was the source of so much joy and fun for us. ... That is what we loved,' Brown said. 'To think that that same river is the source of this devastation, it's just hard to wrap my head around. And it's such a magical place that now, all these girls, these sweet young campers who had to evacuate, and their families, so much innocence has now been lost. And I just can't help but think about them and pray for them and just hope that more are found alive.'
Texas-born celebrities Matthew McConaughey, Jennifer Garner and Hilary Duff posted messages of support on Instagram for the victims of the deadly flash floods.
"Heartbroken doesn't begin to cover it. Consumed. Obsessed. Praying for even a shred of a miracle — to find a child alive in the wake of this boundless disaster," Duff, a Houston native, wrote in a statement on Instagram. "Tears fall every time I imagine one of these families receiving bad news... waiting... or entire families lost. Just gone. It's too much to comprehend."
"I was — and forever will be — that girl with a wild hearted, fierce love for my barefoot summers at camp in the Texas Hill country," she continued. "It imprints on your soul. It changes your identity. It's a realm of true magic. You could never imagine an ending this tragic."
McConaughey, who was born in Uvalde, Texas, also shared a statement posted on Instagram.
"At least 70 lives have been lost, many more are unaccounted for, and countless Texans are hurting — inside and out," McConaughey's statement read. "If you're able, please lend a helping hand where and how you can. It's gonna be a long road ahead, but right now the shock, the pain, and the chaos need the steady hand of a neighbor."
Garner, who was born in Houston, posted a four-word message to an Instagram story: "Texas. God, be near."
Speaking to reporters Sunday, President Trump said he would "probably" visit flood-ravaged Texas on Friday.
'I would have done it today, but we'd just be in their way,' Trump said before boarding Air Force One after spending the weekend at his golf club in Bedminster, N.J. 'It's a horrible thing that took place, absolutely horrible.'
Earlier in the day, Trump signed an emergency disaster declaration for Kerr County, Texas, authorizing the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to assist relief efforts.
But the president declined to discuss whether he still wants to phase out FEMA, saying it was "something we can talk about later, but right now they're busy working."
Trump also rejected the idea that cuts to the National Weather Service made as part of his widespread government spending reductions played a role in the tragedy.
'This was a thing that happened in seconds," he said. "Nobody expected it. Nobody saw it. Very talented people there, and they didn't see it.'
A Texas high school is remembering one of its graduates, who was a counselor at Camp Mystic and died in the catastrophic flooding over the weekend.
ABC News reports:
Chloe Childress, a counselor at Camp Mystic, was killed during the devastating flooding in Hunt, Texas, over the holiday weekend, according to a representative of her high school.She graduated from The Kinkaid School earlier this year and was set to attend the University of Texas at Austin in the fall.Jonathan Eades, the head of The Kinkaid School, remembered Childress as someone who had a "remarkable way of making people feel seen" and "steady compassion that settled a room.""Whether it was sharing her own challenges to ease someone's burden or quietly cheering a teammate or classmate through a tough day, Chloe made space for others to feel safe, valued, and brave. She understood what it meant to be part of a community, and more than that, she helped build one," Eades wrote in a letter to the school community.
Read more from ABC News: Texas high school says Camp Mystic counselor was among those killed in flooding
In the aftermath of the deadly flash floods in Texas, questions are mounting over whether more could have been done to warn people in the path of the floodwaters.
As the Texas Tribune reports, state and local officials are pointing to weather forecasts that did not accurately predict the intensity of the rainfall, while some forecasters have suggested that local officials and camp leadership should have heeded the warnings that were issued:
Nim Kidd, chief of the Texas Division of Emergency Management, on Friday pointed to NWS forecasts from earlier in the week that projected up to 6 inches of rain.
'It did not predict the amount of rain that we saw,' Kidd said.Kerr County Judge Rob Kelly echoed Kidd. When he was asked why camps along the Guadalupe were not evacuated, Kelly told reporters the county had 'no reason to believe that this was going to be anything like what's happened here.'However, warnings were issued about the potential for flash flooding hours before the waters reached their peak. Rain began to fall around midnight, and the first flash flood warning was issued by the NWS at 1:14 a.m. Friday, [the National Weather Service's Bob] Fogarty said. That warning should have triggered a response by local emergency management and local media to spread the word to those in harm's way, as well as the Emergency Alert System that broadcasts warnings to televisions and radios.
Read more here from the Texas Tribune: In Texas region prone to catastrophic floods, questions grow about lack of warning
Emma Foltz, a counselor at Camp Mystic, helped evacuate 14 of her campers to safety, Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry said on social media. Landry says Foltz of Alexandria, La., has been a counselor at the Texas camp for three years.
Images taken in the aftermath of the deadly flooding at Camp Mystic show muddy, waterlogged debris, including bunk beds, suitcases and stuffed animals, inside cabins at the all-girls Christian summer camp, where at least 27 campers and counselors died.
A time-lapse video from Friday shows flood waters rushing in within a span of 30 minutes along the Llano River in Kingsland, Texas, which is located about 95 miles northeast of Camp Mystic. The following video was obtained by CNN.
Slow-moving thunderstorms could cause more flash flooding over central Texas today, forecasters say, hampering search and rescue efforts.
According to the National Weather Service's Austin-San Antonio office, 2 to 4 inches of additional rainfall with "isolated amounts up to 10 inches" could fall in Hill Country. Flood watches remain in effect until 7 p.m. local time.
"Any additional heavy rainfall over hardest hit areas of the past few days will lead to rapid runoff and flash flooding," the weather service said. 'Stay alert for Flash Flood Warnings!"
Camp Mystic, an all-girls Christian summer camp located along the Guadalupe River, which rose over 20 feet in less than two hours, has been left reeling from the devastating floods over the weekend. The camp confirmed the loss of campers and counselors in a post on its website on Monday:
Camp Mystic is grieving the loss of 27 campers and counselors following the catastrophic flooding on the Guadalupe river.Our hearts are broken alongside our families that are enduring this unimaginable tragedy. We are praying for them constantly.We have been in communication with local and state authorities who are tirelessly deploying extensive resources to search for our missing girls.We are deeply grateful for the outpouring of support from community, first responders, and officials at every level.We ask for your continued prayers, respect and privacy for each of our families affected. May the Lord continue to wrap His presence around all of us.