Texas officials deflect mounting questions about response to deadly flood
At a morning news briefing in Kerr County, where most victims died, Sheriff Larry Leitha defended the actions of emergency responders as the tragedy unfolded in the early hours on Friday.
Pressed about how long it took for officials to respond to 'Code Red' alerts about the flash flooding, Leitha declined to respond directly, saying his focus was on finding missing people and a full analysis of what, if anything, went wrong would come later.
'We will answer those questions,' he said. 'We're not running, we're not going to hide from everything. That's going to be checked into at a later time. I wish I could tell you that time.'
By Tuesday evening more than 170 people were still unaccounted for, according to figures provided by Texas governor Greg Abbott, suggesting the death toll could still rise significantly. Searchers have not found anyone alive since Friday.
The Kerr County seat, Kerrville, was devastated when torrential rain lashed the area early on Friday, dropping more than 304mm of rain in less than an hour and swelling the Guadalupe River to a height of nearly 9m.
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TimesLIVE
10-07-2025
- TimesLIVE
Texas officials deflect mounting questions about response to deadly flood
Officials in flood-stricken central Texas on Wednesday again deflected mounting questions about whether they could have done more to warn people before devastating flash flooding that killed at least 119 people on July 4. At a morning news briefing in Kerr County, where most victims died, Sheriff Larry Leitha defended the actions of emergency responders as the tragedy unfolded in the early hours on Friday. Pressed about how long it took for officials to respond to 'Code Red' alerts about the flash flooding, Leitha declined to respond directly, saying his focus was on finding missing people and a full analysis of what, if anything, went wrong would come later. 'We will answer those questions,' he said. 'We're not running, we're not going to hide from everything. That's going to be checked into at a later time. I wish I could tell you that time.' By Tuesday evening more than 170 people were still unaccounted for, according to figures provided by Texas governor Greg Abbott, suggesting the death toll could still rise significantly. Searchers have not found anyone alive since Friday. The Kerr County seat, Kerrville, was devastated when torrential rain lashed the area early on Friday, dropping more than 304mm of rain in less than an hour and swelling the Guadalupe River to a height of nearly 9m.
Eyewitness News
09-07-2025
- Eyewitness News
Death toll in Texas floods climbs to 108, with more rain expected
HUNT, UNITED STATES - Hundreds of rescuers on Tuesday continued their search for people swept away by catastrophic Texas floods that killed more than 100 people, officials said, amid threats of more heavy rain. As of Tuesday morning, authorities in the worst-hit Kerr County had recovered the bodies of 87 victims, Sheriff Larry Leitha told reporters. The deceased include at least 27 girls and counsellors who were staying at a youth summer camp on the Guadalupe River over the Fourth of July holiday weekend. "At present, five Camp Mystic campers and one counsellor still remain unaccounted for," Leitha added. At least 108 flood-related deaths were reported in total across central Texas, according to local officials. Ben Baker with the Texas Game Wardens said search and rescue efforts involving helicopters, drones and dogs were extremely difficult because of the water and mud. "When we're trying to make these recoveries, these large piles can be very obstructive, and to get in deep into these piles, it's very hazardous," Baker said. "It's extremely treacherous, time consuming. It's dirty work, the water is still there." He added that special attention was being paid to the first responders' mental state, particularly given that the bodies of children were being recovered. In the town of Hunt, the epicenter of the disaster, an AFP team saw recovery workers combing through piles of debris with helicopters flying overhead, as hopes dimmed for finding any survivors. Javier Torres, 24, was digging through mud as he searched for the body of his grandmother, after having located the remains of his grandfather. He also discovered the bodies of two children, apparently washed up by the river. Officials warned that with more heavy rain forecast, recovery efforts would be rendered even more difficult. "We've had some reports of maybe some additional water coming in, obviously, that's going to impact the search and recovery efforts," said Baker. He said the weather may impact aerial patrol patterns, but "it won't deter them." US President Donald Trump planned to visit Texas on Friday, as the White House slammed critics claiming his cuts to weather agencies had weakened warning systems. The president, who previously said disaster relief should be handled at the state level, has signed a major disaster declaration, activating fresh federal funds and freeing up resources.
Daily Maverick
06-07-2025
- Daily Maverick
Death toll from Texas floods reaches 67, including 21 children
Death toll expected to rise 11 girls and a counselor still missing from summer camp More rain expected on Sunday By Sergio Flores, Rich McKay and Tim Reid Larry Leitha, the Kerr County Sheriff in Texas Hill Country, the epicenter of the flooding, said the death toll in Kerr County had reached 59, including the 21 children. Leitha said 11 girls and a counselor remained missing from a summer camp near the Guadalupe River, which broke its banks after torrential rain fell in the central Texas area on Friday, the U.S. Independence Day holiday. A Travis County official said four people had died from the flooding there, with 13 unaccounted for, and officials reported another death in Kendall County. The Burnet County Sheriff's office reported two fatalities. A woman was found dead in her submerged car in the city of San Angelo in Tom Green County, the police chief said. Leitha said there were 18 adults and four children still pending identification in Kerr County. He did not say if those 22 individuals were included in the death count of 59. Officials said on Saturday that more than 850 people had been rescued, including some clinging to trees, after a sudden storm dumped up to 15 inches (38 cm) of rain across the region, about 85 miles (140 km) northwest of San Antonio. It was unclear exactly how many people in the area were still missing. 'Everyone in the community is hurting,' Leitha told reporters. The National Weather Service issued flood warnings and advisories for central Texas that were to last until 4:15 p.m. local time (2115 GMT) as rains fell, potentially complicating rescue efforts. The Federal Emergency Management Agency was activated on Sunday and is deploying resources to first responders in Texas after President Donald Trump issued a major disaster declaration, the Department of Homeland Security said in a statement. United States Coast Guard helicopters and planes are helping the search and rescue efforts, DHS said. Trump has previously outlined plans to scale back the federal government's role in responding to natural disasters, leaving states to shoulder more of the burden themselves. Some experts questioned whether cuts to the federal workforce by the Trump administration, including to the agency that oversees the National Weather Service, led to a failure by officials to accurately predict the severity of the floods and issue appropriate warnings ahead of the storm. Trump's administration has overseen thousands of job cuts from the National Weather Service's parent agency, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, leaving many weather offices understaffed, said former NOAA director Rick Spinrad. He said he did not know if those staff cuts factored into the lack of advance warning for the extreme Texas flooding, but that they would inevitably degrade the agency's ability to deliver accurate and timely forecasts. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, who oversees NOAA, said a 'moderate' flood watch issued on Thursday by the National Weather Service had not accurately predicted the extreme rainfall and said the Trump administration was working to upgrade the system. The White House did not respond to a request for comment. Joaquin Castro, a Democratic congressman from Texas, told CNN's 'State of the Union' that fewer personnel at the weather service could be dangerous. 'When you have flash flooding, there's a risk that if you don't have the personnel… to do that analysis, do the predictions in the best way, it could lead to tragedy,' Castro said. 'COMPLETE DEVASTATION' The 11 missing girls and the counselor were from the Camp Mystic summer camp, a nearly century-old Christian girls camp, which had 700 girls in residence at the time of the flood. Katharine Somerville, a counselor on the Cypress Lake side of Camp Mystic, on higher ground than the Guadalupe River side, said her 13-year-old campers were scared as their cabins suffered damage and lost power in the middle of the night. 'Our cabins at the tippity top of hills were completely flooded with water. I mean, y'all have seen the complete devastation, we never even imagined that this could happen,' she said in an interview on Fox News on Sunday. She said the campers in her care were put on military trucks and evacuated, and that all were safe. The disaster unfolded rapidly on Friday morning as heavier-than-forecast rain drove river waters rapidly to as high as 29 feet (9 meters). A day after the disaster struck, the summer camp was a scene of devastation. Inside one cabin, mud lines indicating how high the water had risen were at least six feet (1.83 m) from the floor. Bed frames, mattresses and personal belongings caked with mud were scattered inside. Some buildings had broken windows, one had a missing wall. Somerville, who attended Camp Mystic as a child, lauded longtime camp director Richard 'Dick' Eastland, who died while trying to save girls at the camp, according to local media reports. (Reporting by Sergio Flores in Hunt, Texas and Rich McKay in Atlanta; Additional reporting by Marco Bello and Sandra Stojanovic in Comfort, Texas; Deborah Gembara in Washington; Ryan Jones and Bhargav Acharya in Toronto; Brendan O'Brien in Chicago; and Nathan Layne in New York. Writing by Tim Reid; Editing by Bill Berkrot and Diane Craft)
