Photos show scenes from the Texas floods and the summer camp where 27 girls remain missing
The Heart O' the Hills, another girls' camp based along the river, said its director, Jane Ragsdale, had died in the floods.
"We have received word that Jane Ragsdale did not make it," the camp said in a statement posted to its website. "We are mourning the loss of a woman who influenced countless lives and was the definition of strong and powerful."
It added that the camp was not in session as the flooding hit, and that "most of those who were on camp at the time have been accounted for and are on high ground."
The National Weather Service said the Guadalupe River reached the second-highest height on record on Friday. The agency said it was also monitoring potential flooding around Lake Travis, and warned of "dangerous and life-threatening flooding and heavy rain" across multiple counties.
Here are some images showing the impact of the flooding and ongoing search and rescue efforts.
Boerne Search and Rescue teams navigate upstream in an inflatable boat on the flooded Guadalupe River on July 4, 2025 in Comfort, Texas.
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Yahoo
9 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Why has deadly flash flooding intensified in the U.S. this summer?
If it seems like summer 2025 has been filled with reports of flooding across the U.S. — that would be accurate. The National Weather Service has issued more flood warnings this year compared with any other year on record since 1986, meteorologist Michael Lowry said in a post on X. Through July 15, there have been 3,045 flood warnings that have been issued so far in 2025, according to data from Iowa State University. That eclipses the 3,033 warnings issued in all of 1998. This month alone has seen several back-to-back record-breaking flooding events across the country, including the states of Texas, North Carolina, Illinois and New Mexico and across the Northeast — many of which have been deadly. In Kansas City, Kan., on Wednesday, rain fell at a rate of 1 to 2 inches per hour, leaving drivers stranded on roads and flooding at least one family's home. Flash floods are the most dangerous type of flooding because of how fast and powerful they are, as indicated by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Here are some factors to consider around the recent flash flooding events and why they seem to be getting worse. How common are flash floods and when do they happen? Flash floods are common during the summer when warmer air is capable of holding more moisture, versus cooler air, AccuWeather reports. More moisture in the air means more fuel for thunderstorms and rainfall. Flash floods happen when heavy rainfall is faster than the ground's ability to absorb it, as defined by NOAA. Two key factors contribute to flash flooding, according to the National Weather Service: the rate of rainfall and how long the rain lasts. It also depends on how well the soil can absorb the rainfall, whether there's vegetation that can help with runoff and the topography of an area. Flash flooding can be hard to predict, which is why it can be so destructive. Flash floods 'can happen within minutes of the causative rainfall, limiting the time available to warn and protect the public,' NOAA says. Why have flash floods escalated recently? Population James Booth, professor of climate change and weather at the City College of New York, told Time that one factor as to why flash floods have gotten so bad is that more people in the population means more exposure to flash floods. 'For the most part, there's more people in more places across America than there were 50 years ago. So the increase in exposure [to flash floods]—that's not a tricky physics problem,' Booth told Time. 'I think we can't discount the possibility that there were flood type events back in 1950 that didn't get recorded because they didn't affect anyone.' Infrastructure Water runoff happens when the ground is so saturated that it cannot absorb any more rainfall and starts to flow over the ground surface. Densely populated areas are at high risk for flash floods because buildings, highways, parking lots and driveways reduce the amount of rainfall that's absorbed into the ground. Water is then sent to storm drains that can quickly overflow or become jammed with debris. Much of the infrastructure across the nation, including roads, sewers and drainage systems, also wasn't designed to withstand the intense rainfall events that are becoming more commonplace, AccuWeather reports. What factors contributed to the recent flash flooding events? Texas In central Texas, slow-moving thunderstorms dumped an entire summer's worth of rain — more than 7 inches — over a span of hours on July 4, causing river banks to surge, resulting in flash floods that killed at least 130 people. North Carolina Over the July Fourth weekend, heavy rains from Tropical Storm Chantal inundated central North Carolina, killing at least six people in widespread flooding. The Eno River crested at over 25 feet, shattering a record set in 1996 by Hurricane Fran. Illinois On July 8, a 1-in-1,000-year rainfall event hit Chicago as 5 inches of rain fell in just 90 minutes over Garfield Park. This quickly inundated homes and low-lying streets. New Mexico At least three people died as a result of severe flash flooding that swept through a south-central New Mexico resort town on July 8. Last year, the South Fork and Salt fires scorched vast areas of land, creating what's known as 'burn scars.' Without vegetation the town has been left susceptible to mudslides and increased water runoff. The heavy monsoonal rains that fell on these areas created conditions that caused water to rise rapidly, the village said. Northeast At least two people died due to flash flooding in Plainfield, N.J., after parts of the Northeastern U.S. and mid-Atlantic were inundated with heavy rain on July 14. The storm caused flash flooding in areas of New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and central Virginia that gushed through subway stations, stranded vehicles and prompted a state of emergency. 'Five of the most intense rainstorms in New York City's history have taken place in the last four years,' Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Rohit Aggarwala said on July 15, a day after the city's subways were inundated with flash flooding. '[New York City's] sewers were designed over the last 100 or 200 years to deal with an intense rainstorm of up to 1.75 inches per hour,' Aggarwala said. 'The pipes were designed for a certain amount of water. A lot more water fell from the sky and was trying to get into them.' Experts say climate change is escalating flash flooding Experts say that while flash flooding is a common summertime threat, the risks are also changing as climate change can affect how intense and frequent rainfall occurs, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. 'A warming atmosphere means more moisture availability to storms,' Marshall Shepherd, a University of Georgia meteorology professor who previously served as president of the American Meteorological Society, wrote in Forbes. Based on the laws of thermodynamics, for every degree Celsius that rises in Earth's temperature, the atmosphere can hold about 7% more water vapor. 'Water temperatures are warmer in the Gulf and other water bodies, which also boosts available moisture for these summer storms,' Shepherd writes. 'Heavy rain has increased in every part of the U.S. over the past few decades.' Hourly rainfall rates are 15% higher in 126 U.S. cities (out of 144 analyzed) compared to rates in 1970, as noted in a recent study from Climate Central, a nonprofit research group. 'Yes, rain storms happen naturally, but they are more 'juiced' now,' writes Shepherd.
Yahoo
14 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Trump's NWS cuts were blamed for Texas flood deaths. Here are the facts
Following the devastating and destructive flash flooding in central Texas on July 4, 2025, users online claimed that U.S. President Donald Trump's administration was ultimately to blame for the flood's 100 deaths due to staffing cuts at the National Weather Service. The weather service issued a series of timely alerts: a flood watch early in the afternoon on July 3, a flash flood warning at 1:14 a.m. July 4, and a flash flood emergency at 4:03 a.m. July 4, before any in-person reports of flooding had been received. Communicating the warnings to the public was made more difficult because the flooding happened in the middle of the night in an area without a robust emergency communication system. Also, it was the Fourth of July weekend, when many people who weren't local residents — meaning they may have had less knowledge of the flash flooding risks — were present. Although Trump's cuts did affect staffing at the two weather service offices in charge of the affected area, an agency spokesperson told Snopes via email that both offices were fully staffed at the time of the floods. At 5:15 a.m. July 4, 2025, the gauge recording the water level on the Guadalupe River just upstream of Kerrville, Texas, measured its height at 1.82 feet above the standard reference value. An hour and a half later, at 6:45 a.m., the gauge recorded the river's height at 34.29 feet. Earlier that night, the skies had opened up and did not relent. The flash flooding that resulted from the deluge killed at least 106 people in Kerr County as of July 14, and at least 26 more in nearby counties, according to The Texas Tribune. In the wake of the catastrophic floods, Texas officials and people online began theorizing on why the storm and its floods were so deadly in this case. One theory shared on social media sites such as TikTok, Facebook, and X blamed U.S. President Donald Trump's administration for the deaths. According to these posts, the Department of Government Efficiency initiative championed by former Trump ally and tech billionaire Elon Musk implemented massive spending cuts at the National Weather Service, allegedly leaving already underfunded and understaffed forecasters struggling to keep up. Snopes found that the case was similar to that of a tornado in Somerset, Kentucky, that killed 19 people in May 2025. That is, the local weather service offices issued timely watches and warnings in advance of the disaster, but the Trump administration's cuts have left the weather service as a whole, including both Texas offices in charge of forecasting the affected area, understaffed. National Weather Service facts The weather service maintains 122 offices around the country dedicated solely to weather prediction, and it has 13 different River Forecast Centers, which provide local offices "river and flood forecasts and warnings as well as basic hydrologic information." The area affected by the Texas flooding is covered by the San Angelo and Austin/San Antonio weather service offices and the West Gulf RFC in Fort Worth. National Weather Service spokesperson Erica Grow Cei told Snopes via email that those offices "had extra personnel on duty during the catastrophic flooding event in Texas's Hill Country during the July 4 holiday weekend." The name "flash flood" gives away the danger at hand — "flash" can refer to both the incredible speed at which the water rises and the flood's sudden onset after excessive rainfall. In order to predict a flash flood, meteorologists must first accurately predict where heavy rain will fall and compare it with the "flash flood guidance," an "estimate of the amount of rainfall required over a given area during a given duration to cause small streams to flood," issued by the appropriate River Forecast Center. In this case, the West Gulf RFC maintains the following guidelines for the area most heavily affected by the floods: The archived excessive rainfall outlook forecasts issued at least twice a day by the weather service in the days leading up to the flooding labeled the area first at a "marginal" risk (at least a 5% chance), then at a "slight" risk (at least a 15% chance) for flash flooding. July 3 weather forecasts The precision required to predict where in a storm it will rain the heaviest makes predicting flash floods very difficult. Greg Waller, a service coordination hydrologist at the West Gulf RFC, told The Texas Tribune the area's terrain "makes it so precipitation forecasts off by just 20 miles could affect entirely different river basins." Accordingly, the San Angelo office's afternoon forecast on July 3 said predicting the day's weather was "complicated." It noted the potential for a band of "torrential" rainfall that could lead to flash flooding, but, according to the forecast, the weather "features are so weak and the interaction so complicated, if and where this band develops remains uncertain." The Austin/San Antonio weather office's afternoon forecast on July 3 also predicted heavier rain. The 1:38 p.m. bulletin noted "an environment presently conducive to heavy rain, supporting 1 to 2 inch per hour rain rates," approaching the flash flood guidelines. It continued: Models remain in disagreement over the placement of the heaviest rain totals, though the greatest rainfall potential this afternoon into tonight is over the Highway 90 corridor, southern Edwards Plateau and Hill Country. Rainfall totals of 1 to 3 inches appear likely, but locally higher amounts upwards of 5 to 7 inches could materialize if slow-moving storms begin to cluster. Given the heavy rainfall potential, some flooding is possible. A Flood Watch is now in effect through 7 AM Friday morning for the southern Edwards Plateau and western Hill Country, where the intersection of higher forecast rainfall amounts and rainfall from the past few days is most evident. While the greatest concentration of modeled precipitation is in the aforementioned areas, the highest rain amounts could shift depending on where storms aggregate, and expansion towards the I-35 corridor is possible later this evening into the overnight as the trough moves gradually east. Flood watches and warnings The weather service has three stages of alerts for most environmental dangers. The afternoon forecasts from both San Angelo and Austin/San Antonio, 12 hours in advance, issued a flood watch for the area. That's the designation of lowest concern "issued when conditions are favorable for flooding. It does not mean flooding will occur, but it is possible," according to the weather service. The next level, a warning, is issued when "a flash flood is imminent or occurring." Warnings trigger emergency alerts on TVs, radios and cellphones. The first flash flood warning came in for the Kerrville area at 1:14 a.m. At 4:03 a.m, the warning was upgraded to the most serious alert, an emergency — a life-threatening situation issued when, as Austin/San Antonio weather service meteorologist Bob Fogarty told The Texas Tribune, "someone has told us we need to get people out of here immediately or people are going to die." Cei told Snopes that for flash floods, the National Weather Service is generally able to give residents "3 hours or more of what we call 'lead time', which is the time in between the warning being issued and the event occurring." In this case, that lead time on the initial warning was about accurate. The warning was issued at 1:14, and Cei said the first reports of flooding happened at 4:35 a.m., after the upgrade to an emergency. In other words, the forecasting wasn't the problem. Staffing and communications The problem, as with many other deadly natural disasters, was communicating the danger to residents. That problem was likely exacerbated by the 4th of July holiday drawing in out-of-towners unfamiliar with flash flooding risks and absolutely exacerbated by the fact that the warning and subsequent flood occurred in the middle of the night in an area that, according to The Texas Tribune, does not have a robust emergency communication system. The nonprofit newsroom reported that state lawmakers rejected a bill to spend $500 million on improving such systems across the state in 2024 over concerns it would cost too much. Kerr County Judge Rob Kelly (in Texas, county judges are responsible for emergency management) said in the story that county residents rejected installing a flood siren system, like those used for tornadoes, for similar reasons. It's possible that cuts to the weather service workforce may have exacerbated the communication problems, but it's unclear to what extent. Cei told Snopes the offices were appropriately staffed during the disaster. The New York Times reported that the Austin/San Antonio office has been without a warning coordination meteorologist since April 30, although NBC News reported that Tom Fahy, the legislative director for the union that represents NWS employees, said the office has an employee acting in that role. That position, which Cei said exists at all 122 weather offices around the nation, works with local officials to plan for emergencies, including how to warn affected residents and help them evacuate if needed. The individual reportedly accepted the Trump administration's early retirement plan, offered as part of DOGE's initiative to gut the federal workforce. The Austin/San Antonio weather office's official page lists six vacancies and 21 active staff members. The San Angelo page does not list vacancies, but The Texas Tribune reported it has four vacancies out of 23 total positions. Cei said the weather service continues to move staffers around on temporary and permanent assignments to fill the roles at its offices "with the greatest operational need." "Additionally, a targeted number of permanent, mission-critical field positions will soon be advertised under an exception to the Department-wide hiring freeze to further stabilize frontline operations," she added. According to The New York Times, more than 600 workers at the weather service had left due to the Trump administration's policies as of June 2. Fahy told the paper the agency had been approved to add 126 new hires to address the understaffing. "Catastrophic Floods Cause Deaths In Central Texas - Videos from The Weather Channel." The Weather Channel, Accessed 8 Jul. 2025. Cobler, Paul. "In Texas Region Prone to Catastrophic Floods, Questions Grow about Lack of Warning." The Texas Tribune, 5 Jul. 2025, D'Antonio, Kathleen Magramo, Karina Tsui, Diego Mendoza, Alaa Elassar, Rebekah Riess, Hanna Park, Lauren Mascarenhas, Chris Boyette, Maureen Chowdhury, Danya Gainor, Amanda Musa, Michael Williams, Isabelle. "July 6, 2025 - News on Deadly Texas Floods." CNN, 6 Jul. 2025, Deliver, Texas Counties. "County Judge & County Commissioners." Texas Counties Deliver, Accessed 8 Jul. 2025. Flavelle, Christopher. "As Floods Hit, Key Roles Were Vacant at Weather Service Offices in Texas." The New York Times, 5 Jul. 2025, Guadalupe Rv at Kerrville, TX. Accessed 8 Jul. 2025. Izzo, Jack. "Trump Admin Cut Weather Service Staff in Kentucky, Where Tornadoes Killed 19. But There's More to the Story." Snopes, 20 May 2025, Jiménez, Jesus, Margarita Birnbaum, et al. "Officials Feared Flood Risk to Youth Camps but Rejected Warning System." The New York Times, 6 Jul. 2025, Jiménez, Jesus, Nicholas Bogel-Burroughs, et al. "Texas Flood Death Toll Tops 100 With More Rain to Fall." The New York Times, 7 Jul. 2025. Jones, Judson. "After Staff Cuts, the National Weather Service Is Hiring Again." The New York Times, 2 Jun. 2025, Langford, By Sneha Dey, Alejandro Serrano, Jayme Lozano Carver, Eleanor Klibanoff and Terri. "Texas Floods' Death Toll Climbs as Authorities Focus on Recovering Victims' Bodies." The Texas Tribune, 7 Jul. 2025, Lanza, Matt. "Making Sense of the Weather That Led to a Horrible Texas Flooding Tragedy, plus Tropical Storm Chantal." The Eyewall, 5 Jul. 2025, Martinez, By Alejandra. "Staff Vacancies Hit Texas Weather Offices as They Brace for a Busy Hurricane Season." The Texas Tribune, 9 Jun. 2025, "National Weather Service Defends Its Flood Warnings amid Fresh Scrutiny of Trump Staff Cuts." NBC News, 8 Jul. 2025, "Officials Push Away Questions about Lack of Widespread Warnings before Deadly Texas Floods." AP News, 8 Jul. 2025, Ramos, By Terri Langford and Carlos Nogueras. "Texas Lawmakers Failed to Pass a Bill to Improve Local Disaster Warning Systems This Year." The Texas Tribune, 6 Jul. 2025, River Forecast Centers | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Accessed 8 Jul. 2025. Serrano, Alejandro. "White House Defends National Forecasting Agency amid Questions about Warnings, Response to Texas Floods." The Texas Tribune, 7 Jul. 2025, Service, NOAA's National Weather. WPC Excessive Rainfall Forecast Archive. Accessed 8 Jul. 2025. US Department of Commerce, NOAA. About Us. Accessed 8 Jul. 2025. ---. Flash Flood Guidance. Accessed 8 Jul. 2025. ---. Flood and Flash Flood Definitions. Accessed 8 Jul. 2025. ---. Flood Warning VS. Watch. Accessed 8 Jul. 2025. ---. Hydrology Terms and Definitions. Accessed 8 Jul. 2025. ---. NWS San Angelo Office Information. Accessed 8 Jul. 2025. ---. Observed Rainfall. Accessed 8 Jul. 2025.
Yahoo
21 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Chicago experiences flash floods following Tuesday storms. Here's how to commute safely
Portions of Chicago were impacted by localized flash flooding during the thunderstorms on Tuesday night, according to the National Weather Service. Some areas received more than five inches of rainfall in a two hour span. Here's what we know. Flash flooding in Chicago A stationary thunderstorm produced localized flash flooding in west-central Chicago on the evening of July 8. The worst of the flooding occurred west of I-90 and along I-290, where 2-6 inches of local rain fell in 1-2 hours. There were numerous reports of flooded viaducts and water rescues, and a few reports of flooded basements. Chicago rainfall A gauge west of the United Center measured 5.12 inches of rainfall in just 90 minutes – a staggering amount. Meanwhile, other gauges in various locations tracked the following rainfall over the course of three hours: 2 E Garfield Park: 5.45 inches Ukrainian Village: 2.78 inches 2 W Chicago Loop: 3.81 inches Lower West Side: 2.78 inches Others are reading: Illinois to experience localized flooding Friday and Saturday. Here's how to stay safe Flash flooding safety tips The most important thing to remember in areas where there is flooding is: "Turn around, don't drown," according to the NWS. It is crucial that you turn around if you see standing or flowing water, as it only takes 12 inches of water to sweep your car away. If your vehicle stalls, abandon it immediately and seek higher ground. The NWS advises commuters to never drive around barriers blocking flooded areas and to follow signage that advises you to turn around. It is possible for roads to collapse underwater, making them impossible for drivers to see. Flood waters can also hide rocks, trees, trash and other debris that can be dangerous to someone in their path. Additional flood safety tips include: Staying away from flood-prone areas such as stream beds, drainage ditches, and culverts during periods of heavy rain Moving to higher ground if flooding threatens your area Remaining alert during periods of heavy rain if you live or work in flood-prone areas Being extra cautious at night when the dark makes it harder to recognize flood danger Flood terminology explained If flooding is possible or expected, you should know the difference between a watch, advisory and warning, according to the NWS. Flood watch: A flood watch is issued when conditions are favorable for flooding. It does not mean flooding will occur, but it is possible. Flood advisory: A flood advisory is issued when flooding is not expected to be bad enough to issue a warning. However, it may cause significant inconvenience, and if caution is not exercised, it could lead to situations that may threaten life and/or property. Flood warning: A flood warning is issued when flooding is imminent or occurring. Flash flood warning: A flash flood warning is issued when a flash flood is imminent or occurring. If you are in a flood-prone area, move immediately to high ground. Flooding in Illinois The NWS offers an interactive map on its website that teaches the types of flooding most commonly experienced by states and how you can stay safe in flooded areas. On the Illinois page, the service warns of flash flooding, river flooding, ice/debris jams and more. It also includes links to the websites for the Central Illinois and Chicago NWS offices. Central Illinois weather radar Chicago weather radar This article originally appeared on Journal Star: Flash flooding in Chicago. How to stay safe in flooded areas Solve the daily Crossword
