Texas Floods: Celebrities Speak Out as Death Toll Rises
Several celebrities have spoken out about the devastating floods in central Texas as the death toll continues to rise.
At least 82 people have been confirmed dead at the time of publication—including 28 children, The Associated Press reported.
The Context
Camp Mystic, a Christian girls' camp in Kerr County, was hit by devastating flash flooding on Friday. The Guadalupe River, which sits next to the campsite, reached 26 feet in just 45 minutes, per AP, and washed away homes in the area as well. Ten girls and a counselor are still missing.
The flooding comes just weeks after torrential rain hit San Antonio. Kerr County is located approximately 65 miles northwest of the city.
What To Know
Texas actor Matthew McConaugheylamented the "pain" and "chaos" caused by the flooding and called for those who can to "lend a helping hand."
Khloé Kardashian said she couldn't "stop thinking about the families in Texas and the overwhelming pain they're going through."
The National Weather Service issued warnings on Thursday and Friday ahead of the catastrophic floods.
Avery Tomasco, Emmy-winning meteorologist at CBS Austin, posted to X, formerly Twitter, on Friday: "FLASH FLOOD EMERGENCY now for western Kerr county 'This is a PARTICULARLY DANGEROUS SITUATION. SEEK HIGHER GROUND NOW! Life threatening flash flooding of low water crossings, small creeks and streams, urban areas, highways, streets and underpasses.' #txwx"
He added: "The Guadalupe River is rising rapidly west of Kerrville. Major flooding now expected near Hunt, TX. Moderate to major flooding of the Guadalupe likely in Kerrville."
That same day, Tomasco said he "reached out to Camp Mystic" but "their phone lines are either down or busy. No word yet on their status."
Meteorologist Cary Burgess told Newsweek the Camp Mystic disaster was eerily similar to a 1987 Guadalupe River flood that killed 10 Christian campers.
A search and recovery worker shines his flashlight through through waters near Camp Mystic on July 6, 2025 in Hunt, Texas. (L) Matthew McConaughey attends the premiere of "Sing 2" on December 12, 2021 in...
A search and recovery worker shines his flashlight through through waters near Camp Mystic on July 6, 2025 in Hunt, Texas. (L) Matthew McConaughey attends the premiere of "Sing 2" on December 12, 2021 in Los Angeles, California. (R) Jennifer Garner attends the premiere of Netflix's "Family Switch" at AMC The Grove 14 on November 29, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. More;;What People Are Saying
President Donald Trump spoke out about the flooding, writing via Truth Social on Sunday: "I just signed a Major Disaster Declaration for Kerr County, Texas, to ensure that our Brave First Responders immediately have the resources they need. These families are enduring an unimaginable tragedy, with many lives lost, and many still missing. The Trump Administration continues to work closely with State and Local Leaders. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem was on the ground yesterday with Governor Greg Abbott, who is working hard to help the people of his Great State. Our incredible U.S. Coast Guard, together with State First Responders, have saved more than 850 lives. GOD BLESS THE FAMILIES, AND GOD BLESS TEXAS!"
Texas Governor Greg Abbott praised the National Guard on X: "The Texas National Guard has done an amazing job rescuing people in peril. They truly are Texans helping Texans. @TexasGuard"
Singer Shakira said on X: "Dear San Antonio, Our hearts and prayers are with those affected by the flood in Central Texas. We are donating a portion of tonight's show proceeds to Catholic Charities of San Antonio, who are providing disaster relief to the families impacted."
Dear San Antonio,
Our hearts and prayers are with those affected by the flood in Central Texas.
We are donating a portion of tonight's show proceeds to Catholic Charities of San Antonio, who are providing disaster relief to the families impacted.
If you would like to join me in... — Shakira (@shakira) July 5, 2025
Khloé Kardashian posted via her Instagram Stories: "I can't stop thinking about the families in Texas and the overwhelming pain they're going through right now. As a mother, this kind of tragedy hits in a place words can't reach. The loss of those sweet, innocent children is something I can't fully process, there are just no words for this. My heart is so deeply aching for every parent, every family member, and every community. Please know that so many of us are carrying you in our hearts right now and I'm praying with everything I have in me for those still missing. Texas, we are holding you close."
Her mother, Kris Jenner, wrote on her Instagram Stories: "My heart is absolutely shattered by the devastating floods in Texas and the unimaginable loss of those precious children. It's a tragedy that's impossible to comprehend and heartbreaking beyond measure. No family should ever have to experience such sorrow. Life is so fragile, and at times unbearably unfair. To the families living this nightmare, we are holding you in our hearts, praying for strength, and grieving alongside you. I am so deeply sorry for your loss, and praying with all my heart that those still missing are found safe."
Matthew McConaughey said on Instagram: "At least 70 lives have been lost, many more unaccounted for, and countless Texans are hurting—inside and out. 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. Texans are some of the most resilient and generous people on the planet."
Singer Maren Morris posted to Instagram: "thinking of my home state right now. the floods are devastating and people are still missing. there are several places to donate but i'll be donating to an incredibly impactful fund called the Texas Hill Country Community Foundation. they've set up a specific fund to support local efforts (nonprofits, local government, first responders and local shelters). link in my stories + bio."
Country singer Miranda Lambert shared a video to Instagram and captioned it: "Texas needs our help. As always @muttnation Foundation is jumping in to support, and if you'd like to join us please support our fundraiser."
Actress Jamie Lee Curtis reshared a post to her Instagram Stories by radio host Anne Hudson of a group of girls at Camp Mystic: "This entire cabin of sweet girls and their two counselors washed away... Several bodies have been recovered, several are still missing. Praying hard that they find survivors and praying extra hard for the families who are living a parent's worst nightmare."
Actress Jennifer Garner wrote on her Instagram Stories: "Texas. God, be near."
John Rich, one half of the country music duo Big & Rich, stated on X: "Thinking of our neighbors in Texas. In 1987, this exact same thing happened. What a horrific situation."
Former first lady of California Maria Shriver took to her Instagram, writing: "Today my prayers are with the families in Texas impacted by the flooding on the Guadalupe River in Central Texas. Right now they need us all to hold them in a circle of love. Let's unite to hold them, pray for them, and pray for the safe return of the more than 2 dozen girls from Camp Mystic in Kerr County, northeast of San Antonio, who were still unaccounted for by late Saturday morning. As a parent myself, my heart is with absolutely everyone who is feeling this loss. #abovethenoise"
What Happens Next
Search and rescue operations entered a fourth day on Monday as authorities continue to look for those who are still unaccounted for in the floods.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CNBC
33 minutes ago
- CNBC
Trump visits Texas flood zone, defends government's disaster response
President Donald Trump defended the state and federal response to deadly flash flooding in Texas on Friday as he visited the stricken Hill Country region, where at least 120 people, including dozens of children, perished a week ago. During a roundtable discussion after touring Kerr County, the epicenter of the disaster, Trump praised both Texas Governor Greg Abbott and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem for their response, saying they both did an "incredible job." The Trump administration, as well as local and state officials, has faced mounting questions over whether more could have been done to protect and warn residents ahead of the flooding, which struck with astonishing speed in the pre-dawn hours on July 4, the U.S. Independence Day holiday. Trump reacted with anger when a reporter said some families affected by the floods had expressed frustration that warnings did not go out sooner. "I think everyone did an incredible job under the circumstances," he said. "I don't know who you are, but only a very evil person would ask a question like that." Some critics have questioned whether the administration's spending cuts at the National Weather Service and the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which coordinates the U.S. government's disaster response efforts, might have exacerbated the calamity. Trump officials have said that cuts had no impact on the NWS's ability to forecast the storms, despite some vacancies in local offices. But the president has largely sidestepped questions about his plans to shrink or abolish FEMA and reassign many of its key functions to state and local governments. "I'll tell you some other time," Trump said on Tuesday, when asked by a reporter about FEMA. Before the most recent flooding, Kerr County declined to install an early-warning system after failing to secure state money to cover the cost. Lawrence Walker, 67, and a nearly three-decade veteran resident of Kerrville, said the county and state had not spent enough on disaster prevention, including an early-warning system. Asked about the quality of the government response, he said, "It's been fine since the water was at 8 feet." The Texas state legislature will convene in a special session later this month to investigate the flooding and provide disaster relief funding. Abbott has dismissed questions about whether anyone was to blame, calling that the "word choice of losers." Search teams on Friday were still combing through muddy debris littering parts of the Hill Country in central Texas, looking for the dozens still listed as missing, but no survivors have been found since the day of the floods. Heavy rains sent a wall of water raging down the Guadalupe River early on July 4, causing the deadliest disaster of the Republican president's nearly six-month term in office. As sun poked through dark clouds on Friday morning, search crews in hard hats painstakingly walked inch-by-inch along the ruined banks of the river, marking damage and looking through wreckage. After the president arrived in Kerr County in the early afternoon, Trump, first lady Melania Trump and Texas Governor Greg Abbott drove to an area near the river, where Trump received a briefing from first responders amid debris left in the wake of the flood. The county is located in what is known as "flash flood alley," a region that has seen some of the country's deadliest floods. More than a foot of rain fell in less than an hour on July 4. Flood gauges showed the river's height rose from about a foot to 34 feet (10.4 meters) in a matter of hours, cascading over its banks and sweeping away trees and structures in its path. Kerr County officials say more than 160 people remain unaccounted for, although experts say that the number of people reported missing in the wake of disasters is often inflated. The dead in the county include 67 adults and at least 36 children, many of whom were campers at the nearly century-old Camp Mystic, an all-girls Christian summer retreat on the banks of the river. Jon Moreno, 71, a longtime Kerrville resident whose property on high ground was spared, praised the government response - local and federal. He has heard the debate about what more could have been done - including sirens - but said he did not think it would have made much difference, given people's desire to build along the flood-prone riverbanks. "It's unavoidable," he said. "All those people along the river - I wouldn't want to live there ... It's too dangerous." At Stripes, a gas station in Kerrville, the building was tagged in large white letters, accusing "Trump's Big Beautiful Bill" of cutting "our emergency funding." The president's massive legislative package, which cut taxes and spending, won approval from the Republican-controlled Congress last week and was signed into law by Trump on the same day that the flooding hit Texas.
San Francisco Chronicle
2 hours ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Could this Hawaii community be the next Lahaina? Some residents fear a similar wildfire fate
WAIANAE, Hawaii (AP) — When there's enough rain, the mountain-framed expanse of vacant land behind Calvin Endo's house looks like the lush and verdant landscape that makes tropical Hawaii famous. But in the summer, when the jungle of eyeball-high invasive grasses and spindly tree branches fade to brown, he fears it could become a fiery hellscape. This isn't Maui, where most of Lahaina burned down during a massive wildfire in August 2023. Endo's duplex is in Waianae on the west side of Oahu. But Waianae and Lahaina have a lot in common. They're both situated on parched western island coasts, with road access pinched by topography, and are bastions of Native Hawaiian culture. Both have sections crisscrossed by overhead power lines atop aging wooden poles, like those that fell in high winds and caused the Lahaina fire. There's even a Lahaina Street through the heart of Makaha, Endo's neighborhood along the Waianae coast. 'It can happen to us,' said Endo, who moved to the Makaha Meadows subdivision in 1980, soon after it was built. 'We can have a repeat of Lahaina if somebody doesn't do anything about the brush in the back.' In recent days, two wildfires a few miles away, including a July 6 blaze that left a 94-year-old woman dead, proved his worst fears could become reality. It's been nearly two years since Lahaina provided a worst-case scenario of the destruction from wind-whipped flames fueled by overgrown brush. With 102 deaths, it's the deadliest U.S. wildfire in a century. In the months afterward, the number of Hawaii communities participating in the Firewise network, a nationally recognized program that helps communities with resources for safeguarding homes, more than doubled to 35 — but none in western Oahu. Even though Waianae residents have long known about their wildfire risks, only now is one of its neighborhoods close to gaining Firewise status. Communities become Firewise by organizing a committee, creating a hazard assessment, developing an action plan and volunteering hours toward reducing risk, such as removing overgrown brush. Firewise tracks a community's progress, connects residents with experts, and provides ideas and funding for mitigation, workshops and training. Identical risk The U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service considers Lahaina and Waianae to be at much higher risk than other U.S. communities for a wildland fire, noted Honolulu Fire Department Battalion Chief Keith Ito. 'The weather, the winds, they're pretty much identical,' he said. 'With all that being said, I think that the high-risk wildfire potential is a state-wide problem, not really specific to Waianae or Lahaina.' Nani Barretto, co-director of the Hawaii Wildfire Management Organization, struggles to understand why fire-prone communities like Waianae have yet to join the Firewise movement. There are also no Firewise communities on the island of Kauai. 'Just because we are proactive in getting the word out, it doesn't mean the right people are getting the information,' she said. 'For Maui, it took a very devastating event for them to join.' Organizing a community can be challenging because it requires residents to put in time and step up as leaders, she said. Endo, who is a longtime member of the Waianae Coast Neighborhood Board, had never even heard of Firewise until recently. A development called Sea Country, near the neighborhood that was recently ordered to evacuate during a wildfire, is close to becoming the fist Firewise community in Waianae, said Andria Tupola, a resident who also represents the coast on the Honolulu City Council. The process got underway around 2018 but picked up momentum after Lahaina, she said. Sea Country recently completed a hazard assessment and has planned some mitigation events, including a park cleanup in August, said Ashley Bare, the Firewise support specialist for Oahu. Emergency route and hungry sheep Lahaina also provided the spark for opening an emergency access route in Waianae, Tupola said. Farrington Highway, the main artery along the coast, can get clogged with just an accident. Military officials who control a mountain pass above Waianae started talking about letting civilians access the route after Lahaina, she said. During the July 6 fire, state and military officials were ready to open the road as a way out of the coast and into central Oahu, said state Rep. Darius Kila, who represents the area. A Hawaiian homestead community in Waianae's Nanakuli Valley is also trying to achieve Firewise status, said Diamond Badajos, spokesperson for the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands. Home to the largest concentration of Native Hawaiians, Waianae is rich in Hawaiian culture and history. But much of the coast also struggles with poverty and homelessness. Residents have grown accustomed to wildfires in the dry summer months, said Republican state Rep. Chris Muraoka: 'It's almost like if it doesn't burn, something's not right.' However, Muraoka said he thinks communities along the coast would benefit more from fire-prevention and safety education in schools rather than organizing to be Firewise. Muraoka, who lives in Makaha, said communities in Waianae have unique needs that being Firewise might not address, including sections with neighborhoods that are more spread out than in Lahaina and blazes that are often started by arsonists or kids playing with fire. Some residents already do what they can, especially with the dry season underway. Endo often tries to clear brush on private property behind his home himself, to create a firebreak. Some properties in Waianae Valley use sheep to eat the overgrown vegetation. Retired firefighter Shermaih 'Bulla' Iaea recalls fighting blazes in the brush near Endo's home and Makaha Elementary School. In 2018, his farm burned down during high winds from a passing hurricane. He was using a herd of sheep on his property until wild dogs killed them in April. Neighborhoods banding together to become Firewise is another tool that will help, he said. 'There's a 100 percent chance that will happen here,' he said. 'I thought it would never happen to me. Now I'm trying to ring the bells. I'm trying to sound the alarm.' 'Relentless sun' Being one of the poorest communities in the state is a major factor preventing Waianae from becoming Firewise, said Kila, who lives near where the July 6 fire happened. Before the summer, the Democratic lawmaker sent a letter to Hawaiian Electric and telecom companies urging 'immediate and coordinated action" to address dangerous, sagging utility lines on aging wooden poles along the coast. It's not clear why Makaha ended up with a long street named Lahaina, which can mean 'relentless sun' in Hawaiian. But like the west Maui town, it fits the sunny west Oahu neighborhood, which is home to the world-famous Makaha surfing beach. Some neighborhoods above Lahaina Street are newer and have underground utilities, like Endo's. But toward the ocean, older neighborhoods are laced by overhead power lines. That worries Glen Kila, a Hawaiian cultural practitioner in Waianae, who is not related to Darius Kila. Power lines are blamed for sparking the Lahaina blaze. 'If that happens to Waianae," he said, "we're done.'
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
As Kerr County leaders avoid alert questions, new audio surfaces in CodeRED timeline
KERR COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) – Dispatch audio has surfaced from the critical hours before a deadly flood hit its height in Kerr County, helping piece together the timeframe local officials have yet to provide amid public scrutiny of their decisions on July 4. 'We still have water coming up,' an Ingram volunteer firefighter is heard telling a county sheriff dispatcher at 4:22 a.m. 'The Guadalupe Schumacher sign is underwater on State Highway 39. Is there any way we can send a CodeRED out to our Hunt residents, asking them to find higher ground or stay home?' LISTEN: Ingram volunteer firefighter calls Kerr County dispatch during deadly July 4 flood, requesting CodeRED alert. CodeRED is a notification system some agencies use to send emergency alerts to subscribers' cell phones. Online, the county encourages residents to sign up for the free service, which 'has the ability to notify the entire county or only the affected areas' about emergency situations – including severe weather – 'in a matter of minutes.' In the recording obtained by KXAN investigators from a credible source, the dispatcher then tells the firefighter: 'We have to get that approved with our supervisor. Just be advised we do have the Texas water rescue en route.' The timing of that request came more than three hours after the National Weather Service issued a flash flood warning – at 1:14 a.m. – for a portion of the county and around 20 minutes after the federal forecasting agency warned of a flash flood emergency – at 4:03 a.m. – in the area. Sheriff hints at 'after action' review, as records reveal warning of 'worst-case flood event' It is still unclear at what time CodeRED alerts went out, as local officials have largely sidestepped related questions. Kerrville Mayor Joe Herring, Jr. told reporters the only CodeRED notification he received was at 6 a.m., indicating a flash flood alert or 'something to that effect.' Ceslie Armstrong, who identified herself as a San Antonio-based producer and journalist – and longtime Hill Country resident who is subscribed to CodeRED – provided KXAN investigators with call recordings and text messages she said she received during the flood. The first was a text received at 5:34 a.m., saying a 'The NWS has issued a Flash Flood Warning for your… location.' It was followed a minute later by a pre-recorded audio message, saying the same, adding to 'take immediate action for your protection.' CodeRED alerts from Kerr County on July 4 (Courtesy Ceslie Armstrong) Another person near the flooded area who spoke with KXAN shared a cell phone screenshot, showing a much earlier alert time with a voicemail left at 1:14 a.m. from a number traced back to CodeRED. It suggests inconsistencies in recipients countywide. Responding to CodeRED concerns during a Wednesday press event, Kerr County Sheriff Larry Leitha said an 'after action' review would happen after recovery and notifying victims' families. 'I know that's going to be asked over and over,' Leitha said. 'Please understand that… We're not going to hide from everything, that's going to be checked into at a later time.' On Thursday morning, officials updated the county's death toll to 96. A total of 161 people were still missing. County commissioners approved the use of CodeRED in 2009 for $25,000 a year. On the county's website, it states the 'system delivered pre-recorded emergency phone messages' when 'rapid and accurate notification is essential for life safety.' Historically, the sheriff has had the ultimate authority on sending an alert to the public. KXAN is awaiting a response and fulfillment of records requests we made to the county and other local officials to better understand decisions regarding the notifications during this flood. On Tuesday, Leitha told reporters: 'It's not that easy, and you just push a button. OK? There's a lot more to that.' When asked if that happened, he responded: 'I can't tell you at this time.' Critics point to challenges with CodeRED using publicly available phone numbers and voluntary registration to send texts, voicemails and emails – meaning warnings may not reach all residents or visitors in a disaster area. However, the company behind CodeRED has explained it can also utilize IPAWS, the Integrated Public Alert & Warning System funded by FEMA – which alerts all phones in a geographical area, regardless of enrolling in the system. According to FEMA, 135 Texas agencies or entities use IPAWS, including Kerr County and the City of Kerrville. 'Each local jurisdiction independently determines their intended use of tools such as CodeRED as well as their local process to dispatch notifications and alerts using the tool,' a CodeRED corporate spokesperson told KXAN investigators. 'Local governments also determine whether to send alerts through IPAWS during the alert creation process within CodeRED.' In 2012, The Kerrville Daily Times reported 18,451 people had signed up for CodeRED alerts in the area. In 2020, county commissioners approved incorporating IPAWS into CodeRED, so that tourists could be reached even if they were not in the local database, according to meeting minutes and a video archive KXAN investigators reviewed. 'The easiest way to explain it is, say you're traveling through this area and we've had something happen here, it could still notify you if we send it out,' former Kerr County Sheriff William 'Rusty' Hierholzer told commissioners in a November 2020 meeting. Since last week's flood, officials have fielded questions regarding the effectiveness of CodeRED alerts in the county's rural areas where cell service can be spotty. Officials have also said many of the children at camps along the Guadalupe River did not have phones with them. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
