Texas flash flooding: At least 50 people killed; girl, eight, 'living her best life' named among victims
Campers and staff from one of the camps on the Guadalupe River, Camp Waldemar, have been reunited with their families.
People were seen embracing their loved ones, with some shedding tears, at a reunification area.
Unknown number of people missing
Kerrville city manager Dalton Rice said there could be more people missing in the region than the 27 girls unaccounted for from Camp Mystic.
"We are kind of looking at this in two ways called the known missing, which is the 27... We will not put a number on the other side because we just don't know," he said at a news conference.
He said "hundreds" have been rescued from campsites around the Guadalupe River so far and searches are ongoing.
Authorities in Travis County said at least 13 people are missing.
In Burnet County, a firefighter was among the missing after he was swept away by floodwaters while responding to a rescue, county Emergency Management Coordinator Derek Marchio said.
Some of the deadliest floods to hit the US in the last 25 years
Flooding causes an average of more than 125 deaths a year, according to the National Weather Service.
Here's some of the most deadly flooding to have occurred in the last 25 years...
Hurricane Helene, 2024
Helene struck Florida, Georgia, the Carolinas, Tennessee and Virginia in September 2024. The storm caused about 250 deaths, according to the National Weather Service.
Kentucky, 2022
Raging floodwaters in eastern Kentucky led to 45 deaths in late July.
The floods destroyed homes and businesses and caused significant damage to schools, roads, bridges and water systems.
Tennessee, 2021
Twenty people were killed when creeks near the small Middle Tennessee town of Waverly overflowed, following 43cm of rainfall in less than 24 hours.
Hurricane Harvey, 2017
Harvey killed at least 68 people when it swept into Texas in August 2017.
All but three of the Harvey deaths were directly attributed to freshwater flooding, which damaged more than 300,000 structures and caused an estimated $125 billion in damage.
West Virginia, 2016
It began as a rainstorm that seemed minor, but turned into a catastrophe that trapped dozens of people, ultimately killing 23 in the state.
Superstorm Sandy, 2012
Sandy was a freak combination of a hurricane and other storms that struck New York and the surrounding areas in October 2012. It killed 147 people.
Hurricane Katrina, 2005
This was the deadliest flood event in the past 25 years.
Katrina caused nearly 1,400 deaths and an estimated $200 billion in damages, with people having to be rescued by boat and helicopter from rooftops.
Death toll rises to 50
At least 43 people have been killed in the flash flooding in Kerr County, Kerr County Sheriff Larry Leitha said at a news conference.
This includes at least 15 children and 28 adults, with five children and 12 adults pending identification.
More than two dozen girls remain missing from Camp Mystic, but authorities have not said how many people were missing beyond the 27 children.
In nearby Kendall County, one person has died.
At least four people were killed in Travis County, while at least two people died in Burnet County.
Congressman 'reunited' with daughters evacuated from Camp Mystic
Rep. August Pfluger said his daughters Caroline and Juliana were evacuated from Camp Mystic and "reunited" with his family.
In pictures: It is now 12 hours since flash floods swept across Kerr County
This is what it looks like on the ground.
What we learned from the latest news conference
There wasn't a huge amount of news to come out of this evening's press conference, apart from an update on the number of people who have died.
Gov. Greg Abbott was accompanied by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, as well as a number of Texas officials.
The group spent most of the news conference praising the response of the local community, as well as reiterating promises to continue searching for victims.
There was clear frustration from viewers watching the live link at the lack of information coming through.
It was only confirmed at the end, in response to a reporter's question, that 32 people have died, with eight of the recovered bodies currently unidentified. Some 850 people have been rescued. But officials warned these numbers will continue to change.
More than 1,300 people have been brought in to help deal with the emergency disaster response.
Secretary Noem also answered questions about whether the flash flood warnings came through promptly: "We know that everyone wants more warning time and that is why we are working to upgrade the technologies that have been neglected for far too long."
Gov. Abbott also talked about the importance of prayer.
"Prayer does work," he said, adding that they "could have been the reason why water stopped rising into a home or a cabin, or something that would have caused an entire building to float away."
32 dead in Texas flooding
More bodies have been recovered from the flash flooding.
Thirty-two bodies have been recovered, 14 of which are children.
Of those, five adults and three children remain unidentified.
"The numbers are going to continue to change until we are done," says Kerr County Sheriff Larry Leitha.
Chief Nim Kidd says there is still an active search for live victims.
"That will turn into recovery at some point, and none of us wants to put a timeframe on that," he adds.
It is still not known exactly how many people are currently missing.
More than 850 people saved so far, 'some clinging to trees'
Rescuers have saved more than 850 people, Gov. Abbott says.
"Some clinging to trees to save their lives," he adds.
Senator John Cornyn is speaking next. He also praises the first responders.
Watch Gov. Abbott sign the disaster declaration below...
President Trump 'absolutely heartbroken' by flash flooding
"President Trump loves Texas," Gov. Abbott says, adding that the president is "deeply concerned" by the flash flooding.
He then hands over to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, who says Trump is "absolutely heartbroken by what has happened here in Texas".
"This morning I talked with him several times and he wanted to make sure that all of you know how much he loves Texas, how much he's grieving for your families that have lost someone and the beautiful children that we are still looking for and hoping to return to their families," she says.
"He is absolutely committed to using all the resources of the federal government to help unify families."
She then praises the state of Texas.
"I do know that the state of Texas is amazing in how it responds to disasters," she says.
"Not every state is like that. Many states do not do what the people of Texas do. And you are an example to the nation of getting through these difficult times."
She says she will be visiting Camp Mystic later today, where 27 girls are currently missing.
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The Sun
22 minutes ago
- The Sun
Haunting pics of empty Camp Mystic bunkbeds after 27 girls & counselors killed in horror Texas floods & 11 still missing
HORRIFYING pictures show the aftermath of the Texas floods at Camp Mystic, where dozens of girls and counselors died after being swept away by the rising waters. At least 90 bodies have been recovered since deadly rains flooded the Guadalupe River outside San Antonio over the July 4 holiday weekend. 14 14 14 14 14 14 One of the worst-hit areas was Camp Mystic, a Christian summer camp located dangerously close to the flooding shores, which was overwhelmed when the river rose 26 feet in 45 minutes. Ten girls and a counselor attending the camp are still missing. They make up a heart-wrenching portion of the 41 people who are unaccounted for across the state. What we know so far... Torrential rain sparked deadly flash flooding around the Guadalupe River At least 90 people lost their lives, mostly in Kerr County, and rescue teams continue to search for survivors Five million Texans are still under flood alerts Families of some Camp Mystic girls have confirmed their deaths A woman was rescued after being washed 20 miles downstream Two brothers told of their brave escape from a flooded cabin The victims include the niece of the Kansas City Chiefs' owners, a dad who died while saving his wife and kids, and a beloved high school coach Chilling photos of the flooding aftermath at the camp show piles of abandoned sleeping bags strewn across the cabins. Bunkbeds were left askew by the rushing waters, and everything inside the buildings was covered with layers of mud and sediment. Survivors of the tragedy have started to open up about the chaotic mission to escape the waters after being surprised by the flash floods early Friday morning. Glenn Juenke, a security guard at the camp, said that he had to throw girls on top of floating mattresses to save them from drowning. But despite witnessing the death and destruction, he said he was struck by the "courage and faith" shown by the young girls. "Each of those sweet girls [were] cold, wet, and frightened - but they were also incredibly brave," he told CNN. Camp Mystic director's tragic final act to save girls from Texas floods as wall of water tore through cabins killing 27 "They trusted me, and we leaned on each other through a long, harrowing night together inside their cabin." The camp's director was among those who lost their lives after desperately trying to save young girls in a heartbreaking final act. Dick Eastland and his wife, Tweety, were the third-generation of their family to manage the camp, having bought it in 1974. Eastland's grandson, George, revealed his grandpa had died when the water crashed through the walls of the cabins. 'If he wasn't going to die of natural causes, this was the only other way—saving the girls that he so loved and cared for,' he wrote on Instagram. 'That's the kind of man my grandfather was. He was a husband, father, grandfather, and a mentor to thousands of young women. 'Although he no longer walks this earth, his impact will never fade in the lives he touched.' Eastland, who had previously fought brain cancer, was found dead near his car, as reported by the San Antonio Express News. Tweety, meanwhile, was found safe at the family home. Paige Sumner, a family friend, has led the tributes to the camp director. She said the girls at the camp looked up to Eastland as if he was a 'father figure,' in an op-ed to the Kerrville Daily Times. 'Dick and Tweety were also role models in their loving relationship,' she penned. 'When we looked at them, they were still that much in love.' 14 14 14 14 14 14 Callie McAlary, a 16-year-old camper, described the terrifying moment she realized that this wasn't a normal thunderstorm. "One minute you see lightning strike next to your cabin, and next to you, you hear water's coming up," she told Fox News. Callie said that she watched in horror as girls rushed across the campgrounds to try to get into cabins that weren't being filled with water. "It was really bad thunder," she said. "We heard one of the campers run in and say, 'Hey, our cabin is flooding.' "I knew some girls slept on trunks that night, some girls had to share beds, some girls slept on floors because they couldn't go back to their cabin because it was so flooded in three cabins." As the water rose in the middle of the night, Callie said she decided to put a name tag on her body in case her cabin was "next." "In my head I was saying, 'If something does happen, and I do get swept away, at least I'll have my name on my body.'" Callie's family is from Texas, but they now live in Virginia. Her parents said that they wanted to send her to Camp Mystic so she could stay in touch with her roots. Tara Bradburn, Callie's mother, said that she was overwhelmed by how much the staff did to try and protect the girls. "What the men and the staff and the Eastland family did to try and help everyone that they could - they are heroes," she told Fox News. "And those young girls and those young counselors that our young girls were under for the summer were remarkable and were brave and were strong and saved so many children." As of Monday afternoon, five million were still under flood warnings in Texas with fears 10 inches of rain could fall in some parts of the state. Governor Greg Abbott said officiala aren't expecting anything "to the magnitude of what was seen in Kerrville" but said there's still a threat of more flash flooding events. Slow-moving showers are creeping across the region with warnings expected to stay active into Monday evening. As the fourth day of searches comes to a close, brave crews refuse to give up hope that survivors are waiting to be saved. "We will never presume they're dead," Jake Stovall, the founder of Gulf Search and Rescue, told CNN and vowed to keep working the scene for up to 15 days. Legislators across the US are directing rescue crews to help search for more survivors. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis confirmed he's sending water rescue crews and was "happy to step up." "Texas has helped us when we've had different issues throughout the years," he said at a news conference. Meanwhile, Nebraska is sending a 45-member search and rescue team with two canine teams and boats. President Donald Trump is also expected to visit the flood site on Friday. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Trump would be investigating the "once in a generation national disaster" and urged everyone to "remain vigilant." While central Texas recovers from the devastating floods, tropical storm Chantal also dumping rain on North Carolina and moving up through the northeast. Residents in central parts of the southern state were left stranded and waiting for rescue crews to save them from their flooded homes after the storm hit on Monday. At least 10 inches of rain poured onto parts of North Carolina, leaving some drivers trapped on the roads and highways shut down, according to the New York Times. 14
Daily Mail
28 minutes ago
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EXCLUSIVE One Texas sheriff predicted the biblical floods that killed nearly 100... he's breaking his silence to say how lives could have been saved
Floodwaters were receding in Texas on Saturday as federal, state and local officials gathered to assess the damage and call for prayer. The rescue workers did a phenomenal job and Texans were working together to help their fellow men, they said.
BBC News
30 minutes ago
- BBC News
Did US government cuts contribute to the Texas tragedy?
In the aftermath of the fatal Texas floods, some Democrats have warned about the "consequences" of the Trump administration's cuts to the federal government workforce, including meteorologists, with Senator Chris Murphy saying that: "Accurate weather forecasting helps avoid fatal disasters."The suggestion is that the cuts may have impeded the ability of the National Weather Service (NWS) - the government agency which provides weather forecasts in the US - to adequately predict the floods and raise the the White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt has said: "These offices [of the NWS] were well staffed… so any claims to the contrary are completely false."BBC Verify has examined the impact of cuts under Trump in this area and while there has been a reduction in the workforce at the NWS, experts who we spoke to said the staffing on hand for the Texas floods appears to have been adequate. What are the cuts? The Trump administration has proposed a 25% cut to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) current annual budget of $6.1bn (£4.4bn). NOAA is the agency which oversees the would take effect in the 2026 financial year which begins in October this year - so these particular cuts would not have contributed to the Texas the staffing levels of the NWS have already been separately reduced by the Trump administration's efficiency drive since Department of Government Efficiency (Doge), previously run by Elon Musk, offered voluntary redundancies, known as buyouts, as well as early retirements to federal government workers. It also ended the contracts of most of those who were on a result, about 200 people at the NWS took voluntary redundancy and 300 opted for early retirement, according to Tom Fahy, the director of the NWS union. A further 100 people were ultimately fired from the service, he total, the NWS lost 600 of its 4,200 staff, says Mr Fahy, causing several offices across the country to operate without the necessary April 2025, the Associated Press news agency said it had seen data compiled by NWS employees showing half of its offices had a vacancy rate of 20% - double the rate a decade this, climate experts told BBC Verify that the NWS forecasts and flood warnings last week in Texas were as adequate as could be expected."The forecasts and warnings all played out in a normal manner. The challenge with this event was that it is very difficult to forecast this type of extreme, localised rainfall," says Avantika Gori, an assistant professor of Civil & Environmental Engineering at Rice University in Andy Hazelton, a climate scientist who modelled hurricane paths for the NOAA until he was fired during the layoffs in February, says: "I don't think the staffing issues contributed directly to this event. They got the watches and the warnings out." What about the impact on offices in Texas? However, some experts have suggested that staffing cuts may have impeded the ability of local NWS offices in Texas to effectively co-ordinate with local emergency services."There is a real question as to whether the communication of weather information occurred in a way that was sub-optimal," says Daniel Swain, a climate scientist at University of California Los Angeles."The impact might have been partially averted if some of the people at the weather service responsible for making those communications were still employed - which they were not in some of these local offices," he adds. The San Angelo and San Antonio offices, which cover the areas affected by the flooding, reportedly had some existing example, the San Antonio office's website lists several positions as being vacant, including two meteorologists. The NSW union director told BBC Verify that the San Angelo office was missing a senior hydrologist, a scientist who specialises in flooding San Antonio office also lacked a "warning coordinating meteorologist", who coordinates communications between local forecasting offices and emergency management services in communities, Mr Fahy he noted that both offices had temporarily upped their staffing in anticipation of a dangerous weather event, which is typical in these circumstances."The NWS weather forecast offices in Austin/San Antonio and San Angelo, Texas had additional forecasters on duty during the catastrophic flooding event," NWS spokeswoman Erica Grow Cei said in a statement to BBC Verify. "All forecasts and warnings were issued in a timely manner," she meteorologist Jason Runyen, who covers the San Antonio area, also said in a statement that where the office would typically have two forecasters on duty during clear weather, they had "up to five on staff".When asked on Sunday if government cuts had left key vacancies unfilled at the NWS, President Trump told reporters: "No, they didn't." What about weather balloons? In a video shared thousands of times on social media, US meteorologist John Morales said: "There has been a 20% reduction in weather balloon releases, launches... What we're starting to see is that the quality of the forecasts is becoming degraded."Some social media users have been pointing to Mr Morales' words as evidence that budget cuts have limited forecasters' ability to anticipate extreme weather events like the floods in Kerr County, balloons are an important tool used by meteorologists to collect weather data - from temperatures, to humidity, pressure, or wind speed - from the upper the US, NWS stations would typically launch them twice a a series of public statements released since February, the NWS confirmed that it either suspended or reduced weather balloon launches in at least 11 locations across the country, which it attributed to a lack of staffing at the local weather forecast there is no evidence to suggest that any of those changes directly affected weather balloon launches in the areas impacted by the floods in available data shows that, in the lead-up to the floods, weather balloon launches were carried out as planned at Del Rio, the launch station nearest to the flood epicentre, collecting data that informed weather forecasts which experts say were as adequate as they could be. What do you want BBC Verify to investigate?
