Number of missing plummets to 3 in hard-hit Kerr County in wake of Texas floods
"Extensive follow-up work" and "extraordinary efforts" were credited with the reduction after 173 people statewide were reported missing amid floodwaters two stories deep, officials said in nearly identical statements from Kerr County and the city of Kerrville.
"This remarkable progress reflects countless hours of coordinated search and rescue operations, careful investigative work, and an unwavering commitment to bringing clarity and hope to families during an unimaginably difficult time," Kerrville City Manager Dalton Rice said in the statements.
Dozens upon dozens of people reported missing by loved ones were taken off a list of missing persons after their safety was verified, officials said.
"Many individuals who were initially reported as missing have been verified as safe and removed from the list," the city and county statements said. "This has been an ongoing effort as investigators worked diligently to verify reports of missing persons and confirm their status."
County officials did not immediately respond to a request for more information Saturday. It wasn't clear if any one factor, such as the return of cellphone service interrupted by the storm, may have been instrumental in locating those initially reported as missing.
Rapidly rising floodwaters in the early morning hours of July 4 swept through river-adjacent summer camp bungalows, washed cars off roadways and left some survivors clinging to trees.
A "flood wave" also swept down the Guadalupe River, rapidly increasing its depth and damaging structures along its banks. Federal weather data showed the Guadalupe, which runs through Kerville and Kerr County, rose 26 feet in 45 minutes.
At least 27 campers and staff members died at Camp Mystic, which was hosting more than 750 children when it was inundated by the sudden river flooding.
The process of warning residents is under scrutiny as the federal Integrated Public Alert & Warning System was not used to send Emergency Alert System texts to cellphone users in the region.
Sen. Ruben Gallego, D-Arizona, earlier this week called for a formal investigation into the Department of Homeland Security's response to the flooding.
President Donald Trump toured flood-damaged Kerrville last week and defended the stance of his administration, saying the federal response was immediate. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem was 'there right from the beginning,' the president said.
State and local officials have also had to grapple with criticism of the lack of timely alerts being sent to residents ahead of the floods.
'It happened so rapidly that nobody, nobody could have anticipated it,' Kerrville City Manager Dalton Rice told NBC News this week, arguing that the historic and overwhelming nature of the flooding could barely be avoided with the best warnings and forecasts.
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BBC News
16 hours ago
- BBC News
Number of missing in deadly Texas floods down to three
The number of people missing in Texas after devastating floods hit the state has dropped from 160 people to three, officials said. The flash floods following a torrential downpour on 4 July killed 135 people in, including children at Camp Mystic, a Christian all-girls' summer camp along the Guadalupe of others were reported missing. But on late Saturday, the city of Kerrville, at the heart of the disaster, reported that many had been verified as safe. Kerrville City Manager Dalton Rice said that it took "countless hours of coordinated search and rescue operations, careful investigative work, and an unwavering commitment to bringing clarity and hope to families". In a Facebook post, the city said ,000 federal, state and local officials had worked "tirelessly" to track down the missing and that search teams were now reuniting them with their Mayor Joe Herring, Jr. said in the post: "Our thoughts remain with the families still awaiting news, and we will continue to stand with them as efforts persist."Earlier this week, officials said the number of people who were missing had fallen from 160 to 100 in Kerr County - the hardest hit area - and nearby areas thanks to the help of thousands of rescuers. Officials said many people who were initially reported as missing had been verified as safe and were removed from the list. At Camp Mystic, at least 27 campers and counselors died after the Guadalupe River flooded from the torrential rains. The river rose 26ft (8m) in the span of just 45 minutes as young children, staff and residents slept in homes along the river. In the wake of the deadly tragedy, questions were raised about whether adequate warnings were provided and why camps weren't evacuated ahead of the have said a number of factor led to the deadly impact of the flash flood, including the pre-dawn timing, the location of some homes, the patchwork of cell service and its overall speed and Donald Trump visited the wreckage last week to express his "love and support" for those who had been affected, dismissing questions about whether more could have been done to warn residents.
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The Independent
a day ago
- The Independent
Number of missing in devastating Kerr County flash floods drops to just 3
Texas officials now say that just three people remain missing in the devastating floods that struck the state's Kerr County, killing at least 135 people. The new total of those still missing in the county from the shocking July 4 weekend flooding was revised down from 97 people on Saturday. 'Through extensive follow-up work among state and local agencies, many individuals who were initially reported as missing have been verified as safe and removed from the list,' the City of Kerrville said in a statement. The massive loss of life took place when the deadly floods took place in Texas Hill Country, with most of the deaths taking place along the Guadalupe River, around 60 miles north of San Antonio. The torrential rain saw the river swell from 3ft to 30ft in just 45 minutes, with many cabins in the area swept away. Among the dead were 27 campers and counselors at the century-old Christian summer camp for girls, Camp Mystic. In total, at least 107 people died in Kern County, 37 of whom were children. Officials said on Saturday that recovery operations would continue throughout the Guadalupe River watershed. 'We are profoundly grateful to the more than 1,000 local, state, and federal authorities who have worked tirelessly in the wake of the devastating flood that struck our community,' Kerrville City Manager Dalton Rice said. 'Thanks to their extraordinary efforts, the number of individuals previously listed as missing has dropped from over 160 to three.' CNN reported that one person remains missing in Travis County, 150 miles away, and another in Burnett County.
NBC News
a day ago
- NBC News
Number of missing plummets to 3 in hard-hit Kerr County in wake of Texas floods
The number of people reported missing in the wake of historic July 4 flooding in Kerr County, Texas, has dropped from a peak of more than 160 to three, with many now verified as being safe, officials said Saturday. "Extensive follow-up work" and "extraordinary efforts" were credited with the reduction after 173 people statewide were reported missing amid floodwaters two stories deep, officials said in nearly identical statements from Kerr County and the city of Kerrville. "This remarkable progress reflects countless hours of coordinated search and rescue operations, careful investigative work, and an unwavering commitment to bringing clarity and hope to families during an unimaginably difficult time," Kerrville City Manager Dalton Rice said in the statements. Dozens upon dozens of people reported missing by loved ones were taken off a list of missing persons after their safety was verified, officials said. "Many individuals who were initially reported as missing have been verified as safe and removed from the list," the city and county statements said. "This has been an ongoing effort as investigators worked diligently to verify reports of missing persons and confirm their status." County officials did not immediately respond to a request for more information Saturday. It wasn't clear if any one factor, such as the return of cellphone service interrupted by the storm, may have been instrumental in locating those initially reported as missing. Rapidly rising floodwaters in the early morning hours of July 4 swept through river-adjacent summer camp bungalows, washed cars off roadways and left some survivors clinging to trees. A "flood wave" also swept down the Guadalupe River, rapidly increasing its depth and damaging structures along its banks. Federal weather data showed the Guadalupe, which runs through Kerville and Kerr County, rose 26 feet in 45 minutes. At least 27 campers and staff members died at Camp Mystic, which was hosting more than 750 children when it was inundated by the sudden river flooding. The process of warning residents is under scrutiny as the federal Integrated Public Alert & Warning System was not used to send Emergency Alert System texts to cellphone users in the region. Sen. Ruben Gallego, D-Arizona, earlier this week called for a formal investigation into the Department of Homeland Security's response to the flooding. President Donald Trump toured flood-damaged Kerrville last week and defended the stance of his administration, saying the federal response was immediate. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem was 'there right from the beginning,' the president said. State and local officials have also had to grapple with criticism of the lack of timely alerts being sent to residents ahead of the floods. 'It happened so rapidly that nobody, nobody could have anticipated it,' Kerrville City Manager Dalton Rice told NBC News this week, arguing that the historic and overwhelming nature of the flooding could barely be avoided with the best warnings and forecasts.
