Texas floods raise questions about delays in emergency alert notifications
A firefighter reportedly requested a CodeRED alert at 4:22 am as the Guadalupe River rapidly overshot its banks, rising 26 feet in 45 minutes.
Local officials, including the Kerr County Sheriff and Texas Governor Greg Abbott, have defended the alert timeline, citing the complexity of issuing warnings and inadequate federal forecasts.
The National Weather Service had issued a 'life-threatening flash flooding' warning for Kerrville at 1:14 am, over three hours before initial flood reports, with experts praising their forecasting.
Questions have also been raised regarding the county's failure to install emergency weather sirens and the potential impact of staffing cuts to the National Weather Service.
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Daily Mail
43 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Tragic end to search for missing Camp Mystic counselor Katherine Ferruzzo after Texas floods wiped out cabins
The search for 19-year-old Camp Mystic counselor Katherine Ferruzzo has come to a heartbreaking end with her remains recovered from the mud-clogged banks of the Guadalupe River. Her body was found on Friday morning, eight days after flash floods turned a summer refuge into a deadly disaster zone. Ferruzzo, a recent high school graduate from Houston, had been missing since the early hours of July 4, when a wall of raging water tore through the all-girls Christian summer camp near Hunt, Texas. The tragedy unfolded in the darkness as chaos broke out with cabins were obliterated and bunks swept away and dozens of lives from the camp snuffed out. Her family confirmed her death in a solemn statement: 'On Friday, July 11, 2025, Katherine Ferruzzo's remains were found. We are incredibly grateful to all the search and rescue professionals and volunteers who have remained steadfast in their efforts to locate the victims of this tragedy. We would especially like to thank the Texas Rangers.' Ferruzzo is one of at least 27 confirmed dead from the catastrophic flooding that overwhelmed Camp Mystic, and one of 129 people killed in what is now being called the deadliest flash flood event in Texas history. For generations of Texas girls, Camp Mystic has been a beloved summer tradition - a place of faith, friendship, and freedom under the stars. Founded in 1926, the camp has never seen a disaster of this magnitude. Its historic riverside cabins, some nearly a century old, were crushed or swept away by the torrent. Officials say many of the victims were caught in their bunks or separated during efforts to escape. The flood was far more severe than the 100-year event envisioned by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, experts said, and moved so quickly in the middle of the night that it caught many off guard in a county that lacked a warning system. The sheer amount of rain was overwhelming. Former NOAA chief scientist Ryan Maue, a private meteorologist, calculated on July 5 that the storm had dropped 120 billion gallons of water on Kerr County, which received the brunt of the storm. Camp organizers have yet to release a full statement, although several staffers have been working closely with the families of the missing. Ferruzzo had been preparing to begin a degree in education at the University of Texas at Austin, with dreams of becoming a special education teacher. Friends and family described her as kind, selfless, and committed to helping others, especially children with learning differences. Her loved ones are now channeling their grief into a cause she cared about deeply. The 13 girls and two counselors, including Ferruzzo were staying in Camp Mystic's Bubble Inn cabin when the catastrophic floods hit on the morning of July 4 The Katherine Ferruzzo Legacy Foundation is being established in her honor 'to support those with special needs and learning differences,' the family announced. The July 4 flood began with a wall of water, the result of hours of tropical rainfall that saturated the region overnight. As campers slept in wooden cabins the Guadalupe River had swelled by 26 feet by 4:30am. The campsites, some of them situated just yards from the river's edge, stood no chance. Survivors have spoken of being jolted awake by the raging water, then running blindly through the darkness as cabins collapsed around them. Search teams worked for days through tangled debris, uprooted trees, and collapsed structures deploying boats, drones, cadaver dogs, and helicopters. But the sheer force of the flood and the river's strong current has made recovery agonizingly slow. Ferruzzo was among the last missing campers still unaccounted for before her body was found. Across Texas, the death toll has continued to rise with dozens still unaccounted for, many presumed drowned. Entire towns across the Hill Country have been ravaged with roads remaining impassable, and in some counties the power has yet to be restored. Governor Greg Abbott declared a state of emergency days ago, calling the disaster 'a once-in-a-century flood event.' In Kerr County alone, more than 80 structures were destroyed with families displaced indefinitely. On Sunday, more heavy rains in Texas paused the weeklong search for victims officials warned that the downpours could again cause waterways to surge. It was the first time a new round of severe weather had paused the search since the July Fourth floods. In Kerrville, where local officials have come under scrutiny about the warnings given to residents, authorities went door-to-door to some homes after midnight early on Sunday to alert people that flooding was again possible. Authorities also pushed alerts to the phones of those in the area. Ingram Fire Department officials ordered search crews to immediately evacuate the Guadalupe River corridor in Kerr County until further notice, warning the potential for a flash flood is high. Search-and-rescue efforts are expected to resume on Monday, depending on river flow, fire department spokesman Brian Lochte said. 'We're working with a few crews and airboats and SAR (search-and-rescue) boats just in case,' Lochte said. Gov. Greg Abbott said on X that the state was making rescues in San Saba, Lampasas and Schleicher counties and that evacuations were taking place in a handful of others. The latest round of flooding damaged about 100 homes and knocked down untold lengths of cattle fencing, said Ashley Johnson, CEO of the Hill Country Community Action Association, a San Saba-based nonprofit. 'Anything you can imagine in a rural community was damaged,' she said. 'Our blessing is it was daylight and we knew it was coming.' With more rain on the way, county officials ordered everyone living in flood-prone areas near the San Saba River to evacuate. Johnson said people were being moved to the San Saba Civic Center, which has become a safe, high place for people to receive aid and shelter. 'Everyone is in some way personally affected by this,' she said. 'Everyone is just doing what they can to help their neighbors.' The weather system brought multiple rounds of heavy rains and slow-moving storms across a widespread area, pushing rivers and streams over their banks. Heading into the afternoon and evening, the heaviest rains were expected along the I-35 corridor and eastwards, said meteorologist Patricia Sanchez from the National Weather Service's Fort Worth office.
The Guardian
4 hours ago
- The Guardian
Heavy rain in Texas halts rescue efforts as officials warn of further flooding
More heavy rains in Texas on Sunday paused a weeklong search for victims of catastrophic flooding along the Guadalupe River and led to high-water rescues elsewhere as officials warned that the downpours could again cause waterways to surge. It was the first time a new round of severe weather had paused the search since the 4 July floods, which killed at least 129 people. Authorities believe more than 160 people may still be missing in Kerr county. In Kerrville, where local officials have come under scrutiny about the warnings given to residents, authorities went door to door to some homes after midnight early on Sunday to alert people that flooding was again possible. Authorities also pushed alerts to the phones of those in the area. A statement put out by Kerrville city officials urged residents to not attempt to travel unless they are fleeing an area subject to flooding or under an evacuation order. 'Please keep watch on low-water crossings and seek higher ground if flooding begins. Turn around, don't drown!' the city officials added. According to new alerts put out by the National Weather Service, the flash flood risk continues this morning across portions of the Texas Hill Country. 'The extent and magnitude of the event has lowered from what occurred last night into the early morning hours, however some additional flash flood impacts are likely ... and localized significant impacts remain possible,' the NWS said. It also warned earlier this morning that a flash flood warning was in effect for western Llano and north-western Gillespie, with significant rain having fallen and flooding expected particularly over Llano county. Similarly, a flash flood warning remains in effect for Buchanan Dam, Buchanan Lake and Valley Spring until 3.45pm CT, as well as for Watson and Briggs until 4pm CT. As part of its warnings, the NWS has urged residents to move immediately to higher ground, as well as avoid walking or driving through flood waters. Ingram fire department officials ordered search crews to immediately evacuate the Guadalupe River corridor in Kerr county until further notice, warning the potential for a flash flood is high. Search-and-rescue efforts were expected to resume on Monday, depending on river flow, fire department spokesperson Brian Lochte said. 'We're working with a few crews and airboats and SAR (search-and-rescue) boats just in case,' Lochte said. As heavy rain fell on Sunday, National Weather Service forecasters warned that the Guadalupe River could rise to nearly 15ft (4.6 meters) by Sunday afternoon, about 5ft above flood stage and enough to put the Highway 39 bridge under water in Hunt, the small town where Camp Mystic is located along the river. 'Numerous secondary roads and bridges are flooded and very dangerous,' a weather service warning said. The rains were also causing other waterways to swell farther north in Texas, where emergency crews rescued one motorist who was left stranded in waist-high rapids on a submerged bridge over the Bosque River. The man leaned onto the vehicle for support as crews tried to reach him with life jackets. 'He drove into it and didn't realize how deep it was,' said Jeff Douglas, the president of the McGregor volunteer fire department. 'Luckily he was able to stand next to the vehicle.' Under heavy rain, Matthew Stone was clearing branches and a log from a storm sewer in front of his home on Guadalupe Street in Kerrville on Sunday as several inches of water pooled up on the road. Multiple houses on the street overlooking the Guadalupe River were severely impacted by the 4 July floods, and Stone had to pull his older neighbors from their home before water overtook it. He said he felt safe nor now. 'My wife was freaking out, that's for sure, but as long as that river is not coming down, we'll be all right,' he said. 'The cops have been coming back and forth, we're getting lots of alerts, we're getting a lot of support.' Just before daybreak on the Fourth of July, the destructive, fast-moving waters rose 26ft on the Guadalupe River, washing away homes and vehicles. Ever since, searchers have used helicopters, boats and drones to look for victims and to rescue people stranded in trees and from camps isolated by washed-out roads. The floods laid waste to the Hill Country region of Texas. The riverbanks and hills of Kerr County are filled with vacation cabins, youth camps and campgrounds, including Camp Mystic, the century-old, all-girls Christian summer camp. Located in a low-lying area along the Guadalupe River in a region known as flash flood alley, Camp Mystic lost at least 27 campers and counselors. The flood was far more severe than the 100-year event envisioned by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (Fema), experts said, and moved so quickly in the middle of the night that it caught many off guard in a county that lacked a warning system. The sheer amount of rain was overwhelming. Former Noaa chief scientist Ryan Maue, a private meteorologist, calculated on 5 July that the storm had dropped 120bn gallons of water on Kerr county, which received the brunt of the storm. On Sunday, Kristi Noem, the homeland security secretary, said that Donald Trump wants to have the Federal Emergency Management Agency (Fema) 'remade' instead of eradicated entirely. Speaking to NBC, Noem defended the Trump administration's response to the deadly Texas floods that have killed at least 120 people, saying: 'I think the president recognizes that Fema should not exist the way that it always has been. It needs to be redeployed in a new way, and that's what we did during this response.' Her comments follow widespread criticism of the Trump administration's handling of the Texas floods as reports emerged of thousands of calls from flood survivors being left unanswered by Fema's call centers due to unextended contracts.
South Wales Guardian
5 hours ago
- South Wales Guardian
Emergency crews suspend search for Texas flooding victims amid new rain warnings
It was the first time a new round of severe weather has paused the search since the flooding earlier this month. Ingram Fire Department officials ordered search crews to immediately evacuate the Guadalupe River corridor in Kerr County until further notice on Sunday, warning the potential for a flash flood is high. Search-and-rescue teams have been searching for missing victims of the July 4 weekend flooding. Search and rescue efforts were expected to resume on Monday, depending on river flow, fire department spokesman Brian Lochte said. 'We're working with a few crews and airboats and SAR (search-and-rescue) boats just in case,' Mr Lochte said. As heavy rain fell on Sunday, National Weather Service forecasters warned that the Guadalupe River could rise to nearly 15 feet (4.6 meters) by Sunday afternoon, about five feet above flood stage and enough to put the Highway 39 bridge near Hunt under water. 'Numerous secondary roads and bridges are flooded and very dangerous,' a weather service warning said. The destructive, fast-moving waters rose 26 feet (eight meters) on the Guadalupe River in just 45 minutes before daybreak on July 4, washing away homes and vehicles. Ever since, searchers have used helicopters, boats and drones to look for victims and to rescue people stranded in trees and from camps isolated by washed-out roads. The floods laid waste to the Hill Country region of Texas. The riverbanks and hills of Kerr County are filled with vacation cabins, youth camps and campgrounds, including Camp Mystic, the century-old all-girls Christian summer camp. Located in a low-lying area along the Guadalupe River in a region known as flash flood alley, Camp Mystic lost at least 27 campers and counsellors as well as owner Dick Eastland. The flood was far more severe than the 100-year event envisioned by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, experts said, and moved so quickly in the middle of the night that it caught many off guard in a county that lacked a warning system.
