Latest news with #JoeHerringJr
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Number of missing in deadly Texas floods drops 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 River. Dozens 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 families. Kerrville 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 deluge. Experts 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 severity. President 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. Texas floods death toll climbs to at least 107 'Hero' dad, twin girls and riverside campers among Texas flood victims
BBC News
2 days ago
- Climate
- 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.
Yahoo
14-07-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Mayor in Flood-Hit Texas City: ‘We Didn't Even Have a Warning'
Kerrville mayor Joe Herring Jr. tearfully disclosed Monday that local officials 'didn't even have a warning' ahead of the catastrophic floods that killed over 100 people in central Texas. 'I think everyone in Kerrville, everyone in Kerr County, wishes we had some way to warn those people,' Herring told CNN's Pamela Brown in an interview Monday through tears. 'I've lost two friends. We loved them. And they're gone. They're gone.' Flooding struck central Texas on July 4 after heavy downpour caused the Guadalupe River to rise around 26 feet within just 45 minutes. Kerr County was notably hit the hardest by the historic flooding, and tragically holds the highest number of fatalities with 84 being confirmed dead as of Monday evening, per CNN. The total death toll across six counties has surged to at least 104 as of Monday evening, per The Associated Press. 'Everyone here, if we could have warned them, we would have done so. We didn't even have a warning, we did not know,' Herring continued. 'We did not know there was no—when I checked it about 8 o'clock that night, there's a chance of rain, but I did not see a flood warning.' 'I did not receive a flood notification. I did not know,' the mayor added. Texas Emergency Management Chief W. Nim Kidd similarly bemoaned inaccurate weather forecasts in a Friday press conference, saying that 'the original forecast that we received Wednesday from the National Weather Service predicted 3-6 inches of rain in the Concho Valley and 4-8 inches in the Hill Country.' 'The amount of rain that fell at this specific location was never in any of those forecasts,' he continued. In a Saturday statement to the Daily Beast, a spokesperson for the National Weather Service, which was hit by employee cuts earlier this year, said: 'The National Weather Service is heartbroken by the tragic loss of life in Kerr County. On July 3, the NWS office in Austin/San Antonio, Texas, conducted forecast briefings for emergency management in the morning and issued a Flood Watch in the early afternoon.' 'Flash Flood Warnings were also issued on the night of July 3 and in the early morning of July 4, giving preliminary lead times of more than three hours before flash flooding conditions occurred,' they continued. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt further countered claims that DOGE cuts at the National Weather Service hindered its response to the floods Monday, describing the natural disaster as an 'act of God.' 'It's not the administration's fault that the flood hit when it did,' Leavitt said. 'But there were early and consistent warnings, and again, the National Weather Service did its job.' The Daily Beast has contacted the National Weather Service for additional comment. Kerr County was notably also the site of Camp Mystic, an all-girls summer camp which is currently grieving the loss of 27 campers and counselors. Kerr County Sheriff Larry Leitha said Monday that 10 girls and one counselor are still unaccounted for. In a press conference Monday, Herring warned that residents still face a 'rough week' ahead. 'We need your prayers,' he added.
Yahoo
09-07-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Death Toll Rises in Texas Floods as Authorities Piece Together What Went Wrong
Historic flooding has brought the death toll in Texas to 95 people. First responders work to find missing people in the debris and waterways, covering over 60 miles. "I need to tell my community and those families who are waiting, this will be a rough week. Primary search continues, and we remain hopeful — every foot, every mile, every bend of the river," said Kerrville Mayor Joe Herring Jr. Kerr County saw 75 people dead, 27 of those being children. Many children were from an all-girls private summer camp near the Guadalupe River, Camp Mystic. As of Monday, 10 campers are still missing, along with one camp counselor. In a statement on its website, Camp Mystic officials wrote, "Our hearts are broken alongside our families that are enduring this unimaginable tragedy. We are praying for them constantly." Travis, Burnet, Tom Green, Kendall and Williamson Counties reported at least 20 people dead after the storms. The catastrophic flash flooding in central Texas matches only that of the deadly flooding after Hurricane Helene. These are the two deadliest U.S. disasters driven by rainfall since 1976. 'Hearing the screams because you couldn't see anything, it was pitch black, but hearing people's screams, kids screaming, asking for help, cars were floating away with the lights on. You could see the lights and you can hear honking. And there was like not one or two, but there were dozens of vehicles just floating away and I was just, it was just too much," said Lorena Guillen, the owner of a local restaurant. Death Toll Rises in Texas Floods as Authorities Piece Together What Went Wrong first appeared on Men's Journal on Jul 8, 2025
Bangkok Post
08-07-2025
- Politics
- Bangkok Post
Texas flood's toll tops 100
TEXAS — The weary mayor of Kerrville, Texas, the United States, warned residents to expect a 'rough week' as chances faded on Monday of finding anyone still alive from catastrophic flooding that killed at least 100 people across central Texas. Ten girls and a counsellor were still missing from Camp Mystic, an all-girls Christian summer camp, which said at least 27 of its young campers and staff members did not survive the surging waters from the nearby Guadalupe River. Kerrville Mayor Joe Herring Jr said rescue crews would push forward with their searches, slashing through debris and downed trees even as they braced for the possibility of more downpours and flash flooding. 'We need your prayers,' Herring said at a news conference Monday. Harrowing stories have emerged across the Hill Country, including accounts of rescues and reunions. In Kerr County, the hardest-hit area, the victims from Camp Mystic included girls as young as 8 years old, as well as counsellors and the camp's director. Officials faced new rounds of questions on Monday over whether more should have been done to give warning and evacuate areas around the river. Lt Gov Dan Patrick of Texas acknowledged that flood-warning sirens might have saved lives if they had been along the river. He added that they needed to be in place by next summer. Kerr County officials had considered installing them but balked at the price tag. Patrick, speaking on Fox News on Monday, said that if local governments could not afford it, 'then the state will step up.' Sen Ted Cruz, R-Texas, said there would be a 'careful examination of what happened' to prevent the same loss of life in the future. 'Next time there is a flood, I hope we have in place processes to remove especially the most vulnerable from harm's way,' he added. President Donald Trump was tentatively scheduled to travel to Texas on Friday, said Karoline Leavitt, the White House press secretary. The visit was being coordinated with local officials to ensure it does not disrupt recovery efforts, she said. Trump criticised President Joe Biden last year for not immediately visiting North Carolina, also to avoid interfering with relief efforts, after disastrous flooding there. Sen Chuck Schumer of New York, the top Democrat in the Senate, asked the acting inspector general for the Commerce Department to investigate whether cuts and staffing shortages at the National Weather Service had contributed to the large death toll in Texas. The New York Times reported this past weekend on vacancies within the agency. Much of central Texas, including the Hill Country, was under a flood watch on Monday, and there was a chance of more flash flooding through the day and overnight. The Weather Prediction Centre cautioned that 'any storms that move across this extremely vulnerable region will rapidly cause flash flooding.' On Sunday, heavy rainfall led to a minor rise in the Guadalupe River, which has seen the worst devastation, prompting a brief pause in search-and-rescue operations. River levels later returned to normal, said Jason Runyen, a meteorologist at the weather service office for Austin, San Antonio, and the surrounding areas. Risk of further flooding 'is there again today,' he said Monday. 'If the heavy rain happens to be in the Guadalupe river basin, we could see some minor rises on the river.'
