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Newsweek
2 days ago
- Climate
- Newsweek
Texas Floods Could Worsen Housing Market Issues
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. The flash floods that claimed the lives of at least 135 people in Texas Hill Country on July 4 also impacted thousands of properties that stood along their path of death and destruction, according to estimates by researchers at data-driven tech company Cotality. Using rainfall, stream gage, and property data, Cotality experts recreated the footprint of the flash floods in central Texas, finding that over 38,600 homes in nine counties deemed eligible for individual and public assistance by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) are likely to have been damaged during that tragic weekend. "Now, that is a model number, but we stand by it and feel very confident in this number. And that's everywhere from Kerr County to Travis County, in and around the Austin area," Jon Schneyer, Cotality director of research & content, told Newsweek. While not all of these homes are likely to have been damaged by the floods, all of them were at least impacted, with properties in Tom Green, Travis, Kerr, Williamson, and Burnet counties identified as the most at-risk. For homeowners impacted by the floods and for anyone living in this particular part of central Texas already grappling with the immense loss of life caused by the extreme weather event, the coming months are likely to bring new challenges, experts say, and additional financial burdens. A damaged house is seen near the Guadalupe River in Hunt, Texas, on July 8 following severe flash flooding over the July 4 holiday weekend. A damaged house is seen near the Guadalupe River in Hunt, Texas, on July 8 following severe flash flooding over the July 4 holiday weekend. RONALDO SCHEMIDT/AFP via Getty Images What the Floods Could Do to Home Insurance Premiums The cost of home insurance has skyrocketed in recent years in Texas, reaching an average annual cost of $4,585 this year—117 percent more than the national average of $2,110, according to NerdWallet. Premiums are so expensive that many homeowners cannot afford them, and some are choosing to renounce paying extra for flood coverage, which is not included under the standard homeowner policy. "Remember, flood insurance is not offered as a standard homeowners insurance policy. You usually go and get your flood insurance through the National Flood Insurance Program through FEMA," Schneyer said. "Now, that is not required unless you have a mortgage and you're in the special flood hazard area or the 100-year flood zone." He added: "A lot of those homeowners, especially as you get outside of Kerrville or outside of Austin, might have already paid off their home, they are no longer required to have flood insurance." Cotality expects only a few homeowners to have flood insurance in this part of Texas. "They'll be able to apply for assistance through FEMA, but a majority of that damage, if they don't have flood insurance, it's going to be on the home and business owners to foot that bill," Schneyer said. "If your home cost $500,000 to rebuild entirely, that could be a pretty expensive recovery, not to mention the emotional and psychological damage from friends and neighbors losing their homes and livelihoods." Home insurance premiums could further rise as a result of the recent floods, exacerbating homeowners' existing struggles to protect their homes and even purchase properties. Bill Baldwin, board member of the Houston Association of Realtors (HAR) and a broker with 90 agents under his direction, told Newsweek that the biggest challenge he faces in the industry today is insurance. "It's the unaffordability of insurance, the inability to get insurance," he said. Baldwin and his colleagues at HAR have spent "a ton of effort, money and cooperation on providing flood notices" in recent years, but despite all of this, he said, they have not observed any increase of people securing flood insurance in Houston. "We have fewer people today with flood insurance than had at the day Harvey hit," Baldwin added. "The year after Harvey hit, we saw an increase in flood insurance policies. The cost of the flood insurance policy went up. Now it's been five years, six years, seven years, and the homeowners today are different from the ones back then—half of the people weren't here when Harvey hit." It is a "constant battle" to convince local homeowners that they need insurance, Baldwin says, even if they live in flood-prone areas. "We're Texans, we are hard-headed, we have a mindset of our own," he said. "We think we're supermen when we're not, necessarily. And we often don't experience or expect the intensity of the extreme weather events that we're now seeing," Baldwin explained. "We feel like we're not as vulnerable as we perhaps are." Texas Floods Could Worsen Housing Market Issues Texas Floods Could Worsen Housing Market Issues Newsweek Illustration/Canva/Getty/AP Newsroom ...To Home Prices All of these upward pressures on the cost of homeownership will reduce the desirability of living in flood-prone areas, putting downward pressure on housing demand, Cameron LaPoint, real estate expert and assistant professor of finance at the Yale School of Management, told Newsweek. "We are already seeing similar out-migration trends in places like coastal Florida, where there are similar problems of severe natural disaster risk, unraveling insurance markets, and evidence of post-pandemic overbuilding," he said. "A lack of affordable insurance may push prospective homeowners to look elsewhere, such as in climate haven cities in the northern U.S. which are among the few housing markets growing right now." LaPoint believes the areas directly impacted by the flash flood are likely to face "a continued decline in house prices and rents, which was already in progress after the recovery from the pandemic." Other experts, however, are skeptical about the idea of people choosing to live elsewhere because of the floods. "It might temporarily influence some homebuyer decisions, but the appeal of those counties will not likely change," Dr. Daniel Oney, research director at the Texas Real Estate Research Center at Texas A&M University, told Newsweek. "There may be some outside investor interest, but with mortgage rates currently high, investor activity is down overall—they rely on cheap credit to make their business models work." Baldwin is sure that Texas Hill Country will remain a popular vacation spot despite the risk of flash floods. "If you're from here, you've grown up going to the Guadalupe, or the Frio, or the Trinity. And it's a time-honored tradition to go to these places," he said. "Despite the tragedy, people will keep vacationing there, as we've seen people build after a hurricane or after other disasters. Houston is very hurricane-prone, but we added 75,000 people last year to the greater Houston area. They're not deciding against moving here because of the hurricane. They're learning to live with the new intensity of weather-related events." A Texas state flag flies in a yard filled with debris on July 6 in Hunt, Texas. A Texas state flag flies in a yard filled with debris on July 6 in Hunt, Rent Prices According to Oney, rent prices are likely to jump up in the short term in the areas affected by the floods. In the long term, it would be the "overall demand for those properties that will play a role," he told Newsweek. "Those communities have been popular for retirees and vacation homes because of the natural amenities," Oney said. "People's perceptions of risk are curious. In a few years we would expect the market dynamics to return to something like they were. Though rebuilding may try to avoid high flood risk areas." Baldwin fears the short-term impact that the communities along the Guadalupe River could suffer as tourism dries up and relocate to different parts of the state this summer, rather than any long-term impact. "Many of the people who are still on vacation around the greater Houston, Dallas, Austin area are gonna go to Fredericksburg or Round Top or Wimberley or one of these places that aren't necessarily related to the river, but they're still in the Hill Country and they have the same climate," he said. The greatest impact of this temporary exodus of tourists will be felt by working-class people, Baldwin added. "It's the maid who can't work in that deal, it's the lawn guy who doesn't have a job, it's the waitress who doesn't have anyone to wait on because the restaurant was closed for two weeks and did not have any unemployment insurance." These people, Baldwin said, need Texans' help—and he thinks locals will be rushing back to support them. "Because that's what Texans do," he said. ...And to Property Taxes LaPoint expects property tax revenues for the region affected by the flash floods to potentially shrink in the coming months, as homeowners impacted would either not be able to afford it or benefit from exemptions passed by appraisers as a form of relief. For example, Travis County, in Austin, is offering exemptions if the property suffered damages of at least 15 percent of its value, with up to a 100 percent exemption for those who suffered a total loss of their property. "More appraisers in flood-impacted counties are following suit," LaPoint said. At the same time, property tax bills could fall as a result of lower property values—at least in the short-term. "There is research showing that house prices fall in neighborhoods recently experiencing severe flooding, whether due to flash flooding or hurricanes. If price declines persist, this would also reduce future property tax revenues," LaPoint said. He added: "However, changes in house prices may not always translate to immediate changes in property tax bills due to the stickiness of assessed values and limits on rates. Recent amendments to property tax law in Texas increased homestead exemptions and made it more difficult for cities to raise rates. This will make it difficult for cities to close any short-run revenue gaps without aid from the state government." In its research, Cotality has found that areas that are frequently impacted by natural disasters experience a longer-term reduction in property values, while areas that are only occasionally hit experience a short-term drop. "What we have noticed is that over time, things start to regress back to normal. So especially in areas that are not impacted on a monthly or annual basis, if it's a decade in between flooding events, there's a bit of a short-term memory mentality." A person pays their respects at a memorial honoring the lives lost in the flash floods that claimed at least 135 lives on July 13 in Kerville, Texas. A person pays their respects at a memorial honoring the lives lost in the flash floods that claimed at least 135 lives on July 13 in Kerville, Changes We Can Expect the State Government to Make A majority of the experts who spoke to Newsweek expect the floods will not spur a seismic change in the state's real estate sector. "Texas is a strong property rights state. The governor [Greg Abbott] has called a special session with a few flood-related items, but they are limited to immediate relief efforts, flood warning systems, and streamlining regulations to help recovery," Oney said. "Additional property tax relief was on the session agenda before the floods. So, we don't expect the state to take any action that impacts markets long term because of this disaster." Texans who decide to stay in flood-prone areas are also unlikely to see much in the way of home improvement efforts, LaPoint said. "This is because it's difficult for individual homeowners to make these kinds of physical investments in their property—such as putting the home on stilts—given the relatively high costs involved," he said. "My research on Florida shows that publicly-backed loans can help homeowners fund hurricane-proofing projects that lower their insurance costs and increase the home's value. But projects like new window installations are much cheaper than flood prevention improvements." "Given the financial barriers faced by individual homeowners, there may be renewed calls from residents for the state to invest in key anti-flood prevention measures." Baldwin expects authorities to "probably increase the regulatory environment of a floodway" and update the maps the state is currently using to identify flood-prone areas—though that does not mean that those areas would be considered off-limits for developers, he said. "We're still going to build in these areas, we're just going to learn to build more resiliently," Baldwin added. "They will rebuild in some of these areas that some people would say you shouldn't be building in. It's probably not a practical solution. But it's how we build. People are driven to the coast, whether it's the East Coast, the West Coast, the Florida coast, or the Texas coast. So, you'll still have some development, you'll still have people willing to buy those structures." He continued: "There will be awareness for a brief period of time. But who's going to move there five years from now? They're going to be from California. They're going to be from the East Coast. They're not gonna have been there during that event. They'd have a small recollection, but no realistic experience. That's what happened in Houston. So, I still think people are gonna be at risk."
Global News
08-07-2025
- Climate
- Global News
Coast guard swimmer saves 169 lives in Texas floods on first-ever rescue
A U.S. Coast Guard swimmer is being hailed a hero after rescuing 169 people from flash flooding at Camp Mystic in Texas during a natural disaster that has devastated communities across the state. At about 7 a.m. on Friday, Scott Ruskan, 26, was on duty at an air station in Corpus Christi, Texas, when his team was called in to respond to raging floods in central Texas. During an interview on Good Morning America on Monday, Ruskan said he 'just happened to be on the duty crew' when the call came in, and treacherous weather conditions turned what should have been a 60-minute flight from Corpus Christi to Hunt into an hours-long ordeal. After navigating a difficult journey, the team established a triage site at Camp Mystic, a century-old all-girls camp along the Guadalupe River, and stationed Ruskan there, while helicopters landed and took off to transport survivors to safety. Story continues below advertisement Camp Mystic was ravaged by the flooding, which claimed the lives of 27 campers, including children. View image in full screen A view of Camp Mystic, the site where at least 20 girls went missing after flash flooding in Hunt, Texas, on July 5, 2025. RONALDO SCHEMIDT / RONALDO SCHEMIDT / Getty Images 'I kind of discovered I was the only person there as far as first responders go. So I had about 200, kids mostly. All scared, terrified, cold, having probably the worst day of their life. And I just kind of needed to triage them, get them to a higher level of care, and get them off the flood zone,' he told Good Morning America. Ruskan worked with members of the U.S. Army National Guard to execute the rescue. The young first responder said the team established two landing zones, one on an archery field and another on a football field. Ruskan would guide groups of mostly children and some adults to the helicopters, which would then fly them out to secondary safe zones with more resources. Story continues below advertisement Ruskan finished his training with the coast guard just six months ago; the Texas floods were his first rescue mission. Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy 'Coast guard rescue swimmers get some of the highest-level training in the world. So really just kind of relied on that, just knowing that any of the rescue swimmers in the coast guard would have done the exact same, if not better than me,' he said. View image in full screen Search and recovery workers dig through debris looking for any survivors or remains of people swept up in the flash flooding at Camp Mystic on July 6, 2025, in Hunt, Texas. Jim Vondruska / Getty Images Ruskan also said he felt motivated to do his job by the trust the children put in him. Story continues below advertisement 'They don't really know what my experience is or my rank or my age … they just know, 'Hey this guy is a professional, and he's here to help us.' And I kind of had to live up to that standard,' he said. While Ruskan has been praised for offering a glimpse of hope to affected Texans during an unprecedented natural disaster, he says 'the kids on the ground' are the real heroes. 'Those guys are heroic, and they were dealing with some of the worst times of their lives, and they were staying strong. That helped inspire me to get in there and help them out,' he added. View image in full screen A view inside a cabin at Camp Mystic, the site where at least 20 girls went missing after flash flooding in Hunt, Texas, on July 5, 2025. (Photo by RONALDO SCHEMIDT / AFRONALDO SCHEMIDT / Getty Images Ruskan told the New York Post that rescuers were able to get the majority of people trapped in Camp Mystic out, but that there were still many missing and that the mission was far from over. Story continues below advertisement Texas Sen. Ted Cruz wrote on Facebook on Tuesday that he had met with Ruskan and he was 'eternally grateful' for his service. The death toll from the floods passed 100 on Monday, as search and rescue teams continued to search for survivors, including 10 Camp Mystic girls and one counsellor who are still unaccounted for. 'We have been in communication with local and state authorities who are tirelessly deploying extensive resources to search for our missing girls,' the camp said in a statement. Searchers have found the bodies of 84 people, including 28 children, in the county home to Camp Mystic and several other summer camps, officials said. Among the deceased is the camp's owner, Richard Eastland. — With files from The Associated Press
Toronto Sun
07-07-2025
- Climate
- Toronto Sun
Twin 8-year-old girls, a beloved soccer coach and camp director among those killed in Texas floods
Published Jul 07, 2025 • 6 minute read A search and rescue team looks for people along the Guadalupe River near a damaged building at Camp Mystic in Hunt, Texas, on July 7, 2025, following severe flash flooding that occurred during the July 4 holiday weekend. Photo by RONALDO SCHEMIDT / AFP via Getty Images Two eight-year-old sisters from Dallas who had just completed 2nd grade. A beloved soccer coach and teacher. An Alabama elementary student away from home. These are a few of the dozens of victims lost in devastating flooding in Texas. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account The flooding in central Texas originated from the fast-moving waters on the Guadalupe River on Friday, killing at least 89 people. Authorities say search and rescue efforts are still underway, including for campers missing from a summer camp for girls. Hanna and Rebecca Lawrence were 8-year-old sisters from Dallas who were among the victims killed by the flooding at Camp Mystic. The girls had just finished second grade, their parents said. 'Hanna and Rebecca brought so much joy to us, to their big sister Harper, and to so many others,' John and Lacy Lawrence said in a statement. 'We will find ways to keep that joy, and to continue to spread it for them. But we are devastated that the bond we shared with them, and that they shared with each other, is now frozen in time. ' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. David Lawrence, the girls' grandfather and former publisher of the Miami Herald, said 'it has been an unimaginable time for all of us.' He said the girls gave their family, including their sister, joy. 'They and that joy can never be forgotten,' he said in a statement. University Park Elementary School, where Hanna and Rebecca attended, said on its website that 'numerous' students were in the Texas Hill Country during the flooding and had to evacuate. The school did not immediately respond to a message left Monday morning. 'We are deeply saddened to report the loss of multiple students, and our thoughts and prayers are with all of the families deeply affected by this unimaginable tragedy,' the school said on its site. Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Reece Zunker was described as 'a passionate educator and a beloved soccer coach' by Tivy High School in Kerrville, Texas. 'His unwavering dedication to our students, athletes, and the Tivy community touched countless lives and will never be forgotten,' the school posted online Sunday. Paula Zunker was a former teacher at the school. 'The care and impact she shared with her students continue to be felt, even years later,' the post said. The couple's young children, Lyle and Holland, were still missing, the school said. The family had been staying at a river house in Hunt. Tanya Burwick The last time Tanya Burwick's family heard from her was a frantic phone call about the floodwaters as she headed to work at a Walmart early Friday in the San Angelo area. When Burwick didn't show up for work, her employer filed a missing persons report and sent a colleague to look for her. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Police investigating the 62-year-old's disappearance found Burwick's unoccupied SUV fully submerged later that day. Her body was found the next morning blocks from the vehicle. 'She lit up the room and had a laugh that made other people laugh,' said Lindsey Burwick, who added that her mom was a beloved parent, grandparent and colleague to many. She and her brother Zac said the day was especially difficult because it happened on July Fourth as they were working at a fireworks stand that's been in the family for generations. As word of Tanya Burwick's disappearance spread, people from from Blackwell, a small community of about 250 people, showed up to the stand that's run out of a trailer painted orange. 'People came to our aid,' Lindsey Burwick said. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Police in San Angelo said more than 12,000 houses, barns and other buildings have been affected by the floods in the community of roughly 100,000 people. 'We ask that the public continue to keep the Burwick family in their thoughts and prayers as they navigate this heartbreaking tragedy,' the San Angelo Police Department said in a Facebook post. Jane Ragsdale Jane Ragsdale, 68, devoted her life to the Heart O'the Hills Camp, a summer camp for girls in Texas Hill Country. She was a camper and counselor there herself in the 1970s before becoming a co-owner. By the 1980s, she was director of the camp in Hunt. 'She was the heart of The Heart,' the camp said in a statement. 'She was our guiding light, our example, and our safe place. She had the rare gift of making every person feel seen, loved, and important.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Since the camp was between sessions, no children were staying there when the floodwaters rose. The camp's facilities, directly in the path of the flood, were extensively damaged and access to the site remained difficult, according to camp officials. The camp has been in existence since the 1950s. Camp officials said Ragsdale would be remembered for her strength and wisdom. 'We are heartbroken. But above all, we are grateful,' the camp said. 'Grateful to have known her, to have learned from her, and to carry her light forward.' In a 2015 oral history for the Kerr County Historical Commission, Ragsdale, whose first name was Cynthie, but went by her middle name Jane, talked about how her father was also a camp director and how much she enjoyed her experiences. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'I loved every minute of camp from the first time I stepped foot in one,' she recalled. Videos of Ragsdale strumming a guitar and singing to campers during a recent session were posted in a memorial on the camp's Facebook page: 'Life is good today. So keep singing 'til we meet, again.' Sarah Marsh Eight-year-old Sarah Marsh from Alabama had been attending Camp Mystic in Texas, a longtime Christian girls camp in Hunt where several others were killed in the floods. As of Sunday, afternoon, 11 children were still missing. Marsh was a student at Cherokee Bend Elementary in suburban Birmingham. 'This is an unimaginable loss for her family, her school, and our entire community,' Mountain Brook Mayor Stewart Welch said in a Facebook post. 'Sarah's passing is a sorrow shared by all of us, and our hearts are with those who knew and loved her.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. He said the community — where about 20,000 people reside _ would rally behind the Marsh family as they grieved. Her parents declined an interview request Sunday 'as they mourn this unbearable loss,' the girl's grandmother, Debbie Ford Marsh, told The Associated Press in an email. 'We will always feel blessed to have had this beautiful spunky ray of light in our lives. She will live on in our hearts forever!' Marsh wrote on Facebook. 'We love you so much, sweet Sarah!' She declined further comment. U.S. Sen. Katie Britt of Alabama also noted the girl's tragic death. 'We continue to pray for the victims' loved ones, the survivors, those who are still missing, and our brave first responders as search and rescue efforts continue in Texas,' she said in a post on social media platform X. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Sisters Blair and Brooke Harber, both students at St. Rita Catholic School in Dallas, had been staying alongside the Guadalupe River when their cabin was swept away, according to the school. Pastor Joshua J. Whitfield of St. Rita Catholic Community, which shares a campus with the school, said the girls' parents, Annie and RJ Harber, were staying in a different cabin and were safe. However, their grandparents were unaccounted for. Annie Harber has been a longtime teacher at the school. 'This tragedy has touched every corner of our hearts,' the church said in a statement Sunday. Blair, who was enrolled in advanced classes, was involved in numerous school activities from volleyball and basketball to speech and drama. Brooke was a rising sixth grader and a student athlete in volleyball and lacrosse, among other sports. She also participated in speech and drama, according to the church. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Both were remembered for their kind hearts and warm personalities. 'We will honour Blair and Brooke's lives, the light they shared, and the joy they brought to everyone who knew them,' Whitfield wrote in a Saturday letter to parishioners. 'And we will surround Annie, RJ, and their extended family with the strength and support of our St. Rita community.' The church held a special prayer service Saturday afternoon and offered counseling. 'Please keep the Harber family in your prayers during this time of profound grief,' Whitfield wrote. 'May our faith, our love, and our St. Rita community be a source of strength and comfort in the days ahead.' Columnists Toronto Blue Jays Sunshine Girls World Canada
The Citizen
07-07-2025
- Climate
- The Citizen
Children's camp confirms 27 dead, with Texas flood toll over 80
Flash floods in Texas claimed over 80 lives, including 27 girls and counselors at Camp Mystic. Rescue efforts continue. A volunteer looks for missing people, following severe flash flooding that occured during the July 4 holiday weekend, in Hunt, Texas, on July 6, 2025. Rescuers in Texas raced against time Sunday to find dozens of missing people, including children, swept away by flash floods that killed at least 59, as forecasters warned of new deluges. Local Texans joined forces with disaster officials to search through the night for the missing, including 27 girls from a riverside Christian summer camp. Texas Governor Greg Abbott said Camp Mystic on the banks of the Guadalupe River, where some 750 girls had been staying when the floodwaters hit, had been 'horrendously ravaged in ways unlike I've seen in any natural disaster.' (Photo by RONALDO SCHEMIDT / AFP) Rescuers in the US state of Texas on Monday searched for bodies swept away by flash floods that killed more than 80 people, including 27 girls and counselors at a summer camp. The nation was shocked at the disaster over the Fourth of July holiday weekend, and forecasters warned that thunderstorms threatened more flooding over saturated ground. 'Camp Mystic is grieving the loss of 27 campers and counselors following the catastrophic flooding,' the camp said in a statement. 'Our hearts are broken alongside our families that are enduring this unimaginable tragedy.' US President Donald Trump said he may visit Texas later this week, but brushed off concerns his cuts to weather forecasting and related federal agencies had weakened warning systems. ALSO READ: These two provinces need R160 million to fix damaged healthcare facilities Instead, he described the floods in the early hours of Friday as a '100-year catastrophe' that 'nobody expected.' At least 40 adults and 28 children were killed in the worst-hit Kerr County in central Texas, Sheriff Larry Leitha said Sunday, while at least 13 more people were killed by flooding in nearby areas. The death toll is expected to rise. Grim search Trump, who previously said disaster relief should be handled at the state level, signed a major disaster declaration, activating fresh funds and freeing up resources. About 20 helicopters were taking part in the search for missing people in an area popular with campers that also hosted several summer camps for children. Camp Mystic, one of the worst-hit, was an all-girl Christian camp where about 750 people had been staying with the floodwaters struck. ALSO READ: Malema promises urgent aid for Mthatha flood victims, calls on the wealthy to help In a terrifying display of nature's power, the rain-swollen waters of the Guadalupe River reached treetops and the roofs of cabins as girls at the camp slept. Blankets, teddy bears and other belongings were caked in mud. Windows in the cabins were shattered, apparently by the force of the water. Texas Governor Greg Abbott warned that more heavy rainfall could bring further flooding in Kerrville and surrounding areas, as officials cautioned people against going near still-raging rivers. Months' worth of rain fell in a matter of hours on Thursday night into Friday, and rain has continued in bouts since then. The Guadalupe surged around 26 feet (eight meters) — more than a two-story building — in just 45 minutes. ALSO READ: WATCH: Bad weather and floods wreak havoc in Cape Town Flash floods, which occur when the ground is unable to absorb torrential rainfall, are not unusual in this region of south and central Texas, known colloquially as 'Flash Flood Alley.' Human-driven climate change has made extreme weather events such as floods, droughts and heat waves more frequent and more intense in recent years. 'There's debris all over the place that makes roads impassable, that makes reconstruction projects unachievable,' Abbott said. People from elsewhere in the state converged on Kerr County to help look for the missing. Some residents also flew personal drones to help look, but officials urged them to stop, citing a danger to rescue aircraft. NOW READ: Eastern Cape floods: Here's how much victims will be given to rebuild their homes – By: © Agence France-Presse
Toronto Sun
06-07-2025
- Toronto Sun
Search for 27 missing girls plows forward after flash flood kills at least 51 people in Texas
Published Jul 06, 2025 • 4 minute read A volunteer looks for missing people, following severe flash flooding that occured during the July 4 holiday weekend, in Hunt, Texas, on July 6, 2025. Rescuers in Texas raced against time Sunday to find dozens of missing people, including children, swept away by flash floods that killed at least 59, as forecasters warned of new deluges. Local Texans joined forces with disaster officials to search through the night for the missing, including 27 girls from a riverside Christian summer camp. Texas Governor Greg Abbott said Camp Mystic on the banks of the Guadalupe River, where some 750 girls had been staying when the floodwaters hit, had been "horrendously ravaged in ways unlike I've seen in any natural disaster." Photo by RONALDO SCHEMIDT / AFP via Getty Images KERRVILLE, Texas (AP) — The gruelling, desperate search for 27 missing girls stretched into a third day on Sunday after raging floodwaters surged into a summer camp as rescuers maneuvered through challenging terrain, while Texans were asked to pray that any survivors would be found. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. 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Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account At least 51 people, including 15 children, were killed, with most of the deaths coming in Kerr County in the state's Hill Country. Besides the 43 dead in Kerr County, four deaths were reported in Travis, three in Burnet and 1 in Kendall. Rescuers dealt with broken trees, overturned cars and muck-filled debris in a difficult task to find survivors. Authorities still have not said how many people were missing beyond the children from Camp Mystic, a Christian summer camp along the Guadalupe River in Kerr County where most of the dead were recovered. With each passing hour, the outlook became more bleak. Volunteers and some families of the missing who drove to the disaster zone began searching the riverbanks despite being asked not to do so. Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Authorities faced growing questions about whether enough warnings were issued in area long vulnerable to flooding and whether enough preparations were made. The destructive, fast-moving waters rose 26 feet (8 meters) on the river in only 45 minutes before daybreak Friday, washing away homes and vehicles. The danger was not over as flash flood watches remained in effect and more rain fell in central Texas on Sunday. Searchers used helicopters, boats and drones to look for victims and to rescue people stranded in trees and from camps isolated by washed-out roads. Officials said more than 850 people were rescued in the first 36 hours. Trucks drive through a flooded and damaged road in Hunt, Texas, on July 6, 2025, following severe flash flooding that occured during the July 4 holiday weekend. (Photo by RONALDO SCHEMIDT / AFP) Photo by RONALDO SCHEMIDT / AFP via Getty Images A day of prayers in Texas Gov. Greg Abbott vowed that authorities will work around the clock and said new areas were being searched as the water receded. He declared Sunday a day of prayer for the state. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'I urge every Texan to join me in prayer this Sunday — for the lives lost, for those still missing, for the recovery of our communities, and for the safety of those on the front lines,' he said in a statement. In Rome, Pope Leo XIV offered special prayers for those touched by the disaster. History's first American pope spoke in English at the end of his Sunday noon blessing, 'I would like to express sincere condolences to all the families who have lost loved ones, in particular their daughters who were in summer camp, in the disaster caused by the flooding of the Guadalupe River in Texas in the United States. We pray for them.' The hills along the Guadalupe River are dotted with century-old youth camps and campgrounds where generations of families have come to swim and enjoy the outdoors. The area is especially popular around the Independence Day holiday, making it more difficult to know how many are missing. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'We don't even want to begin to estimate at this time,' Kerrville City Manager Dalton Rice said on Saturday. Harrowing escapes from floodwaters Survivors shared terrifying stories of being swept away and clinging to trees as rampaging floodwaters carried trees and cars past them. Others fled to attics inside their homes, praying the water wouldn't reach them. At Camp Mystic, a cabin full of girls held onto a rope strung by rescuers as they walked across a bridge with water whipping around their legs. Among those confirmed dead were an 8-year-old girl from Mountain Brook, Alabama, who was at Camp Mystic, and the director of another camp up the road. Locals know the area as ' flash flood alley' but the flooding in the middle of the night caught many campers and residents by surprise even though there were warnings. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The National Weather Service on Thursday advised of potential flooding and then sent out a series of flash flood warnings in the early hours of Friday before issuing flash flood emergencies — a rare alert notifying of imminent danger. At the Mo-Ranch Camp in the community of Hunt, officials had been monitoring the weather and opted to move several hundred campers and attendees at a church youth conference to higher ground. At nearby Camps Rio Vista and Sierra Vista, organizers also had mentioned on social media that they were watching the weather the day before ending their second summer session Thursday. Authorities and elected officials have said they did not expect such an intense downpour, the equivalent of months' worth of rain for the area. U.S. Rep. Chip Roy, whose district includes the ravaged area, acknowledged that there would be second-guessing and finger-pointing as people look for someone to blame. Read More Toronto Maple Leafs Sunshine Girls Toronto & GTA Crime Toronto Blue Jays
