More than four dozen dead in devastating central Texas flash floods, over two dozen remain missing
At least 43 fatalities have been reported so far in Kerr County, its sheriff, Larry Leitha, said at a news conference Saturday evening. The dead include 28 adults and 15 children. Twelve of the adults and five children are unidentified, Leitha said. At least 27 Camp Mystic campers were missing, Dalton Rice, city manager for Kerryville, told reporters.
There were about 750 children at Camp Mystic when the floods hit, the sheriff said.
A view inside of a cabin at Camp Mystic, the site of where at least 20 girls went missing after flash flooding in Hunt, Texas, on July 5, 2025.
RONALDO SCHEMIDT/AFP via Getty Images
At least four deaths were confirmed in Travis County, county spokesperson Hector Nieto told CBS News by phone Saturday night. Travis County contains the Texas capital city of Austin.
In Burnet County, at least two people were confirmed dead and another six were missing, according to Derek Marchio, emergency management coordinator for the county. More than 50 rescues had been conducted countywide since the flooding crisis unfolded, Marchio said.
In Tom Green County, the San Angelo Police Department confirmed Saturday the death of a 62-year-old woman identified as Tanya Burwick. Police said Burwick was driving when her vehicle became submerged by floodwaters.
Officials have conducted more than 160 air rescues, Leitha said in an earlier update. In total, 850 uninjured and eight injured people have been rescued as of Saturday, he said.
"We've been rescuing people out of these camps by the hundreds, you know, all day," Rice said Saturday night. "There's a lot of folks that are shelter in place, so we leave them in place to make sure that we get them food, water."
Damaged vehicles and debris are seen roped off near the banks of the Guadalupe River after flooding in Ingram, Texas, Friday, July 4, 2025.
Michel Fortier/The San Antonio Express-News via AP
Some of the hundreds of people who were rescued in the last 36 hours were hanging onto trees, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said in Saturday's news conference. The governor said he signed an updated federal disaster declaration to include several other counties in Texas that have been damaged by storms.
U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, who was also in attendance at the news conference, said President Trump has indicated that he will honor Abbott's declaration. She said in a post on X earlier Saturday that the U.S. Coast Guard saved or assisted in saving 223 lives.
Kerr County Judge Rob Kelly said in Saturday's briefing that his property was also devastated by the flooding and he "barely got home" on Friday. Kelly also said he had visited a funeral home and "got to see first hand many of the body bags" before going on a helicopter ride with Sen. John Cornyn and Kerrville Mayor Joe Herring to survey the damage.
"It's gonna be a long time before we're ever going to be able able to clean it up much less rebuild it," Kelly said. "We didn't know. We knew we'd get rain, we know the river rises but nobody saw this coming."
Onlookers survey damage along the Guadalupe River after a flash flood swept through the area, Friday, July 4, 2025, in Kerrville, Texas.
Eric Gay / AP
Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said in a news briefing on Friday that there hadn't been "a drop of rain until the tragedy struck" earlier in the day, and that the Guadalupe River had risen about 26 feet in 45 minutes. An alert went out around 4 and 5 a.m. local time Friday, he said.
Speaking to reporters late Friday night aboard Air Force One, Mr. Trump called the floods a "terrible thing."
On Saturday, Mr. Trump said his administration was working with state and local officials and that Noem would be arriving in Texas shortly. DHS oversees the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
"Melania and I are praying for all the families impacted by this horrible tragedy," Mr. Trump wrote. "Our Brave First Responders are on site doing what they do best. GOD BLESS THE FAMILIES, AND GOD BLESS TEXAS!"
Onlookers walk along the banks of the Guadalupe River in Louise Hays Park, on July 5, 2025, in Kerrville, Texas, following heavy flooding.
Rodolfo Gonzalez / AP
How did the Guadalupe River flood so quickly?
Rice explained how the Guadalupe River flooded so quickly.
"When you look at the headwaters of the Guadalupe... there's a north and a south fork," Rice said Friday night. "Since 1987, under normal conditions, if you can call it that, you'll hit water in one of those areas, and those two forks will converge into the Guadalupe, which comes through the city of Kerrville."
"This rain event sat on top of that and dumped more rain than what was forecasted on both of those forks," Rice continued. "When we got the report, it was about 7 feet or so on the south fork, and within a matter of minutes it was up to 29 feet, and all of that converged at Guadalupe."
The Guadalupe River at Hunt reached its second-highest height on record, higher than the famous 1987 flood, the city said, citing the National Weather Service.
A raging Guadalupe River leaves fallen trees and debris in its wake, Friday, July 4, 2025, in Kerrville, Texas.
Eric Gay / AP
The Texas Division of Emergency Management had multiple meetings since Thursday to prepare, but the National Weather Service "did not predict the amount of rain that we saw," officials said, adding that the original estimate was up to 8 inches of rain.
Officials said they were still concerned about the weather, adding that "if you do not live in area, do not come."
Kerr County judge Rob Kelly said the area does "not have a warning system" and said that authorities were shocked by the ferocity of the floods.
"We had no reason to believe that this was gonna be any, anything like what's happened here. None whatsoever," Kelly told CBS Evening News.
A man surveys damage left by a raging Guadalupe River, Friday, July 4, 2025, in Kerrville, Texas.
Eric Gay / AP
People are reunited at a reunification center after flash flooding hit the area, Friday, July 4, 2025, in Ingram, Texas.
Eric Gay / AP
Texas issued flash flood emergencies in five counties in West Texas on Friday as Hill Country continued to be slammed by severe rain and flooding. Between 5 and 11 inches of rain have fallen in northwestern Bandera County, Central Kerr County, Northeastern Tom Green County, East Central Kerr County and West Central Kendall County, according to the National Weather Service.
Search and rescue operations are ongoing
There are hundreds of people on the ground from various units helping with search and rescue operations, officials said, which include drones and helicopters.
"We brought in over 100 troopers this morning," Col. Freeman Martin, director of the Texas Department of Public Safety, said during Friday night's news briefing. "And they've worked all day, rescues, high water vehicles, boats, rescue divers, seven rescue helicopters with hoist capabilities."
The governor signed a disaster declaration for several counties during the news conference Friday night, saying it "ensures all the counties will have access to every tool, strategy, personnel that the state of Texas can provide to them, which will be limitless."
"We will stop at nothing to ensure that every asset and person and plane, whatever is needed, is going to be involved in the process of rescuing every last person and ensure everybody involved in this is going to be fully accounted for," Abbott said.
Earlier Friday, Abbott asked that Texas residents "heed guidance from state and local officials and monitor local forecasts to avoid driving into flooded areas."
A helicopter flies over the Guadalupe River after a flash flood swept through the area, Friday, July 4, 2025, in Kerrville, Texas.
Eric Gay / AP
First responders scan the banks of the Guadalupe River for individuals swept away by flooding in Ingram, Texas, Friday, July 4, 2025.
Michel Fortier/The San Antonio Express-News via AP
Texas Sen. Ted Cruz said in a statement posted to social media that he had spoken to Mr. Trump, as well as other state officials.
"President Trump committed ANYTHING Texas needs," Cruz said.
Lorena Gullen, who owns a restaurant right next to an RV park that was affected by the floods, said "raging water" swept away vehicles, some with people still inside. Residents at the park had been celebrating the Fourth of July.
"You could also see vehicles coming from up the river with the lights on and hear somebody honking, and they were washing away but they kept going," she told CBS Evening News. "It was impossible."
Over two dozen people still missing
Three girls from Dallas — 8-year-old Hadley Hanna and 9-year-olds Eloise Peck and Lila Bonner — have been identified as among the Camp Mystic campers who were missing. The family of Bonner confirmed to CBS Texas on Saturday that she was among the children confirmed dead in the flood.
Two sisters from Dallas — 13-year-old Blair Harber and 11-year-old Brooke Harber, were also confirmed dead Saturday by the St. Rita Catholic Community church in Dallas. The sisters were not attending Camp Mystic, but were in the area when the flooding occurred.
The girls were staying with their grandparents along the Guadalupe River, who remain unaccounted for, according to the church. Their parents were in a separate cabin and were not harmed.
Meanwhile, Rep. August Pfluger of Texas said Saturday that two of his three children were evacuated from Camp Mystic.
"The last day has brought unimaginable grief to many families and we mourn with them as well as holding out hope for survivors," Pfluger said in a post on X.
On Friday, Patrick addressed parents of children at Camp Mystic. The lieutenant governor, who briefly acted as governor while Abbott was on vacation, said they are praying for all those missing "to be found alive."
"If they are alive and safe, we will find them and bring them home to you," Patrick said Friday.
Families line up at a reunification center after flash flooding it the area, Friday, July 4, 2025, in Ingram, Texas.
Eric Gay / AP
First responders deliver people to a reunification center after flash flooding in the area, Friday, July 4, 2025, in Ingram, Texas.
Eric Gay / AP
The camp said in a statement, read by Patrick, that there has been a "catastrophic level" of flooding.
Patrick said Camp Mystic is an all-girls summer camp in the area that has several camps with thousands of children attending for the summer. The camp said they have no power, no water and no Wi-Fi , adding that "the highway has washed away, so we are struggling to get more help."
"Please pray for everyone in the Hill Country, especially Camp Mystic," Cruz said in his social media statement.
The summer camp sits on a strip known as "flash flood alley," Austin Dickson, the CEO of the Community Foundation of the Texas Hill Country, told the Associated Press. The foundation is a charitable endowment that collects donations to help nonprofits responding to the disaster.
"When it rains, water doesn't soak into the soil," Dickson said. "It rushes down the hill."
A flood gauge marks the height of water flowing over a farm-to-market road near Kerrville, Texas, on Friday, July 4, 2025.
Eric Gay / AP
A man surveys damage left by a raging Guadalupe River, Friday, July 4, 2025, in Kerrville, Texas.
Eric Gay / AP
Elinor Lester, 13, told the Associated Press that she and her cabinmates were evacuated by helicopter. Her cabin was on elevated ground, but younger campers bunked in cabins situated along the riverbank, she said. Those were the first to flood. Younger campers came up the hill for shelter.
"The camp was completely destroyed," she told the Associated Press. "It was really scary. Everyone I know personally is accounted for, but there are people missing that I know of and we don't know where they are."
Her mother, Elizabeth Lester, told the Associated Press her son was at Camp La Junta, a nearby summer camp, and also survived after a counselor woke up, saw rising water and helped the boys swim out through a window. Camp La Junta and another camp on the river, Camp Waldemar, said in Instagram posts that all campers and staff there were safe.
"My kids are safe, but knowing others are still missing is just eating me alive," Elizabeth Lester told the Associated Press.
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9 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Texas floods: Death toll hits 78, 10 campers remain missing
KERRVILLE, Texas (AP) — Families sifted through waterlogged debris Sunday and stepped inside empty cabins at Camp Mystic, an all-girls summer camp ripped apart by flash floods that washed homes off their foundations and killed at least 78 people in central Texas. Rescuers maneuvering through challenging terrain continued their desperate search for the missing, including 10 girls and a counselor from the camp. For the first time since the storms began pounding the Texas, Gov. Greg Abbott said there were 41 people confirmed to be unaccounted for across the state and more could be missing. In Kerr County, home to Camp Mystic and other youth camps in the Texas Hill Country, searchers have found the bodies of 68 people, including 28 children, Sheriff Larry Leitha said in the afternoon. He pledged to keep searching until 'everybody is found' from Friday's flash floods. Ten other deaths were reported in Travis, Burnet, Kendall, Tom Green and Williamson counties, according to local officials. The death toll is certain to rise over the next few days, said Col. Freeman Martin of the Texas Department of Public Safety. The governor warned Sunday that additional rounds of heavy rains lasting into Tuesday could produce more life-threatening flooding, especially in places already saturated. The governor warned Sunday that additional rounds of heavy rains lasting into Tuesday could produce more life-threatening flooding, especially in places already saturated. Families were allowed to look around the camp beginning Sunday morning. One girl walked out of a building carrying a large bell. A man, who said his daughter was rescued from a cabin on the highest point in the camp, walked a riverbank, looking in clumps of trees and under big rocks. RELATED: What we know about victims of devastating Texas floods One family left with a blue footlocker. A teenage girl had tears running down her face looking out the open window, gazing at the wreckage as they slowly drove away. While the families saw the devastation for the first time, nearby crews operating heavy equipment pulled tree trunks and tangled branches from the water as they searched the river. With each passing hour, the outlook of finding more survivors became even more bleak. Volunteers and some families of the missing who drove to the disaster zone searched the riverbanks despite being asked not to do so. Authorities faced growing questions about whether enough warnings were issued in an area long vulnerable to flooding and whether enough preparations were made. President Donald Trump signed a major disaster declaration Sunday for Kerr County, activating the Federal Emergency Management Agency to Texas. 'These families are enduring an unimaginable tragedy, with many lives lost, and many still missing,' Trump posted on social media. List: Some of the deadliest US floods in the last 25 years 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. 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. '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. 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11 minutes ago
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We're still tracking the story of the heavy rain and catastrophic river flooding that swept away homes, vehicles and summer camps in Texas, early in the morning of July Fourth, but if you're like me, you're probably wondering how you can help the victims of this heart-wrenching event. Here's a list of reputable places where you can help those affected by this catastrophe. Charity scams abound amid devastating weather events and other disasters. Just a few minutes of research can make sure you're giving to a trusted organization. Check Better Business Bureau's Wise Giving Alliance, the Charity Navigator, Charity Watch or GuideStar for the best information. The Community Foundation of the Texas Hill Country The Community Foundation of the Texas Hill Country, a 501(c)(3) charity, has set up the Kerr County Flood Relief Fund to help those impacted by the floods. According to the foundation, "Grants from the Fund will support nonprofit organizations, first responder agencies, and local governments actively involved in response, relief, and recovery efforts. While we are unable to award grants directly to individuals or families - or to fund repairs to private property or replace personal belongings - we are committed to channeling resources to the trusted organizations working tirelessly to help our neighbors in need. Together, we can make a meaningful difference during this challenging time." GoFundMe The crowdfunding platform GoFundMe has established a webpage of verified fundraisers for individuals impacted by the flooding and storms. Salvation Army The Salvation Army operates mobile feeding units, emergency disaster warehouses and other relief efforts. World Central Kitchen World Central Kitchen's Relief Team is in central Texas, providing freshly made, nutritious meals to the communities impacted by this disaster. Several groups are assisting with providing food and supplies for pets and livestock, as well as evacuating animals and taking them to safer locations. They include: Kerrville Pets Alive, Hill Country SPCA and Austin Pets Alive.
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