Soccer coach and wife killed in Texas floods as their kids remain missing with death toll at 52: Live updates
The ongoing deluge which started on July 3 has taken the lives of at least 52 people, including 15 children, while destroying thousands of homes and businesses.
Soccer coach Reece Zunker and his wife Paula died in the horrific torrent - and their two young children are still missing.
The couple's family and local soccer team confirmed their deaths on social media, while one relative said their house was spotted 'floating down the Guadalupe River'.
It comes as residents have started questioning why officials failed to warn them about the floods until 1.18pm on July 3, and framed them as only 'moderate' storms.
The National Weather Service escalated the alert to a flash flood warning at 1am Friday, then a more serious Flash Flood Emergency by 4.30am - but by this stage water was already pouring into families' homes.
A flood watch remains in place for many of the worst-hit areas of central Texas through Sunday, including Kerrville County where the majority of the deaths have been recorded. Forecasters have warned that more rain is on the way.
12:32
Beloved soccer coach and wife among the dead
Reece Zunker and his wife Paula are among those who died in the devastating floods, and their two young children are still missing.
The couple's family and local soccer team confirmed their deaths on social media, while one relative said their house was spotted 'floating down the Guadalupe River'.
Tivy Boys Soccer team paid tribute to their coach in a Facebook post, saying he 'rebuilt the soccer program and left a legacy'.
'His passion for his players, students, co-workers, community and his family will never be forgotten,' the team wrote.
Dozens of people commented on the post to share the 'incredible' impact he had on their lives.
Texas flooding death toll climbs to 52
Officials have said 52 people have been confirmed dead, including 15 children, since the deluge began in central Texas on Thursday.
The majority of those who died were in Kerrville County, where the Guadalupe River broke its banks in the early hours of the Fourth of July.
Rescuers were continuing to comb the river for dozens of missing people on Sunday. The death toll is expected to rise.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Sky News
25 minutes ago
- Sky News
Texas flooding live: Heavy rain forecast as search goes on for missing girls and dozens more
The victims and people missing named so far Details of those who have died and those who are missing after US flash floods are slowly emerging - with several young girls among those unaccounted for. Tributes to those who died, and appeals for those who are still missing, are now being shared. Among those killed are girls as young as eight who were at Camp Mystic, a Christian summer camp for girls along the Guadalupe River. In pictures: Devastating impact of Texas floods As the deadly floodwaters in Texas have receded, the scale of the destruction has become more evident. More heavy rainfall has been forecast today (see 9.08 post), hastening efforts from rescue workers to find those unaccounted for across the state. Here are the latest images from Texas: At least 10 girls still missing from Camp Mystic There are still at least 10 girls and one counsellor still unaccounted for from Camp Mystic, a Christian summer camp for girls along the Guadalupe River. In a statement, the summer camp said that it is continuing to coordinate with local and state authorities in the search. Camp Mystic was hosting 750 children when the floodwaters struck. It has already confirmed at least 27 people died from flooding and said it continues to grieve the deaths of campers and counsellors. "Our hearts are broken alongside our families that are enduring this unimaginable tragedy. We are praying for them constantly," the statement said. The camp thanked the community, first responders and officials for "the outpouring of support" and asked for continued prayers. The director of the camp, Dick Eastland, was among those killed in the floods. He died trying to save the campers "he so loved and cared for", his grandson George said on social media. Flood watch extended as more heavy rainfall expected The National Weather Service is warning of the possibility of more flash floods over the next few hours in central Texas. "Thunderstorms are expected to increase across portions of central TX over the next few hours, with areas of slow movement and locally heavy rainfall," the weather service said in a forecast discussion. The service said up to three inches of localised hourly rainfall is expected, "leading to isolated flash flood concerns across the region". Welcome back Good morning and welcome back to our live coverage of the devastating flooding in Texas. At least 82 people have died after heavy rain burst the banks of the Guadalupe River on Friday US President Donald Trump announced he had signed a major disaster declaration for Kerr County, the area hardest-hit. Rescuers are still searching for at least 41 missing people, according to state and local officials. Among them are 10 girls and one counsellor from Camp Mystic, an all-girls summer camp along the river. Texas governor Greg Abbott said flash flooding continues to pose a danger for several parts of the state as "more heavy rainfall" is expected. The National Weather Service has extended the flood watch over much of south-central Texas as several inches of rain are expected for the region today. Stay with us as we bring you the all the latest. We're pausing our live coverage We are now pausing our live coverage of the devastating flooding that ripped through parts of Texas early Friday. Thank you for following along. Death toll rises to at least 82 The number of those killed in the floods is 82, but officials have repeatedly warned that this figure is likely to change, as rescuers work night and day to find survivors and recover bodies. Here are the deaths per county: Kerr: 68 Williamson: 1 Burnet: 4 Tom Green: 1 Travis County: 6 Kendall: 2 George W. Bush and Barack Obama send prayers to Texas Two former presidents have offered prayers for the families in Texas. George W. Bush, who served as governor of Texas from 1995 to 2000, said he and his wife are "holding up our fellow Texans who are hurting." Laura Bush, his wife, used to be a counsellor at Camp Mystic, where 27 people died in the floods. President Barack Obama also shared heartfelt condolences, writing in a post on X that the flash flooding is "absolutely heartbreaking." Watch: US Coast Guard rescues people stuck in flooded mobile home The Coast Guard helped rescue people in flood-affected areas of Texas, including assisting four people from a mobile home community in Leander. White House hit backs at 'disgusting' claims about weather service staffing The White House has hit back at criticism that the National Weather Service was not properly staffed. Officials have said forecasts underestimated the amount of rain, with questions being asked about what warnings were sent out to residents. Critics blamed cuts by the Trump administration. Donald Trump's administration has already ordered 800 job cuts at the science and climate organisation NOAA, the parent organisation of the National Weather Service, which predicts and warns about extreme weather like the Texas floods. A 30% cut to its budget is also in the pipeline, subject to approval by Congress. But Abigail Jackson, a White House spokesperson, told Sky's US partner NBC News the accusations were "disgusting" lies to target political opponents. "False claims about the NWS have been repeatedly debunked by meteorologists, experts, and other public reporting," Jackson said. "The NWS did their job, even issuing a flood watch more than 12 hours in advance."
Daily Mail
25 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Chilling timelapse video shows how Texas river of death swelled 30ft in 45 minutes before washing scores of people away to their death
A chilling timelapse video has emerged showing how the Texas river of death swelled more than 30ft in just 45 minutes before claiming the lives of at least 82, including children. So far 40 adults and 28 children have died since the early hours of the Fourth of July - when rapid rainfall caused the Guadalupe River to surge more than 30 feet above its normal level in under an hour. Rescue teams are still frantically searching for 41 missing victims, including 11 girls who were at Camp Mystic, a Christian summer camp along the river in Kerr County, when tragedy struck. The terrifying footage from July 4, posted on X, shows the floods rising from 5pm to 6pm at an alarming rate as vehicles and locals in the background become trapped behind the river. From around 5:15pm to 5:20pm the murky waters can be seen sweeping over a road while completely engulfing the smaller trees and bushes its path. Over the next 20 minutes, the waters creep further up the narrow road as onlookers flee the devastating scene. After the full hour has passed, only two tree tops are left visible as the flood water surges through the area. One concerned viewer wrote: 'Those making remarks regarding evacuations and warnings please take note: The video begins at 5:12. Stop the video at 5:18 and look at the water level. Where does one run to in 6 minutes?' Another added: 'Beyond insane to watch the levels rise on the timelapse'. Officials in Kerr County have since warned the area near Johnson Creek and the Guadalupe River could rise by a further two feet due to incoming rain, as they announced a new wave of evacuations. Nim Kidd, Chief of the Texas Division of Emergency Management, advised Kerr County to brace for more of the deadly rains which have already claimed the lives of at least 80 people. 'There are unconfirmed at this point reports of additional water coming in. And as the governor mentioned, there's rain still falling on the area,' Kidd said at a press conference. 'We've got DPS aircraft that are flying up to try to find this wall of water right now, and the people in the reported areas, again, unconfirmed, that are on our communication systems.' Locals in central Texas are being urged to scramble to higher ground following further flash flood warnings as a result of further rain falling on saturated ground. On July 6, Daily Mail revealed that T exas's Division of Emergency Management predicted the number of dead as a result of catastrophic flooding would top 100. In an email sent out Saturday, the state disaster office told partners the number of dead would surpass 100, two different sources confirmed to Daily Mail. The estimate of the dead is vastly different than the message state officials are projecting publicly, insisting that they are still searching for people who are alive, and refusing to say rescue efforts have shifted to recovery of remains. 'Our state assets and local partners are continuing to search for live victims,' Kidd told reporters at a press conference Saturday. 'Our hope and prayer is that there is still people alive that are out there.' DNA testing will also be used to help identify the remains of the flood victims, a state source told Daily Mail. Families have been asked for blood draws or other records to help identify the bodies of loved ones who have been recovered. Relatives of the missing have started arriving in the Kerrville area from across the Lone Star State to provide investigators with DNA samples. More information has been emerging in recent hours about the victims, including those lost at Camp Mystic. At least five girls, aged between eight and nine, lost their lives in the flood after the summer camp was swept away on July 4. Beloved director of all-girl's Christian Camp Mystic, Richard 'Dick' Eastland, 70, also died while trying to save girls as a month's worth of rain dropped in a matter of minutes. The youngest campers slept on low-laying 'flats' inside the camp's cabins, whereas older girls slept in cabins on higher ground, according to the NYT. Most of the missing girls are from the younger age bracket, who were sleeping just yards away from the banks of the Guadalupe River. Texas Governor Greg Abbott said that some 750 girls had been staying at the camp when the floodwaters hit. Some of those who are missing or died at Camp Mystic are connected to wealthy families in Highland Park. Known as the Beverly Hills of Dallas, Highland Park and neighboring Park Cities are home to many of missing girls who belong to prominent families. Some have ties to Highland Park United Methodist Church - whose most famous member is former President George W. Bush. 'This crisis affects many our HPUMC family and our local Park Cities community, including generations of women and families touched by Camp Mystic,' wrote Highland Park United Methodist Church head pastor Paul Rasmussen. 'One of the girls unaccounted for, Hadley Hanna, is a part of our church family. Please pray for her safety and for her parents, Doug and Carrie, along with her two sisters.' Over 300 people attended a prayer vigil at the church Saturday in support of the flood victims.
Times
an hour ago
- Times
Why did the flash floods catch Texas by surprise?
The deadly floods in the Texas Hill Country have cast fresh doubt over whether forecasting systems and emergency responses are keeping pace with the growing risks of a changing climate. Questions are also being asked on cuts to the federal workforce, driven by the White House, and if they might have contributed to the disaster. The National Weather Service (NWS) office in San Angelo is said to have been understaffed, with at least one senior meteorologist taking early retirement as part of the Trump administration's effort to reduce government headcount. Nationwide, the NWS lost about 15 per cent of its staff in the months after President Trump's inauguration through a combination of retirements and layoffs. Many of those who left were directly involved in producing forecasts. In April, the agency warned of 'degraded operations' due to worker shortages.
