Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick says flash flood alerts went out — but not everyone got them
'There were alert warnings that went out, we believe, by the locals. But if you are a resident and you signed up for it, you got it,' Patrick (R) told 'Fox & Friends Weekend' on Sunday.
'But if you happen to be a stranger who just came in for the Fourth of July weekend, you might not have had that.'
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3 Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick says some alert warnings went out to residents ahead of the devastating weekend floods.
FOX News
Flood waters rose with incredible speed in the dead of night — with the Guadeloupe River rising 20 feet in about 90 minutes between 4 and 5:30 a.m. July 40.
The death toll from the devastating flooding has since risen to 59, while search and rescue carries on for additional survivors.
Local officials have said that weather forecasts had not projected nearly as much rain, and they were therefore caught off guard by the flooding.
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3 A man looks at a damaged road after severe flash flooding that occured during the July 4 holiday weekend, in Hunt, Texas, on July 6, 2025.
AFP via Getty Images
'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,' Texas Emergency Management Chief W. Nim Kidd explained during a press conference Friday.
'The amount of rain that fell at this specific location was never in any of those forecasts.'
Critics have called for a deeper review of why the National Weather Service wasn't able to predict the flooding much earlier, or whether there were mishaps in its forecasts getting to emergency managers.
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Around 6:30 p.m. local time, Thursday, forecasters said that, 'Rapid runoff is expected, with locally considerable flash and urban flash flooding possible … the nocturnal timing will also enhance the hazard potential and impacts.'
Forecasters had also noted that there was potential for historic rainfall.
There had been some alerts and warnings documented, such as a flash flood warning around 1:20 p.m. Thursday, that noted concerns about Kerrville and an alert in the area about 'life-threatening flash flooding' around 1:15 a.m. intended to set off phones via the Emergency Alert System.
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3 Crews work to clear debris from the Cade Loop bridge along the Guadalupe River on Saturday, July 5, 2025, in Ingram, Texas.
AP
'If you put a pin on the map, of the worst place the heaviest rains could fall was right where they fell in that whole area,' Patrick explained.
'This happened in the middle of the night, in the middle of the darkness, and the worst spot in a big area.'
Patrick acknowledged that the death toll from the deadly flooding is expected to rise, but emphasized that he's holding out hope that there will be more survivors.
Currently, there are an estimated 27 missing children.
'We have not given up on recovery. We have not given up search and rescue. Search and Rescue, first and foremost, recovery, if it happens,' Patrick vowed. 'Miracles can happen.'
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CBS News
24 minutes ago
- CBS News
Camp Mystic disaster plan approved 2 days before Central Texas flood killed dozens
Texas inspectors signed off on Camp Mystic's emergency plan just two days before the devastating flood killed more than two dozen people at the all-girls Christian summer camp, most of them children. Five children and one counselor remain missing. Records released Tuesday show the camp met state regulations for disaster procedures, but details of the plan remain unclear. Despite warnings from the National Weather Service, Camp Mystic did not relocate its more than 650 campers and staff. Camp Mystic disaster plans Five years of inspection reports released to The Associated Press do not offer any details of disaster plans at the camp, raising new questions about its preparedness ahead of the torrential July 4 rainfall in flood-prone Texas Hill Country. The Department of State Health Services released records Tuesday showing the camp complied with a host of state regulations regarding "procedures to be implemented in case of a disaster." Among them: instructing campers what to do if they need to evacuate and assigning specific duties to each staff member and counselor. The Texas Administrative Code lays out youth camp licensing requirements. There's no specific requirement involving weather radios or any mention of flooding specifically, but a written disaster plan is required. The plan isn't required to be submitted to the state, but must be posted on-site. National Weather Service warnings As early as 3:30 a.m. on July 3, more than 24 hours earlier, the National Weather Service warned of potential "isolated flooding." That afternoon, at 2:30 p.m., more than 12 hours before the floods, it issued an official flood watch for western portions of the Hill Country, including Kerr County. It forecast 1 to 3 inches of rain was possible, but it also warned it couldn't rule out the chance isolated areas would see as much as 5 to 7 inches. That danger prompted at least one of the roughly 18 camps along the Guadalupe River to move dozens of campers to higher ground. Camp Mystic, established in 1926, did not do that and was especially hard hit when the river rose from 14 feet to 29.5 feet within 60 minutes in the early morning hours of the disaster. Flooding on that stretch of the Guadalupe starts at about 10 feet. The first flash flood warning came at 11:42 p.m., just before midnight, for Medina, Texas, just south of Kerr County, urging people there to move immediately to higher ground. By 1:14 a.m., flash flood warnings went out to Ingram and Hunt, as well, where several summer camps, including Camp Mystic, are located. Again, the warnings urged people to seek higher ground. It wasn't until 3 a.m., nearly two hours after the warning was issued, that it hit 10 feet, what NOAA labels its "minor flooding" stage. That also marks the "action" stage, the level at which, NOAA says, when reached by a rising stream, "some type of mitigation" becomes necessary to prepare for possibly significant activity. From there, the river surged. A wall of water overwhelmed people in cabins, tents and trailers along the river's edge. Some survivors were found clinging to trees. Growing frustration with Texas flood warnings, response Survivors have described the floods as a "pitch black wall of death" and said they received no emergency warnings. Officials have come under scrutiny about why residents and youth summer camps along the river were not alerted sooner than 4 a.m. or told to evacuate. Officials noted that the public can grow weary from too many flooding alerts or forecasts that turn out to be minor. Kerr County Judge Rob Kelly said 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." The potential for heavy rains had put precautions in motion as the state activated an emergency response plan and moved resources into the Central Texas area. Camp Mystic inspection and accreditation The state inspected Camp Mystic on July 2, the same day the Texas Division of Emergency Management activated emergency response resources ahead of the anticipated flooding. The inspection found no deficiencies or violations at the camp in a long list of health and safety criteria. A DSHS inspector signed off on the inspection, noting "yes" to these three criteria/questions: "Required Emergency Plans Is there a written plan of procedures to be implemented in case of a disaster, serious accident, epidemic, or fatality formulated and posted in the camp's administrative on-site office or location? Yes Are all camp staff and volunteers made aware of the plan of emergency to be implemented during the staff training program or volunteer briefing? Yes Is there documentation of this training kept at the camp's administrative on-site office or location? Yes" The camp had 557 campers and more than 100 staffers at the time between its Guadalupe and Cypress Lake locations. Camp Mystic did not respond to requests from the Associated Press for comment on its emergency plan. The camp notes that it is licensed by the state and a member of the Camping Association for Mutual Progress, which says its goal is to "raise health and safety standards" for summer camps. Leaders of that association didn't return messages. The American Camp Association said Tuesday that Camp Mystic is not accredited with that organization, whose standards focus on safety and risk management. Spokesperson Lauren McMillin declined to say whether the camp previously had been accredited with the association, which describes itself as "the only nationwide accrediting organization for all year-round and summer camps." In a statement on its website, the camp said it has been "in communication with local and state authorities who are tirelessly deploying extensive resources to search for our missing girls." Among the dead was Richard "Dick" Eastland, the camp's beloved director described by campers as a father figure.
Hamilton Spectator
an hour ago
- Hamilton Spectator
Timeline raises questions over how Texas officials handled warnings before the deadly July 4 flood
Officials in Texas are facing mounting questions about whether they did enough to get people out of harm's way before a flash flood swept down the Guadalupe River and killed more than 100 people, including 27 children and counselors at an all-girls Christian camp. More than 160 people are still believed to be missing in Texas days after flash floods killed over 100 people during the July Fourth weekend, the state's governor said Tuesday. In the days since the devastation, state, federal and Kerr County officials have deflected pointed questions about preparations and warnings. The Associated Press has assembled an approximate timeline of the 48 hours before, during and after the deadly flash flood, beginning with the activation of the state's emergency response resources on July 2 — the same day Texas signed off on the camp's emergency plan for disasters. By daybreak on July Fourth, it was clear that some children from Camp Mystic were swept away by floodwaters even as others were able to escape to safety in their pajamas. ___ Wednesday, July 2: The Texas Division of Emergency Management activated state emergency response resources anticipating the threat of flooding in parts of West and Central Texas. On the same day, Texas inspectors signed off on Camp Mystic's emergency planning, records obtained by the AP show. Thursday, July 3: 10:00 a.m.: Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said Friday that county judges and city mayors were invited to be on a daily call Thursday to discuss weather forecasts. Patrick also said a regional coordinator personally reached out to officials in the area. 'The message was sent,' Patrick said. 'It is up to the local counties and mayors under the law to evacuate if they feel the need.' 1:18 p.m.: The National Weather Service's Austin/San Antonio office issued a flood watch estimating rainfall amounts of one to three inches, with isolated amounts of five to seven inches for parts of south central Texas, including Kerr County. 'Excessive runoff may result in flooding of rivers,' the alert read. Friday, July 4: 1:14 a.m.: Citing radar, the National Weather Service issued a flash flood warning for central Kerr County until 4:15 a.m., warning that it was life threatening. Around 3:00 a.m.: Kerrville City Manager Dalton Rice said he was running on the river trail around 3 or 3:30 a.m. Friday and 'everything was fine.' 'Four o'clock when I left, there was no signs of it rising at that point,' Rice said during a news conference later. 'This happened very quickly over a very short amount of time.' Rice said the isolated location and the heavy rain in a short period of time made a dangerous event that was not predictable, even with radar and National Weather Service warnings. 'This is not like a tornado where you can have a siren. This is not like a hurricane where you're planning weeks in advance,' Rice said. 'It hit. It hit hard.' Between 3 and 5 a.m.: Floodwaters begin to inundate Camp Mystic . Young campers, counselors and staff are roused from sleep and begin a desperate rush to higher ground, according to social media accounts. The accounts detail how some young girls had to climb through cabin windows. One staffer said she was on the roof with water rising toward her at 4:00 a.m. 3:30 a.m.: Erin Burgess woke up to thunder at around 3:30 a.m. Friday in her home in Bumble Bee Hills, a housing development about halfway between Hunt and Ingram. Within a half hour or so, she told the AP that the water was rushing into her house. Burgess and her 19-year-old son clung onto a tree outside for an hour before the water receded. 3:35 a.m.: The National Weather Service extended its flash flood warning for central Kerr County until 7 a.m. based on radar and automated gauges. 3:35 a.m.: A U.S. Geological Survey gauge along the Guadalupe River about five miles north of Camp Mystic and about a mile east of Hunt shows the river had reached nearly 16 feet. The river at that location is subject to minor flooding at 10 feet. Between 4 and 5 a.m.: Kerr County Sheriff Larry Leitha said he was first notified about the situation from one of his sergeants. 4:03 a.m.: The National Weather Service named a flash flood emergency for south-central Kerr County, saying in all caps that it was a 'particularly dangerous situation. Seek higher ground now!' Citing radar and automated rain gauges, the bulletin said low water crossings and the Guadalupe River at Hunt were flooding. 4:35 a.m.: A U,S, Geological Survey gauge along the Guadalupe River about five miles north of Camp Mystic and about a mile east of Hunt stops sending data. The last recorded river level from the instrumentation was 29.5 feet. 5:30 a.m.: Police knocked on Matthew Stone's door in a Kerrville riverfront neighborhood, urging residents to evacuate. Stone said he had received no emergency warning on his phone. 'We got no emergency alert. There was nothing,' Stone said. Then: 'a pitch black wall of death.' 5:34 a.m.: The National Weather Service bulletin reported a flash flood emergency from Hunt through Kerrville and Center Point, saying 'automated rain gauges indicate a large and deadly flood wave is moving down the Guadalupe River.' 5:38 a.m.: In a comment on a Facebook post from the Kerr County Sheriff's Office, one woman begged for someone to help her mother-in-law who was trapped in a trailer between Hunt and Ingram. 5:52 a.m.: Minutes later, another woman commented on the same Facebook post that Bumble Bee Hills was flooded and needed help. 6:06 a.m.: The National Weather Service extended the flash flood warning until 10:00 a.m. The bulletin also said local law enforcement reported 'major flooding' and water rescues along the Guadalupe River. 6:19 a.m.: Another Facebook commenter on the Kerr County Sheriff's page said a 'friend and her family are on their rooftop in Hunt, waiting for rescue.' 6:45 a.m.: A U.S. Geological Survey gauge in Kerrville shows the Guadalupe River peaks at 34.29 feet, a figure that is preliminary and subject to change. It is the third-highest river level at that location, according to the data. The record of 39 feet was set on July 2, 1932, 6:59 a.m.: Erin Burgess was surveying damage in her flooded home after the river water receded. The line of muck reached halfway up her kitchen cabinets. 7:24 a.m.: The National Weather Service advises that the flash flood emergency extends to Sisterdale. 11:29 a.m.: Camp Mystic parents receive an email noting the grounds have 'sustained catastrophic level floods' and that they are without power, water and internet. Parents with a daughter not accounted for were directly contacted, the camp said. 11:30 a.m.: Local officials held the first press conference to describe the situation and response. Asked what kind of warning system went out to make sure county residents got out safely, Judge Rob Kelly, the county's chief elected official said: 'We do not have a warning system.' When a reporter followed up to ask why camps weren't evacuated when the camps were in harm's way, Kelly said they didn't know 'this flood' was coming. 'We had no reason to believe that this was going to be any, anything like what's happened here,' Kelly said. 'None whatsoever.' 3:30 p.m.: Two news conferences on Friday afternoon were the first to offer an initial death toll. Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said six to 10 bodies had been found so far. Around the same time, Kerr County Sheriff Larry Leitha reported that 13 people had died in the flooding. Patrick also announced that the whereabouts of about 23 girls attending Camp Mystic were not known. 7:11 p.m.: A state agency responsible for search and rescue operations, the Texas Game Wardens, post on Facebook that they made entry into Camp Mystic and 'are evacuating the campers to safety.' Roughly two dozen campers were still missing. 9 p.m.: Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signed a disaster declaration at a news conference. Leitha reported about 24 fatalities.
San Francisco Chronicle
an hour ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Timeline raises questions over how Texas officials handled warnings before the deadly July 4 flood
Officials in Texas are facing mounting questions about whether they did enough to get people out of harm's way before a flash flood swept down the Guadalupe River and killed more than 100 people, including 27 children and counselors at an all-girls Christian camp. More than 160 people are still believed to be missing in Texas days after flash floods killed over 100 people during the July Fourth weekend, the state's governor said Tuesday. In the days since the devastation, state, federal and Kerr County officials have deflected pointed questions about preparations and warnings. The Associated Press has assembled an approximate timeline of the 48 hours before, during and after the deadly flash flood, beginning with the activation of the state's emergency response resources on July 2 — the same day Texas signed off on the camp's emergency plan for disasters. By daybreak on July Fourth, it was clear that some children from Camp Mystic were swept away by floodwaters even as others were able to escape to safety in their pajamas. ___ Wednesday, July 2: The Texas Division of Emergency Management activated state emergency response resources anticipating the threat of flooding in parts of West and Central Texas. On the same day, Texas inspectors signed off on Camp Mystic's emergency planning, records obtained by the AP show. Thursday, July 3: 10:00 a.m.: Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said Friday that county judges and city mayors were invited to be on a daily call Thursday to discuss weather forecasts. Patrick also said a regional coordinator personally reached out to officials in the area. 'The message was sent,' Patrick said. 'It is up to the local counties and mayors under the law to evacuate if they feel the need.' 1:18 p.m.: The National Weather Service's Austin/San Antonio office issued a flood watch estimating rainfall amounts of one to three inches, with isolated amounts of five to seven inches for parts of south central Texas, including Kerr County. 'Excessive runoff may result in flooding of rivers,' the alert read. Friday, July 4: 1:14 a.m.: Citing radar, the National Weather Service issued a flash flood warning for central Kerr County until 4:15 a.m., warning that it was life threatening. Around 3:00 a.m.: Kerrville City Manager Dalton Rice said he was running on the river trail around 3 or 3:30 a.m. Friday and 'everything was fine.' 'Four o'clock when I left, there was no signs of it rising at that point," Rice said during a news conference later. "This happened very quickly over a very short amount of time.' Rice said the isolated location and the heavy rain in a short period of time made a dangerous event that was not predictable, even with radar and National Weather Service warnings. 'This is not like a tornado where you can have a siren. This is not like a hurricane where you're planning weeks in advance,' Rice said. 'It hit. It hit hard.' Between 3 and 5 a.m.: Floodwaters begin to inundate Camp Mystic. Young campers, counselors and staff are roused from sleep and begin a desperate rush to higher ground, according to social media accounts. The accounts detail how some young girls had to climb through cabin windows. One staffer said she was on the roof with water rising toward her at 4:00 a.m. 3:30 a.m.: Erin Burgess woke up to thunder at around 3:30 a.m. Friday in her home in Bumble Bee Hills, a housing development about halfway between Hunt and Ingram. Within a half hour or so, she told the AP that the water was rushing into her house. Burgess and her 19-year-old son clung onto a tree outside for an hour before the water receded. 3:35 a.m.: The National Weather Service extended its flash flood warning for central Kerr County until 7 a.m. based on radar and automated gauges. 3:35 a.m.: A U.S. Geological Survey gauge along the Guadalupe River about five miles north of Camp Mystic and about a mile east of Hunt shows the river had reached nearly 16 feet. The river at that location is subject to minor flooding at 10 feet. Between 4 and 5 a.m.: Kerr County Sheriff Larry Leitha said he was first notified about the situation from one of his sergeants. 4:03 a.m.: The National Weather Service named a flash flood emergency for south-central Kerr County, saying in all caps that it was a "particularly dangerous situation. Seek higher ground now!' Citing radar and automated rain gauges, the bulletin said low water crossings and the Guadalupe River at Hunt were flooding. 4:35 a.m.: A U,S, Geological Survey gauge along the Guadalupe River about five miles north of Camp Mystic and about a mile east of Hunt stops sending data. The last recorded river level from the instrumentation was 29.5 feet. 5:30 a.m.: Police knocked on Matthew Stone's door in a Kerrville riverfront neighborhood, urging residents to evacuate. Stone said he had received no emergency warning on his phone. 'We got no emergency alert. There was nothing,' Stone said. Then: 'a pitch black wall of death.' 5:34 a.m.: The National Weather Service bulletin reported a flash flood emergency from Hunt through Kerrville and Center Point, saying 'automated rain gauges indicate a large and deadly flood wave is moving down the Guadalupe River.' 5:38 a.m.: In a comment on a Facebook post from the Kerr County Sheriff's Office, one woman begged for someone to help her mother-in-law who was trapped in a trailer between Hunt and Ingram. 5:52 a.m.: Minutes later, another woman commented on the same Facebook post that Bumble Bee Hills was flooded and needed help. 6:06 a.m.: The National Weather Service extended the flash flood warning until 10:00 a.m. The bulletin also said local law enforcement reported 'major flooding' and water rescues along the Guadalupe River. 6:19 a.m.: Another Facebook commenter on the Kerr County Sheriff's page said a 'friend and her family are on their rooftop in Hunt, waiting for rescue.' 6:45 a.m.: A U.S. Geological Survey gauge in Kerrville shows the Guadalupe River peaks at 34.29 feet, a figure that is preliminary and subject to change. It is the third-highest river level at that location, according to the data. The record of 39 feet was set on July 2, 1932, 6:59 a.m.: Erin Burgess was surveying damage in her flooded home after the river water receded. The line of muck reached halfway up her kitchen cabinets. 7:24 a.m.: The National Weather Service advises that the flash flood emergency extends to Sisterdale. 11:29 a.m.: Camp Mystic parents receive an email noting the grounds have 'sustained catastrophic level floods' and that they are without power, water and internet. Parents with a daughter not accounted for were directly contacted, the camp said. 11:30 a.m.: Local officials held the first press conference to describe the situation and response. Asked what kind of warning system went out to make sure county residents got out safely, Judge Rob Kelly, the county's chief elected official said: 'We do not have a warning system.' When a reporter followed up to ask why camps weren't evacuated when the camps were in harm's way, Kelly said they didn't know 'this flood' was coming. 'We had no reason to believe that this was going to be any, anything like what's happened here,' Kelly said. 'None whatsoever.' 3:30 p.m.: Two news conferences on Friday afternoon were the first to offer an initial death toll. Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said six to 10 bodies had been found so far. Around the same time, Kerr County Sheriff Larry Leitha reported that 13 people had died in the flooding. Patrick also announced that the whereabouts of about 23 girls attending Camp Mystic were not known. 7:11 p.m.: A state agency responsible for search and rescue operations, the Texas Game Wardens, post on Facebook that they made entry into Camp Mystic and 'are evacuating the campers to safety.' Roughly two dozen campers were still missing.
