Texas flooding deaths hit at least 80: Here's how you can help
The search for victims intensified July 6, as 11 children and a camp counselor remain missing from Camp Mystic, a Christian girls' camp at the river's edge.
The National Weather Service said Kerr County, located in Texas Hill Country, was inundated by as much as 15 inches of rain triggered by intense thunderstorms − half of the total the region sees in a year. The Guadalupe River rose more than 26 feet in just 45 minutes, Weather.com reported.
The area is known for being especially vulnerable to floods, earning it the nickname "flash flood alley," and it has experienced several major flood events in the past two decades.
President Donald Trump said in a statement Sunday that he signed a major disaster declaration for Kerr County, days after the flooding swept through Texas Hill Country.
It remains unclear how many people in total were still missing in the communities along the Guadalupe, where local officials say thousands of people came from out of town to celebrate the Fourth of July weekend.
Here's how you can help.
Texas flooding deaths reach at least 70: 11 young campers missing as rescuers race time
How to help in the aftermath of flooding in Texas
The Red Cross
The Red Cross has opened shelters in affected areas as well as two reunification centers, according to a post on X.
The organization is taking donations on its website.
World Central Kitchen
World Central Kitchen, the non-profit founded by chef José Andrés, deployed to Texas on July 4.
The organization provided food to stranded campers at Camp La Junta that have since been evacuated, according to a July 4 X post.
WCK is taking donations on its website.
Kerr County Relief Fund
The Community Foundation of the Texas Hill Country has started a Kerr County Flood Relief Fund.
The fund will provide aid to vetted organizations in Hunt, Ingram, Kerrville, Center Point, and Comfort that are providing rescue, relief, and recovery efforts as well as flood assistance, according to the foundation.
The fund is accepting donations on its website.
Austin Pets Alive!
The Austin animal shelter reported that it has taken in over 50 animals from Kerr and Williamson counties as of July 5.
In a July 6 update, the shelter said that they are coordinating a volunteer search and rescue group to find animals along the riverbank. The shelter also said it is seeking donations to provide support to families that have lost pets, including body recovery and cremation services.
The shelter is accepting donations on its website.
GoFundMe
Crowdfunding website GoFundMe has a page for verified fundraisers connected to the flooding in Central Texas.
The page will be updated as fundraisers are verified, according to GoFundMe.
The Salvation Army
The Salvation Army Kroc Center in Kerrville is coordinating and accepting donations of nonperishable goods, personal hygiene items, diapers and other items while providing regular updates on its Instagram page.
The Salvation Army of Texas has also deployed a deployed a mobile kitchen and team, according to a July 5 statement.
"The community was waking to celebrate the July 4th holiday and has suddenly been faced with historic and tragic flooding," Major Phil Swyers, of The Salvation Army in Kerrville, said in the statement. "The Salvation Army is here to help and will support those impacted by this disaster."
This story has been updated with new information and to fix a typo.
Contributing: Dinah Voyles Pulver, Susan Miller, Christopher Cann, Kathryn Palmer, USA TODAY
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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.
USA Today
an hour ago
- USA Today
'Seek HIGHER GROUND': New Mexico flash floods prompt water rescues
A southcentral New Mexico town was under a flash flood emergency the afternoon of Tuesday, July 8 as slow moving storms left people trapped in homes and prompted multiple water rescues, officials said. The National Weather Service in Albuquerque triggered the emergency for the village of Ruidoso at around 3 p.m. Tuesday. The town is susceptible to mudslides and increased runoff following two large fires left or scorched swathes of land known as "burn scars" last year. "A DANGEROUS situation is unfolding in RUIDOSO! A FLASH FLOOD EMERGENCY remains in effect! Seek HIGHER GROUND NOW! Do NOT attempt to drive through the floodwaters. The current will carry away your vehicle!'' the office wrote on social media. About three miles from Ruidoso, waters rose by 20 feet at the Rio Ruidoso at Hollywood in less than half an hour, according to NewsChannel3Now. The local station shared a video of a house being swept in the swollen river. Officials urged those near Rio Ruidoso to move to higher ground immediately and avoid driving through flooded roadways. The weather service said the river crested provisional measure of 20.24 feet, setting a new record and surpassing last year's 15.86 feet crest. Horse racetrack flooded, horses submerged up to their knees Waters flooded the town's Ruidoso Downs Racetrack, with Quarter horse trainer Marc Jungers saying his barn took on four feet of water, submerging horses up to their knees. "The track (Ruidoso Downs) is flooded. Mother Nature got us today. We just want to make sure the horses are okay and safe," Jungers told the El Paso Times, part of the USA TODAY Network. Quarter horse trainer Eric Valenzuela said the track is in poor condition and the jockeys' room was impacted. While his stables, located on higher ground, were spared major damage, he noted uncertainty about the remainder of the meet. Videos capture Ruidoso flash flooding Eddie Garcia, chief meteorologist with Albuquerque NBC affiliate KOB 4, shared a video on Facebook of a cabin being swept away by floodwaters. "A HOUSE in Ruidoso was washed away in flood waters just 30 min to an hour ago. Flash flood emergency until 5:15. Seek higher ground if you live in the area," Garcia posted on Facebook July 8. Ruidoso resident and arborist Jesus Figueroa also shared several videos on Facebook capturing flash flooding rushing through roads and cabins Tuesday afternoon. Emergency comes after deadly Texas floods kill at least 109 The Ruidoso flash flood emergency comes less than a week after devastating Texas floods left at least 109 people dead and more than 160 people missing. Search and rescue operations persist Tuesday after heavy rainfall overwhelmed the Guadalupe River on Friday, July 4 and floodwaters surged through homes. Among the victims are at least 27 children and counselors from the Kerr County Christian girls camp Camp Mystic. At least 30 children died in the county, Sheriff Larry Leitha confirmed Tuesday, July 8 as the search enters its fifth day. Five more Mystic campers and one counselor remain unaccounted for. Kerrville Police Department Community Services Officer Jonathan Lamb emphasized the chances for finding victims alive is slim, adding that the live rescue was made on Friday. Contributing: Jeanine Santucci and Jorge L. Ortiz, USA TODAY
