
Death toll from Texas flood rises to 43, frantic search for survivors as 27 girls missing
Officials informed that about 850 people have been rescued from the floods, some of whom were clinging to trees after a sudden storm brought up to 15 inches of rain near the Guadalupe River, 137 kilometres north west of San Antonio. The weather forecast has suggested that there could be more rain in the area and potentially more floods.
What we have seen in the past 24 hours is quintessentially Texan.
Texans fight challenges head on, and today is no different.
Our first responders will not stop until every missing person is found. pic.twitter.com/MNS8CRw0uY
— Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) July 5, 2025
Among the missing, officials said, are 27 girls from Kerr county who were a part of the Camp Mystic summer camp, said Kerrville city manager Dalton Rice at a press briefing on Saturday. He further said that there could be others missing beyond that.
'We are kind of looking at this in two ways called the known missing, which is the 27…We will not put a number on the other side because we just don't know,' Rice said, reported Reuters.
On Friday morning, heavier than forecast rain drove river waters rapidly to as high as 29 feet and the disaster unfolded in central Texas. According to Kerr County Sheriff Larry Leitha, eight of the deceased, including three children, are yet to be identified.
Among the areas severely hit by the floods, include summer camps, camping sites and mobile homes where most of the people had gathered to celebrate July 4 independence day. In order to boost search efforts, Texas Governor Greg Abbott said that he has signed a declaration for the expanded disaster to boost search efforts.
Governor Abbott said, 'Officials would be relentless in ensuring they locate every single person who's been a victim of this event, we will stop when the job is completed.'

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NDTV
2 hours ago
- NDTV
Desperate Search For Missing Girls As Texas Flood Death Rise to 68
Rescuers in Texas raced against time Sunday to find dozens of missing people, including children, swept away by flash floods that killed at least 68, as forecasters warned of new deluges. Local Texans joined forces with disaster officials on the ground and in helicopters to search for the missing, including 11 girls and a counselor from a riverside Christian summer camp where some 750 people had been staying when disaster struck. In a terrifying display of nature's power, the rain-swollen waters of the Guadalupe River reached treetops and the roofs of cabins in Camp Mystic as girls slept overnight Friday, washing away some of them and leaving a scene of devastation. Blankets, teddy bears and other belongings ended up caked in mud. Windows in the cabins were shattered, apparently by the force of the water. Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick said heavy rain likely to cause more flooding was falling Sunday, as the death toll at the camp and elsewhere in Kerr County rose to at least 59. "We expect that to go higher, sadly," Patrick told Fox News Sunday. He told stories of heroics, such as a camp counselor smashing a window so girls in their pajamas could swim out and walk through neck-high water. "These little girls, they swam for about 10 or 15 minutes. Can you imagine, in the darkness and the rushing waters and trees coming by you and rocks come on you? And then they get to a spot on the land," Patrick said. Texas Governor Greg Abbott said Camp Mystic had been "horrendously ravaged in ways unlike I've seen in any natural disaster." "We won't stop until we find every girl who was in those cabins," he said in a post on social media platform X after a visit to the site. Officials and US media say nine people died in other Texas counties, for a total of 68. Officials had earlier said 27 girls were missing from the camp. Kerrville city manager Dalton Rice told a news conference Sunday morning that the figure is now 11. He did not explain the sharp drop in the number. The National Weather Service (NWS) warned Sunday that slow-moving thunderstorms threatened more flash floods over the saturated ground of central Texas. The flooding began at the start of the Fourth of July holiday weekend as months' worth of rain fell in a matter of hours, much of it coming overnight as people slept. The Guadalupe surged some 26 feet (eight meters) -- more than a two-story building- in just 45 minutes. 'Washed Away' President Donald Trump, at his golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey, signed a major disaster declaration that freed up resources for the state. Flash floods, which occur when the ground is unable to absorb torrential rainfall, are not unusual. The region of south and central Texas where the weekend's deluge occurred is known colloquially as "Flash Flood Alley." But scientists say that in recent years human-driven climate change has made extreme weather events such as floods, droughts and heat waves more frequent and more intense. People from elsewhere in Texas converged on Kerr County to help look for the missing. Texans also started flying personal drones to help look but Rice urged them to stop this, saying it is a danger for rescue aircraft. One of the searches focused on four young women who were staying in a house that was washed away by the river. Adam Durda and his wife Amber, both 45, drove three hours to chip in. "There was a group of 20-year-olds that were in a house that had gotten washed away," Durda told AFP. "That's who the family requested helped for, but of course, we're looking for anybody."


Hindustan Times
2 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
Texas flash floods: Death toll nears 70, search on for 11 missing girls; Trump signs disaster declaration
The death toll in the catastrophic Texas floods rose to 68 as dozens of people, including children, continued to remain missing after being swept away by the waters. After President Donald Trump signed the massive disaster declaration, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) was also activated in Texas. (AFP) The devastation along the Guadalupe River, outside of San Antonio, also left at least 11 of the girls attending Camp Mystic missing. The camp in the community of Hunt in Kerr County is a Christian girls' camp that opened in 1926. Massive rainfall triggered the flash floods in Texas at the midpoint of the Fourth of July holiday weekend, where many people were probably asleep. ALSO READ | Did cloud seeding cause Texas floods? Trump loyalist makes massive allegation amid Camp Mystic tragedy Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump signed a major disaster declaration for Kerr County, Texas, to ensure all necessary resources for the first responders. Texas flash floods | Top points Death toll nears 70: The deadly flash floods in Texas have killed 68 people so far, news agency AFP reported. First responders and local Texans joined the search operation to locate the missing persons, including 11 girls and a counselor from a riverside Christian summer camp where around 75 people had been staying at the time of the disaster. Trump signs disaster declaration: President Donald Trump on Sunday signed a major disaster declaration for Kerr County, Texas, to ensure that the first responders immediately get all the resources they need. "These families are enduring an unimaginable tragedy, with many lives lost, and many still missing. The Trump Administration continues to work closely with State and Local Leaders. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem was on the ground yesterday with Governor Greg Abbott, who is working hard to help the people of his Great State. Our incredible U.S. Coast Guard, together with State First Responders, have saved more than 850 lives. GOD BLESS THE FAMILIES, AND GOD BLESS TEXAS!" Trump posted on his Truth Social network. ALSO READ | Melania Trump's Texas floods post sparks outrage as she offers just two things to victims; 'You and your husband…' More flash floods likely: The National Weather Service (NWS) on Sunday warned that slow-moving thunderstorms threatened more flash floods over the grounds of central Texas. The epicentre of the flooding, the Texas Hill Country, is naturally prone to flash flooding due to its dirt-packed areas where soil lets rain skid along the surface instead of soaking it up. Row over flash flood warnings: Survivors said that the floods were like a "pitch black wall of death" and said they did not receive any emergency warnings. Kerr County Judge Rob Kelly, who lives along the Guadalupe River, said that "nobody saw this coming". Several officials described the flash floods as "100-year-old", meaning that the water levels were highly unlikely on the basis of previous records. Authorities have come under heavy criticism as to why residents and campers along the river were not alerted or asked to evacuate sooner than 4 am (local time). Federal Emergency Management Agency activated: The Department of Homeland Security said that the US Coast Guard has deployed four helicopters and three C-144 planes to assist in the search and rescue efforts. Meanwhile, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) was also activated, deploying resources to the first responders in Texas after Trump's disaster declaration. ALSO READ | Texas floods: Scary time lapse video shows Llano River surging and overflowing Pope Leo sends condolences: Pope Leo, on Sunday, expressed condolences to the families who lost their loved ones to the disastrous flooding in Texas. Following Angelus prayers, the US-born pontiff said, 'I would like to express sincere condolences to all the families who have lost loved ones, in particular their daughters who were in a summer camp in the disaster caused by flooding of the Guadalupe River in Texas. We pray for them.' Dallas Cowboys donate $500K: The Dallas Cowboys are donating $500,000 to the Salvation Army to help in the relief efforts in Texas Hill Country, the football team announced on Sunday. The Houston Texans said they were also donating the same amount. The Cowboys said in a statement, Our hearts are heavy as we witness the devastation and loss of life caused by the floods in Kerr County and Texas Hill Country, especially for the young girls and their families, as well as all of those lost and their loved ones." They added, 'This has been devastating to see and we hold everyone impacted in our thoughts and prayers. Standing side by side with The Salvation Army's critical response, we are also donating $500,000 to provide immediate resources for rescue, relief and long-term recovery efforts.' Death toll likely to rise: Texas' lieutenant governor, Dan Patrick, told NBC on Sunday the death toll is likely to rise. He earlier said that there is still a significant uncertainty about the number of people missing. 'There were thousands of people who came and had a tent, had a trailer, rented a small house on the banks of the river… we don't know who all those people are. There were a lot of visitors in a town of 20,000 people," Patrick added. Noting that more than 800 people have already been rescued, the Lt Gov said, "It is my hope that miracles still happen." (with inputs from agencies)


Time of India
2 hours ago
- Time of India
Donald Trump signs a major disaster declaration for the flooded Kerr County in Texas, says that over 850 lives have been saved
Flash floods have been ravaging Texas since the past couple of days, with at least 68 people having died as a result. Kerr County in particular has been among the worst hit regions, with 38 adults and 21 children having perished just from there. The scale of the disaster has prompted President Donald Trump to directly speak out and intervene. As he revealed on Truth Social, he's issued a major disaster declaration for Kerr County in order to enable the first responders to receive the resources they need, and claimed that over 850 lives had already been saved. Trump said that the families in Texas were enduring an unimaginable tragedy, and stated that Kristi Noem from the Department of Homeland Security was on the ground working with Texas governor Greg Abbott to manage the situation. The Texas flash floods have severely hit Kerr County Kerr County is located on the Edwards Plateau, and was named after congressman James Kerr, who was a public servant in Texas during the 19th century. The flash floods began during Independence Day weekend, and Kerr County has borne the brunt of the lives lost in this natural disaster. In the wake of the floods, Kerrville mayor Don Herring Jr spoke to the press and said that the city council's goal was to save whoever they possibly could. Furthermore, city manager Dalton Rice warned individual residents from taking matters into their own hands by flying their personal drones over the disaster-ravaged areas. He said that their presence could be a detriment to ongoing rescue operations. Questions are being raised about the lack of preparedness Good morning and Happy Sunday to everyone who isn't surprised that trump had DOGE cut funding on NOAA and NWS, weakening storm forecasts — we saw him trash Obama's pandemic readiness plans before COVID also caught us is disastrously In the wake of this flash flooding disaster, people have raised questions about why Texas wasn't better prepared for such an eventuality. City manager Dalton Rice himself had to field questions from the press who asked him why Kerrville residents weren't evacuated sooner. Donald Trump's critics have also seized upon the flash floods as an opportunity to condemn the President, along with Elon Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), for laying off around 10% of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) workforce, which also impacted the National Weather Service (NWS).