Texas flash flooding: At least 49 people killed; girl, eight, 'living her best life' named among victims
Kerrville city manager Dalton Rice said there could be more people missing in the region than the 27 girls unaccounted for from Camp Mystic.
"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," he said at a news conference.
He said "hundreds" have been rescued from campsites around the Guadalupe River so far and searches are ongoing.
Authorities in Travis County said at least 10 people are missing.
In Burnet County, a firefighter was among the missing after he was swept away by floodwaters while responding to a rescue, county Emergency Management Coordinator Derek Marchio said.
Some of the deadliest floods to hit the US in the last 25 years
Flooding causes an average of more than 125 deaths a year, according to the National Weather Service.
Here's some of the most deadly flooding to have occurred in the last 25 years...
Hurricane Helene, 2024
Helene struck Florida, Georgia, the Carolinas, Tennessee and Virginia in September 2024. The storm caused about 250 deaths, according to the National Weather Service.
Kentucky, 2022
Raging floodwaters in eastern Kentucky led to 45 deaths in late July.
The floods destroyed homes and businesses and caused significant damage to schools, roads, bridges and water systems.
Tennessee, 2021
Twenty people were killed when creeks near the small Middle Tennessee town of Waverly overflowed, following 43cm of rainfall in less than 24 hours.
Hurricane Harvey, 2017
Harvey killed at least 68 people when it swept into Texas in August 2017.
All but three of the Harvey deaths were directly attributed to freshwater flooding, which damaged more than 300,000 structures and caused an estimated $125 billion in damage.
West Virginia, 2016
It began as a rainstorm that seemed minor, but turned into a catastrophe that trapped dozens of people, ultimately killing 23 in the state.
Superstorm Sandy, 2012
Sandy was a freak combination of a hurricane and other storms that struck New York and the surrounding areas in October 2012. It killed 147 people.
Hurricane Katrina, 2005
This was the deadliest flood event in the past 25 years.
Katrina caused nearly 1,400 deaths and an estimated $200 billion in damages, with people having to be rescued by boat and helicopter from rooftops.
Death toll rises to 49
At least 43 people have been killed in the flash flooding in Kerr County, Kerr County Sheriff Larry Leitha said at a news conference.
This includes at least 15 children and 28 adults, with five children and 12 adults pending identification.
More than two dozen girls remain missing from Camp Mystic, but authorities have not said how many people were missing beyond the 27 children.
In nearby Kendall County, one person has died.
At least three people were killed in Travis County, while at least two people died in Burnet County.
Congressman 'reunited' with daughters evacuated from Camp Mystic
Rep. August Pfluger said his daughters Caroline and Juliana were evacuated from Camp Mystic and "reunited" with his family.
In pictures: It is now 12 hours since flash floods swept across Kerr County
This is what it looks like on the ground.
What we learned from the latest news conference
There wasn't a huge amount of news to come out of this evening's press conference, apart from an update on the number of people who have died.
Gov. Greg Abbott was accompanied by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, as well as a number of Texas officials.
The group spent most of the news conference praising the response of the local community, as well as reiterating promises to continue searching for victims.
There was clear frustration from viewers watching the live link at the lack of information coming through.
It was only confirmed at the end, in response to a reporter's question, that 32 people have died, with eight of the recovered bodies currently unidentified. Some 850 people have been rescued. But officials warned these numbers will continue to change.
More than 1,300 people have been brought in to help deal with the emergency disaster response.
Secretary Noem also answered questions about whether the flash flood warnings came through promptly: "We know that everyone wants more warning time and that is why we are working to upgrade the technologies that have been neglected for far too long."
Gov. Abbott also talked about the importance of prayer.
"Prayer does work," he said, adding that they "could have been the reason why water stopped rising into a home or a cabin, or something that would have caused an entire building to float away."
32 dead in Texas flooding
More bodies have been recovered from the flash flooding.
Thirty-two bodies have been recovered, 14 of which are children.
Of those, five adults and three children remain unidentified.
"The numbers are going to continue to change until we are done," says Kerr County Sheriff Larry Leitha.
Chief Nim Kidd says there is still an active search for live victims.
"That will turn into recovery at some point, and none of us wants to put a timeframe on that," he adds.
It is still not known exactly how many people are currently missing.
More than 850 people saved so far, 'some clinging to trees'
Rescuers have saved more than 850 people, Gov. Abbott says.
"Some clinging to trees to save their lives," he adds.
Senator John Cornyn is speaking next. He also praises the first responders.
Watch Gov. Abbott sign the disaster declaration below...
President Trump 'absolutely heartbroken' by flash flooding
"President Trump loves Texas," Gov. Abbott says, adding that the president is "deeply concerned" by the flash flooding.
He then hands over to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, who says Trump is "absolutely heartbroken by what has happened here in Texas".
"This morning I talked with him several times and he wanted to make sure that all of you know how much he loves Texas, how much he's grieving for your families that have lost someone and the beautiful children that we are still looking for and hoping to return to their families," she says.
"He is absolutely committed to using all the resources of the federal government to help unify families."
She then praises the state of Texas.
"I do know that the state of Texas is amazing in how it responds to disasters," she says.
"Not every state is like that. Many states do not do what the people of Texas do. And you are an example to the nation of getting through these difficult times."
She says she will be visiting Camp Mystic later today, where 27 girls are currently missing.
Press conference begins
The press conference is now starting, after a delay of almost 45 minutes.
Governor Greg Abbott begins by praising the response of Texans to the disaster and says the state "will be relentless" when it comes to locating and identifying victims.
He then expands the disaster declaration to several other counties within Texas.
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The Sun
an hour ago
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Two brothers in miracle escape from Texas floods after they swam for their lives as water reached top bunk in camp cabin
TWO brave young brothers have told of their gutsy escape from the Texas floods - which have killed at least 50 and left dozens missing. Piers and Ruffin Boyett were asleep in the cabin at Camp La Junta on the bank of the Guadeloupe River when it was hit by a wall of water at 4am. 11 11 11 11 Further down the river, Camp Mystic - a Christian camp hosting around 750 girls - was also swamped, and over 20 girls are still missing. They awoke to find water rising rapidly around them - and were forced to make a split-second decision. The plucky pair knew immediately that they had to swim. Younger brother Piers told KSAT: "The flood started getting bigger. "We had bunk beds in our cabins and [the water] was going up to the top bunk and we had one choice — and we had to swim out of our cabin.' Ruffin, the elder one, said: 'I had a first-hand view of the flood. "The cabins were flooding and the walls, they broke down. 'All of the campers in those cabins had to go up on the rafters and wait there until they could swim out." The brothers fought through the water to reach another cabin on higher ground. They waited there until a rescue bus arrived to take them away from the Guadeloupe River and back to safety. 15 children among 50 dead in Texas floods with little girls still missing' Whilst the Boyetts made it out of the water, not everyone has been so lucky. A Texas dad-of-two died while valiantly trying to save his family from the floods - after having is arm almost cut "clean off". Julian Ryan, 27, was with his family in their trailer home when the surging waters hit. His mother, fiance Christinia, six-year-old and 13-month-old were all huddled in the bedroom after being shaken awake at 4am on Friday. Christinia told KHOU: 'It just started pouring in, and we had to fight the door to get it closed to make sure not too much got in." 11 11 11 The two kids were sitting on a floating mattress when the door of the bedroom burst open and water cascaded in. It was then Ryan took a bold decision to save his family. The dad punched a hole in one of the bedroom windows - but the shattered glass severed an artery and almost cut the limb "clean off". With blood spurting from the wound and emergency crews unable to reach the house, Julian told his family: "I'm sorry, I'm not going to make it. I love y'all." The waters continued to rise and the trailer was eventually broken in half - allowing the rest of the family to escape. Christinia said: 'He was the best father, and was always such a happy person who was never above helping people, no matter what it cost. A GoFundMe has been set up to support the family after they lost Julian, and it has so far raised almost $30,000. It reads: 'Julian gave his life for his family, passing as a true hero. While his family is eternally grateful for his sacrifice, they are shattered by their loss." Rescuers are still scouring the devastated landscape in central Texas, but hopes of finding survivors are fast dwindling. 11 11 11 Larry Leitha, Kerr County sheriff, said on Saturday: "We have recovered 43 deceased individuals in Kerr County. "Among these who are deceased we have 28 adults and 15 children." Multiple people lost their lives in other counties, bringing the current confirmed death toll to 50 - though this is sadly expected to rise. The most desperate search is for a group of school-age girls who went missing from Camp Mystic - a Christian summer camp near the river. Heartbreaking photos from the wrecked site show sodden mattresses and teddies strewn across dormitories. On Saturday, Sheriff Leitha said 27 of the children were still missing. 'Miracle' survival: Rescued 20 miles downstream By Patrick Harrington, foreign news reporter A YOUNG woman was miraculously rescued after being swept 20 miles downriver in the Texas floods. The 22-year-old was scooped up by fast-moving water from her campsite in Kerr County, Texas by deadly flash floods at 4am, and found clinging to a tree four hours later. A third of a year's worth of rain fell in a few hours in the area, creating an "extraordinary disaster", with an enormous search-and-rescue mission still underway. A Center Point resident, Carl, heard screaming when he stepped into his yard at around 8am on Friday morning. He spotted the woman clinging to a huge Cyprus tree near Lion's Park Dam as the river thundered beneath her. She had for been holding on for several hours after a terrifying 20-mile journey down dams and dodging debris. Emergency calls weren't connecting, so the local resident desperately flagged down a police car for help. Two rescue boats were scrambled and battled perilous currents to rescue the stranded camper. By this time, the water level had receded considerably, so the woman was stranded 12ft above the water's surface. She was forced to drop into the rescue boat, and was finally brought to safety.
The Guardian
an hour ago
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Texas floods: search continues with dozens dead and missing
Update: Date: 2025-07-06T08:47:08.000Z Title: Search for missing continues with at least 51 people killed, including 15 children Content: We are restarting our live coverage of the devastating Texas floods. Hundreds of rescuers are desperately searching for people missing in central Texas, after torrential rains caused devastating flooding that killed at least 51 people, including 15 children. The total number of missing people is not yet clear, but officials say that 27 of them are girls who had been attending Camp Mystic, a Christian youth camp located along the River Guadalupe in Kerr County, the area worst affected by the flood. The river rose more than 20 feet in less than two hours overnight into the July 4 holiday. The flooding in Kerr County killed at least 43 people, including 15 children, and at least eight people died in nearby counties, including Travis County and Tom Green County. 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. Authorities said about 850 people had been rescued, with more than 1,700 people involved in the search-and-rescue operation. Texas Governor 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. In a post on X, he wrote that Camp Mystic was 'horrendously ravaged in ways unlike I've seen in any natural disaster' and vowed that rescuers would find 'every girl who was in those cabins'. Stay with us as we bring you the latest updates on the floods throughout the day.
South Wales Guardian
2 hours ago
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Texas floods leave at least 51 dead, 27 girls missing as rescue efforts continue
The flooding in Kerr County killed at least 43 people, including 15 children, and at least eight people died in nearby counties. Among the missing are 27 girls who have not been seen since their camp was hit by a wall of water in a historic flash flood. Authorities have not said how many people are missing beyond the children from Camp Mystic, a Christian summer camp along a river in Kerr County, where most of the dead were recovered. The destructive, fast-moving waters rose 26 feet on the Guadalupe River in just 45 minutes before daybreak on Friday, washing away homes and vehicles. The danger was not over as rains continued pounding communities outside San Antonio on Saturday and flash flood warnings and watches remained in effect. 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. Governor Greg Abbott vowed that authorities would 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. Authorities were coming under scrutiny about whether the camps and residents in places long vulnerable to flooding had received proper warning and whether enough preparations were made. The hills along the Guadalupe River in central Texas are dotted with century-old youth camps and campgrounds where generations of families have swum and spent time outdoors. The area is especially popular around the July 4 holiday, making it more difficult to know how many are missing. 'We don't even want to begin to estimate at this time,' Kerrville city manager Dalton Rice said previously.
