Texas floods latest: Death toll rises to 121 as Camp Mystic cabins ‘found to be in extremely hazardous' flood zone
Kerr County remains at the center of the disaster after the Guadalupe River burst its banks on Friday. Ninety-six people in the county are dead, including 36 children, officials said Thursday. At least 161 others were still missing in the county.
Questions are mounting over whether local, state and federal officials could've done more to warn residents about the floods. Kerr County Sheriff Larry Leitha said his office is 'in the process' of assembling a timeline of the actions that local officials took ahead of the disaster.
Among the dead are 27 girls and staff members from Camp Mystic, an all-girls Christian summer camp situated on the bank of the Guadalupe River. Five campers and one 19-year-old counselor remained missing.
Several of the cabins were built on 'extremely hazardous' floodways where water moves at its highest velocity and depth, according to an analysis by The New York Times. Just two days before the flood, the camp passed its annual state safety inspection and had a written disaster plan in place.
Texas flood before-and-after pictures show devastating toll of catastrophe which left 120 dead and 173 missing
Photos: Texas flood before-and-after visuals show devastating toll of catastrophe
Crews are digging through mountains of debris along the Guadalupe River as they continue their desperate search
Rachel Dobkin11 July 2025 04:55
Texas flags will be lowered to half-staff until July 14
Governor Greg Abbott announced Wednesday Texas flags will be lowered to half-staff 'in heartfelt remembrance of those whose lives were tragically lost in the recent floods.'
While search and rescue efforts are still underway, 121 people have died so far and 173 are missing after flash flooding on July 4 devastated Central Texas.
The flags will be at half-staff until Monday, July 14.
Rachel Dobkin11 July 2025 04:35
Governor Abbott thanks Tennessee for helping in Central Texas search and rescue efforts
Governor Greg Abbott thanked Tennessee for helping with search and rescue efforts by sending K-9 teams to Central Texas following catastrophic floods on July 4.
Rachel Dobkin11 July 2025 04:15
In pictures: Search and rescue efforts continue for sixth day
It's been six days since flash floods along the Guadalupe River devastated Central Texas.
At least 121 people were killed in the floods, and 173 are still missing. Search and rescue efforts continued Thursday, but hopes of finding survivors have faded. No survivors have been found since Friday.
Here are some pictures from Thursday's search and rescue efforts:
Rachel Dobkin11 July 2025 03:55
Trump calls for alarms after flash floods devastate Central Texas
President Donald Trump called for alarms after flash floods along the Guadalupe River last Friday devastated Central Texas.
Trump told NBC News' Kristen Welker Thursday he thinks 'everyone's doing a great job' responding to the catastrophe.
While Texas officials are working tirelessly to find the 173 people still missing, questions have been raised about whether local, state and federal officials could've done more to warn residents about the floods.
'After having seen this horrible event, I would imagine you'd put alarms up in some form, where alarms would go up if they see any large amounts of water or whatever it is,' Trump told Welker, adding, 'But the local officials were hit by this just like everybody else.'
Rachel Dobkin11 July 2025 03:38
Hard-hit Kerrville cancels police 5K run
Kerrville, which was hit hard by the flash floods in Central Texas last Friday, has canceled an upcoming 5K run hosted by its police department 'for obvious reasons.'
'We must regretfully cancel this Saturday's 5KPD run for obvious reasons. Future runs are not confirmed at this time, but we look forward to the day when we can return to the River Trail as a community. We thank you for understanding,' Kerrville police wrote in a Facebook post Thursday.
Rachel Dobkin11 July 2025 03:35
Kerrville officials thank those who helped restore power after devastating Texas floods
Officials in hard-hit Kerrville thanked those who helped restore power to the city after flash floods on July 4 devastated Central Texas.
'As the last of our mutual aid crews have now headed home, we at KPUB would like to extend our deepest gratitude to those who helped us restore power in the aftermath of this devastating event,' the Kerrville Public Utility Board wrote on Facebook Thursday.
Rachel Dobkin11 July 2025 03:15
Where in the world is the FEMA head? Agency leader hasn't been seen in over a week sparking concern
FEMA Acting Administrator David Richardson has been absent during the federal response to the floods in Texas, prompting concerns about his leadership.
Richardson hasn't visited the site of the floods, the deadliest in the U.S. in a quarter century, ending a longstanding tradition of FEMA leaders being publicly available following natural disasters.
'DHS and its components have taken an all-hands-on-deck approach' to the Texas flooding, Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin told Politico, pointing to aid given by the U.S. Coast Guard and Border Protection. 'FEMA has deployed extensive staff to support Texas response and recovery operations based on staff skills and requirements.'
Former FEMA officials told the outlet that Richardson being away from the scene has prompted concerns that the Secretary of Homeland Security, Kristi Noem, is in charge of FEMA's response to the tragedy.
FEMA leader hasn't been seen in over a week sparking concern
David Richardson has made no public appearances or statements following his appointment on May 8
Rachel Dobkin11 July 2025 02:55
Families sift through debris and begin cleanup after devastating Texas floods
Rachel Dobkin11 July 2025 02:15
Rescue consultant describes the process of looking through flood debris
Search and rescue efforts continued Thursday after catastrophic flash floods hit Central Texas on July 4.
Gerald Dworkin, a water rescue consultant and former safety director for the American Red Cross in Houston, described the process of looking through debris in hopes of finding the bodies of those missing.
'It's really much the same picking, slowly picking your way through the debris, looking for whatever…can be salvaged and whatever bodies could be recovered,' Dworkin told The Texas Tribune.
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