Obama: Texas flash flooding ‘absolutely heartbreaking'
'The flash flooding in Central Texas is absolutely heartbreaking. Michelle and I are praying for everyone who has lost a loved one or is waiting for news — especially the parents,' he said. 'And we're grateful to the first responders and rescue teams working around the clock to help.'
Obama wasn't the only former president to offer words of support on Sunday.
Former President Bush also expressed his sorrow over the loss of life from the floods.
'On this day of prayer, Laura and I are holding up our fellow Texans who are hurting,' Bush wrote in a statement.
'We are heartbroken by the loss of life and the agony so many are feeling,' he continued. 'Those who have lost their precious children are facing a grief no parents should ever know.'
Former first lady Laura Bush was once a counselor at the camp, where former President Lyndon B. Johnson's daughters, granddaughters and great-granddaughters also attended.
At least 70 people had been confirmed dead in central Texas as of Sunday afternoon, where search and rescue operations continued to scour the area hit the hardest by Friday's floods.
Kerr County, where Camp Mystic and other summer camps are located, confirmed 59 deaths, including 38 adults and 21 children, the sheriff's office said Sunday morning. Eleven people from other counties were confirmed dead, The Associated Press reported.
The Kerr County Sheriff's Office stated that, as of Sunday morning, 11 campers and one counselor from Camp Mystic were still missing.
Rep. August Pfluger's (R-Texas) daughters and Rep. Buddy Carter's (R-Ga.) granddaughters were at the camp during the flooding, but they both confirmed their family members were safe. Carter said his granddaughter's cousin, Janie, died from the floods.
More rain was also expected on Sunday afternoon. Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas) posted a screenshot of a weather notification on X and asked people in the area affected by the flash floods to seek higher ground and 'get off of roads near waterways.'
Some areas in Central Texas on Sunday are expected to receive 5 to 8 inches of rain, with a few parts potentially receiving up to 12 inches of rain, according to The Weather Channel.
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Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Yahoo
Obama: Texas flash flooding ‘absolutely heartbreaking'
Former President Obama said in a statement on Sunday that he was praying for those affected by the flash flooding in Texas over the past few days. 'The flash flooding in Central Texas is absolutely heartbreaking. Michelle and I are praying for everyone who has lost a loved one or is waiting for news — especially the parents,' he said. 'And we're grateful to the first responders and rescue teams working around the clock to help.' Obama wasn't the only former president to offer words of support on Sunday. Former President Bush also expressed his sorrow over the loss of life from the floods. 'On this day of prayer, Laura and I are holding up our fellow Texans who are hurting,' Bush wrote in a statement. 'We are heartbroken by the loss of life and the agony so many are feeling,' he continued. 'Those who have lost their precious children are facing a grief no parents should ever know.' Former first lady Laura Bush was once a counselor at the camp, where former President Lyndon B. Johnson's daughters, granddaughters and great-granddaughters also attended. At least 70 people had been confirmed dead in central Texas as of Sunday afternoon, where search and rescue operations continued to scour the area hit the hardest by Friday's floods. Kerr County, where Camp Mystic and other summer camps are located, confirmed 59 deaths, including 38 adults and 21 children, the sheriff's office said Sunday morning. Eleven people from other counties were confirmed dead, The Associated Press reported. The Kerr County Sheriff's Office stated that, as of Sunday morning, 11 campers and one counselor from Camp Mystic were still missing. Rep. August Pfluger's (R-Texas) daughters and Rep. Buddy Carter's (R-Ga.) granddaughters were at the camp during the flooding, but they both confirmed their family members were safe. Carter said his granddaughter's cousin, Janie, died from the floods. More rain was also expected on Sunday afternoon. Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas) posted a screenshot of a weather notification on X and asked people in the area affected by the flash floods to seek higher ground and 'get off of roads near waterways.' Some areas in Central Texas on Sunday are expected to receive 5 to 8 inches of rain, with a few parts potentially receiving up to 12 inches of rain, according to The Weather Channel. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Indianapolis Star
5 hours ago
- Indianapolis Star
Flood threat still looms over battered Texas Hill Country: See flood warnings
The threat of floods continues to loom in Central Texas as the search for survivors and victims of the historic flash floods that swept through the state intensifies. At least 80 people died during the storm, and Gov. Greg Abbott announced at a July 6 news conference that at least 41 people were known to be missing across the state and areas affected by the flooding. Among those still missing were 10 children and a counselor from Camp Mystic, an all-girls Christian summer camp near the Guadalupe River. The impending storms forced Abbott and other state emergency officials to hold the Sunday evening news conference in Austin, with the governor saying that more expected storms will "pose life-threatening danger over the next 24 to 48 hours." "There is heavy rainfall that's already occurred and there's more heavy rainfall that's expected that will lead to potential flash flooding broadly in these in the Big Country, Concho Valley, Central Texas and once again Kerrville," Abbott said. Texas flooding deaths: Here's how you can help Flood watches have been issued by the National Weather Service until at least 7 p.m. CT July 6 in Hill Country and along the I-35 corridor. The Weather Prediction Center added that scattered thunderstorms are likely to drop "torrential downpours over sensitive soils across parts of the Texas Hill Country." A flash flood warning was issued through 6 p.m. CT for Cedar Park, Georgetown, and Leander. A separate flash flood warning was issued for Ingram and Hunt through 6 p.m. CT. Abbott told Texans to remain "extraordinarily" cautious at the press conference. "There's nothing expected at this time to the magnitude of what was seen in Kerrville," Abbott said. "That said flash flooding can occur at lower levels of water than what happened in Kerrville." The new warnings come on as questions swirl around forecasters' response to the weather patterns that lead to the Independence Day floods. Local officials said they were caught off guard by the floods. "We didn't know this flood was coming," Kerr County Judge Rob Kelly told reporters after the flood. "We had no reason to believe this was going to be anything like what's happened here. None whatsoever." Officials at the Texas Division of Emergency Management were publishing news releases warning that "heavy rainfall with the potential to cause flash flooding is anticipated across West Texas and the Hill Country" and readying resources, such as swift-water rescue boat squads, as early as July 2. At around midnight on July 3, rain began gushing into the Guadalupe River – dropping more than 10 inches into the river at Hunt in just four hours and swelling it to dangerous levels.
USA Today
11 hours ago
- USA Today
Flood threat still looms over battered Texas Hill Country: See flood warnings
The threat of floods continues to loom in Central Texas as the search for survivors and victims of the historic flash floods that swept through the state intensifies. At least 70 people died during the storm and Gov. Greg Abbott announced at a July 6 press conference that at least 41 people were known to be missing across the state and areas affected by the flooding. Among those still missing were 10 children and a counselor from Camp Mystic, an all-girls Christian summer camp near the Guadalupe River. The impending storms forced Abbott and other state emergency officials to hold the Sunday evening news conference in Austin, with the governor saying that more expected storms will "pose life-threatening danger over the next 24 to 48 hours." "There is heavy rainfall that's already occurred and there's more heavy rainfall that's expected that will lead to potential flash flooding broadly in these in the Big Country, Concho Valley, Central Texas and once again Kerrville," Abbot said. Where are Texas thunderstorms, flood warnings continuing? Flood watches have been issued by the National Weather Service until at least 7 p.m. CT July 6 in Hill Country and along the I-35 corridor. The Weather Prediction Center added that scattered thunderstorms are likely to drop "torrential downpours over sensitive soils across parts of the Texas Hill Country." A flash flood warning was issued through 6 p.m. CT for Cedar Park, Georgetown, and Leander. A separate flash flood warning was issued for Ingram and Hunt through 6 p.m. CT. Abbot told Texans to remain "extraordinarily" cautious at the press conference. "There's nothing expected at this time to the magnitude of what was seen in Kerrville," Abbot said. "That said flash flooding can occur at lower levels of water than what happened in Kerrville." Texas flood warnings questioned The new warnings come on as questions swirl around forecasters' response to the weather patterns that lead to the Independence Day floods. Local officials said they were caught off guard by the floods. "We didn't know this flood was coming," Kerr County Judge Rob Kelly told reporters after the flood. "We had no reason to believe this was going to be anything like what's happened here. None whatsoever." Officials at the Texas Division of Emergency Management were publishing news releases warning that "heavy rainfall with the potential to cause flash flooding is anticipated across West Texas and the Hill Country" and readying resources, such as swift-water rescue boat squads, as early as July 2. At around midnight on July 3, rain began gushing into the Guadalupe River – dropping more than 10 inches into the river at Hunt in just four hours and swelling it to dangerous levels. At 4:03 a.m., the NWS Austin office put out a "flash flood emergency" bulletin: "This is a FLASH FLOOD EMERGENCY for South-central Kerr County, including Hunt. This is a PARTICULARLY DANGEROUS SITUATION. SEEK HIGHER GROUND NOW!"
