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Miami Herald
08-07-2025
- Climate
- Miami Herald
Texas flood deaths exceed 100 with toll expected to rise
More than 100 people have been confirmed dead in floods that tore through central Texas over the weekend, marking a grim milestone as searchers used boats, dogs and drones to locate victims and authorities debated whether anything more could have been done to prevent the disaster. Confirmed fatalities reached 104, according to the Associated Press, and included 27 children and counselors who had been missing from the Mystic girls' summer camp that sat alongside the Guadalupe River in the heart of the Hill Country, a popular recreation area that's about a two-hour drive west of Austin. 'Our hearts are broken alongside our families that are enduring this unimaginable tragedy,' the camp said in a statement. 'We are praying for them constantly.' Ten children and one counselor remain missing. Authorities refused to say at a news conference Monday how many people were still unnacounted for, but warned that more heartache was sure to come even as they held out hope of finding survivors. 'We remain hopeful every foot, every mile, every bend of the river,' said Joe Herring Jr., mayor of Kerrville, one of the hardest hit areas. 'Our work continues.' The torrential rain that poured down Friday unleashed a flash flood that swept away cabins, campsites, bridges and roads, filling the area's rivers and streams with tons of debris and making it difficult to access some areas. While the heaviest destruction was concentrated in the area around Kerrville, flooding extended as far west as San Angelo - where one person died and local officials said 12,000 structures had been affected - and as far east as Austin, where rain on Saturday caused streams to overflow. At least 13 people died and more are missing in the capital region, KUT reported. The Hill Country is a largely rural area with limited mobile-phone reception. It had been packed over the Fourth of July holiday weekend with vacationers, many of them families who flock to the region's campgrounds and RV parks year after year to enjoy spring-fed rivers that provide respite from the summer heat in Dallas, Houston and San Antonio. The area sprawls across more than 20 counties in central Texas. Officials said 84 bodies had been recovered in Kerr County, including 28 children. More than 30 of the victims had yet to be identified. There could still be scattered showers across central Texas on Tuesday, but the bulk of the rain should be moving further north into Arkansas. Most flood warnings and watches across central Texas were set to expire by Monday evening, the National Weather Service said. Local, state and federal officials have faced criticism in the aftermath of the tragedy, including questions about why the flood-prone county lacked warning sirens, whether forecasts accurately conveyed the risk of a catastrophic deluge and whether local officials could have better notified people overnight to move to higher ground. Statewide, the flooding may have caused $18 billion to $22 billion in total damage and economic loss, according to a preliminary estimate from AccuWeather. Some politicians and local officials pushed back against efforts to assign blame for the losses of life, saying a rush to judgment risked politicizing a human tragedy. Senator Ted Cruz, a Republican from Texas, downplayed concerns that President Donald Trump's cuts to the National Weather Service played a role in the failure to evacuate people before the floods. He said an examination of what went wrong would be forthcoming, but that for now the best focus was on recovery efforts. Trump has approved a disaster declaration for the area and may visit Texas on Friday. 'Most normal Americans know that's ridiculous, and I think this is not a time for partisan attacks,' Cruz said. 'My hope is in time we will learn some lessons to implement.' White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt dismissed criticism of the weather service. 'Those comments are depraved and despicable,' she told reporters in Washington. Governor Greg Abbott, who will tour the area on Tuesday, said the state legislature will take up the issue of warning systems at a special session at the Capitol. Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick said some people may have been saved by a loud lightning strike at 1:30 a.m. on Friday morning that alerted them to the situation. He said that the state needed to find a way to pay for natural-disaster alarm systems for the area. 'Had we had sirens along this area,' Patrick told Fox News in an interview, 'it's possible that would've saved some of these lives.' 'The state will step up.' ---------- -With assistance from Brian K. Sullivan and Julie Fine. Copyright (C) 2025, Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Portions copyrighted by the respective providers.
Boston Globe
08-07-2025
- Climate
- Boston Globe
Volunteers flock to help search efforts after Texas floods even as officials warn them away
Advertisement The river grew by the size of a two-story building in less than an hour on Friday. One survivor described a " pitch-black wall of death." The flooding decimated shorelines, ripped trees from the ground, tossed and crushed a Ram truck, disappeared buildings and swept through a century-old summer camp packed with kids. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up Rubio, who picked through torn tree limbs Monday, said he couldn't help but pitch in. 'It's sad. It eats at your soul, it eats at your heart,' he said. 'I can't just sit at home thinking about what's going on out here.' The outpouring, volunteers say, is a Texas strain of solidarity, and officials have applauded the donations and volunteers in other areas. When it comes to search and rescue, however, fickle weather and a flash flood warning Sunday afternoon heightened authorities' fears that unorganized volunteers may end up adding to the missing or dead. Advertisement On Sunday and Monday, officials began closing more search sites to volunteers, instead directing them to a local Salvation Army. 'We need focused and coordinated volunteers, not random people just showing up and doing what they do,' Kerrville Mayor Joe Herring Jr. said. 'We remain hopeful every foot, every mile, every bend of the river.' Some families have been frustrated by the pace, but officials are asking for patience with the breadth of the search area and methodical, no-stone-unturned approach. It's a sweeping operation with 19 different local and state agencies, drones, dogs, boats and helicopters. Officials have laid out a grid over the search area. Each segment can reach over a mile (2 kilometers) and takes between one and three hours to search, Dalton Rice, the city manager of Kerrville, said at a news conference Monday morning. Rice reiterated for volunteers to 'stay out of the way' so that first responders aren't waylaid ensuring that volunteers 'don't become victims themselves.' When volunteers were asked by official responders to leave sites in Kerrville, some moved to help search in the unincorporated community of Center Point on Monday, said Cord Shiflet, who'd rallied volunteers through a Facebook post. On Sunday, Shiflet had falsely claimed on Facebook that two girls had been rescued in a tree days after the flooding, but he said Monday that he had received bad information and apologized. The mistake caught the attention of U.S. Rep. Chip Roy, who represents the area and urged people to be careful about false news. 'It's not fair to families and it distracts law enforcement,' Roy posted on the social platform X. Advertisement At Center Point on Monday, dozens of undeterred volunteers gathered, including Rubio and Bryan Dutton, in the afternoon heat. Dutton, a veteran who said he had friends at an RV camp affected by the floods, had been waiting to get off work to join the droves of residents coming out to assist and provide food. 'We do what we can do,' Dutton said. 'That's how Texas is.'
Newsweek
07-07-2025
- Politics
- Newsweek
Texas Flooding: Drone, Helicopter Collide Amid Search and Rescue, City Says
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Emergency operations in flood-stricken Kerr County, Texas, suffered a setback on Monday when a privately operated drone collided with a helicopter involved in emergency operations, city officials said. Newsweek reached out to Kerrville Mayor Joe Herring Jr. via email for additional comment. Why It Matters Over 90 people have died with dozens still missing following the flash flooding on the Guadalupe River. An all-girls camp in Kerr County, Camp Mystic, confirmed over 25 staffers and campers have died following the deadly surge. Search and rescue missions are ongoing in the region as President Donald Trump signed a Major Disaster Declaration for the area while noting over 800 people have been saved. What To Know In a post on Facebook Monday by Kerrville City Hall, officials reiterated that private drones need to be grounded following the collision. "This afternoon, a private drone illegally operating in restricted airspace collided with a helicopter involved in emergency operations in Kerr County. The helicopter was forced to make an emergency landing, and a critical piece of response equipment is now out of service until further notice," the post read. Continuing, city officials said, "This was entirely preventable." "Temporary Flight Restrictions (TFRs) are not suggestions. They are federal airspace rules designed to protect lives during emergency situations. When you fly a drone in restricted areas, you're not just breaking the law -- you're putting first responders, emergency crews, and the public at serious risk," Kerrville City Hall concluded. Kerr County Sheriff's Office gave an update on local flood fatalities on Facebook Monday saying 84 deceased have been found as of 2 p.m. CT. That number includes 56 adults and 28 children, the sheriff's office says. Ten campers from Camp Mystic remain unaccounted for along with one counselor. "We ask private boat owners to stay off the Guadalupe River and its tributaries at this time to allow search and rescue teams to operate without interference," the sheriff's office also asked. A Blackhawk Helicopter can be seen flying over the Guadalupe River near Camp Mystic looking for survivors or the remains of victims swept up in the flash flooding on July 7, 2025, in Hunt, Texas.... A Blackhawk Helicopter can be seen flying over the Guadalupe River near Camp Mystic looking for survivors or the remains of victims swept up in the flash flooding on July 7, 2025, in Hunt, Texas. (Photo by) More What People Are Saying Texas Senator Ted Cruz, a Republican, on X (formerly Twitter) on Monday: "In the face of disaster, Texans come together. This is every parent's nightmare, but we will come through this." Trump on Truth Social on Sunday: "I just signed a Major Disaster Declaration for Kerr County, Texas, to ensure that our Brave First Responders immediately have 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!" Texas Governor Greg Abbott on X on Monday: "DPS troopers continue recovery and rescue operations in Kerr County. They have been working day and night. We will not stop until every missing person is found." What Happens Next Emergency search and recovery teams continue to operate in Kerr County and surrounding communities, with federal and state authorities coordinating to address immediate needs.
Yomiuri Shimbun
06-07-2025
- Climate
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Death Toll Rises to 43 in Texas Floods as Rescuers Scour for Missing
KERRVILLE, Texas – A nightmarish search-and-rescue operation continued in Kerr County on Saturday, as authorities frantically fanned out along the roiling Guadalupe River looking for survivors of the fierce flooding that has killed at least 43 people, 15 of them children. The death toll was expected to rise. Officials do not know how many remain missing, but managers at one beloved summer camp said that 27 girls were unaccounted for as of late Saturday afternoon. Anguish was everywhere. Parents raced to the scene, intending to search for their children themselves. At a local reunification center, family members hugged and sobbed. They spoke hurriedly into cellphones and scanned for photographs of their missing loved ones. Online, they posted desperate pleas for information. And at news conferences, police officers and elected leaders alike struggled to compose themselves. 'People need to know – today will be a hard day,' said Joe Herring Jr., the mayor of Kerrville, one of the hardest hit cities. His voice caught as he spoke. 'It will be a hard day.' Rain fell in sheets as first responders combed over the Guadalupe and several other already-swollen rivers. The downpours prompted additional evacuations and flash flood warnings in and around the Texas Hill Country. The forecast offered little relief: More rain was predicted for Saturday night into Sunday. Swarms of emergency personnel, working in difficult and dangerous conditions, pledged to carry on. They flew helicopters and drones, steered boats and scoured on foot. 'We are literally walking every inch of the Guadalupe from the east side of Kerr County to the west side of Kerr County,' said Jonathan Lamb, a sergeant with the local sheriff's office. He added: 'Our focus remains on the missing and their loved ones, and we're not going to stop until we find and return every missing person.' Authorities were holding out hope – it remained a search-and-rescue, not a recovery mission – but Lamb said the grief is 'probably going to be just about more than we can bear.' Kerr County Judge Rob Kelly, the county's top elected leader, spent the morning at a funeral home. The scene was horrific. Parents were identifying children. Some victims had been in the water so long their fingerprints were no longer usable. 'When you see that many small body bags, it's just, I can't even begin to explain it,' Kelly said in an interview with The Washington Post. The first 36 hours also brought stories of relief and hope. So far, more than 850 people have been saved, some clinging to trees or floating on mattresses. The catastrophe unfolded quickly, just before dawn Friday. With parks and summer camps along the river crowded for the Fourth of July holiday, nearly 2 trillion gallons of rain washed over the region. In one part, the Guadalupe rose from 7 feet to 29 feet in just a few hours. The torrents cut a long path of destruction. Floodwater filled houses and swept away camper vans. It toppled trees and crashed through concrete. This part of Texas is known as 'Flash Flood Alley,' and it is one of the deadliest places in the country for that type of disaster. The same rolling hills and rugged valleys that make the area so picturesque tend to supercharge surging water, sending rainfall rushing into rivers that soon overflow. Yet, the speed and severity of the flooding appeared to catch many off guard. Meteorologists warned about a worrying incoming storm Thursday, but at first, there was little sign it would be so vicious. The most dire alerts came in the overnight hours, and many residents said they didn't see them in time. At about 4:30 a.m. Friday, the National Weather Service notified residents of 'a life-threatening situation.' At a news conference, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi L. Noem said without elaborating that the agency was using 'ancient technology' to issue alerts and that the Trump administration would work on upgrading it. In a statement, however, the Weather Service said its reports gave localities hours of lead time. Officials have deflected questions about what more should have been done to prepare for the floods, with Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas) asking observers to stop 'finger-pointing.' Every level of government, he maintained, was doing everything possible to help. Kelly, the county judge, lives on the Guadalupe and said he never expected the storm to get so bad. 'We didn't know,' he told reporters Saturday. 'We know we get rains. We know the river rises. But nobody saw this coming.' A similar tragedy occurred some 40 years ago, when 10 teens, also attending a summer camp, were killed and 33 others injured after flooding along the Guadalupe River. But the death toll from the latest event quickly surpassed that of July 1987, with local officials saying it was the worst flooding they had ever seen. At an RV park just outside of Kerrville, it initially seemed like a typical summer rainstorm, said Lorena Guillen, who owns the property. As the deluge picked up, Guillen checked for evacuation orders and called the sheriff's office for advice. The answer, she said, was: 'We don't know.' A few hours later, water was rapidly swallowing the park. Guillen dashed door to door, pulling people in pajamas and underwear to higher ground. As she went, lives floated by: cabins from nearby campgrounds; cars with people still inside, honking for help. Before the inundation, there were 28 RVs parked at Guillen's park. After, they were all gone. Six of her tenants remain missing and one of her employees, Julian Ryan, is among those who died. 'There was no warning,' Guillen said. Authorities have not identified all the victims, but more information about some emerged Saturday. There were young and old among them. Campers and counselors. Ryan, who worked for Guillen at a restaurant near the RV park, died while helping rescue his mother, his fiancée and their children. His family told local media that he cut his arm while punching through a window as they evacuated their house, which was filling with water fast. He lost blood quickly, and the ambulance couldn't make it in time. Members of another family, the Eads, were separated in the swift waters. Brian and Katheryn Eads had parked their RV at a campground on the riverbank. Brian was later rescued; Katheryn, who went by Kathy, was not. 'Katheryn was a hope and a light to all who knew her,' one of her former colleagues told The Post. Several victims – and the 27 children who remained missing – were connected to Camp Mystic, an all-girls Christian summer camp that is nearly a century old. When the storm arrived, more than 700 children were at the camp, part of a cherished summer tradition in Texas. Renee Smajstrla, 8, was photographed smiling as she sat on the camp's stone steps the day before the floodwaters came. 'She will forever be living her best life at Camp Mystic,' her uncle wrote in a memorial post on Facebook. Richard 'Dick' Eastland, the director of Camp Mystic, and Jane Ragsdale, director of Heart O' the Hills, another camp just upriver, were also among the deceased. Eastland was found alongside the bodies of three young campers, whom he had died trying to save. 'Dick died doing what he loved,' said Craig Althaus, who worked on the property for 25 years and described finding survivors in trees and on cabin roofs. 'Taking care of those girls.' Stuart Gross, a retired medical technician at the local fire department, spent years responding to flood events. But on Friday, he found himself on the other side, evacuating his riverside residence. He knew the Guadalupe was dangerous, and he was expecting a flash flood, but he didn't get any alerts. By 5 a.m. Saturday, he got a knock on the door from emergency personnel urging him to leave. As he fled, he could hear first responders work. Gross spoke to neighbors who heard the chilling cries for help. 'The screams of children they couldn't reach,' Gross said. 'You can't stop Mother Nature.' Uncertainty reigned as the search wore on. On social media, local news feeds were crowded with family members sharing descriptions and photos of lost loved ones and pets. Residents reported spotty cell service, and officials asked the public for patience. 'I can't tell you how long it's going to take, it's going to take a while,' Kerr County Sheriff Larry L. Leitha said at a news conference. At the Kerrville reunification center, relieved parents picked up children who had evacuated from Camp Waldemar, another all-girls site near Camp Mystic. All campers and staff made it out safely. Kathleen and John McGrath were there to collect their 19-year-old daughter, a counselor at the camp, who was looking after a cabin of six 10-year-olds. 'I just want to hug her,' Kathleen said, as she waited for her daughter, Erin, to arrive. Many of those who survived brought with them harrowing stories of narrow escape. Some of these also played out online, as stranded residents posted last-ditch pleas for rescue. In one terrifying video, Rachel Sanchez panned across the inside of her home in San Angelo, about 150 miles northwest of Kerrville, on the Concho River. Brown water was lapping against cabinets and through doors: 'Okay, my house is flooding,' she said. 'Anybody out there.' Her father, in hospice care, was lying in a bed, with the pool approaching the bottom of the mattress. She broke down as she narrated. 'We've lost our cars, everything,' Sanchez said. 'We've lived here for 30 years and this has never happened. Anybody, please, if you have a boat or something, I need help.' After several calls to 911, they were rescued at last.
USA Today
05-07-2025
- Climate
- USA Today
In Texas Hill Country, a community devastated by deaths from deluge
On July 4, heavy rainfall engorged the Guadalupe River, upending summer camps, retirement plans and those getting away from Texas' urban bustle. Tragedies struck as flooding made its way across Texas's Hill Country. In the early hours of July 4, heavy rainfall engorged the Guadalupe River, upending people's lives as children attended storied summer camps and residents planned to come together for Independence Day. As of July 5, at least 32 people, including 14 children, have died. Dozens more are still missing. Residents are left trying to rebuild while searching for people who went missing. 'Please pray for our community,' Kerrville Mayor Joe Herring Jr. said in a post. 'Serene' summer camp site gets deadly flooding Family members of those at Camp Mystic, a Christian summer camp for girls, have learned of the deaths of their children who died amid the flooding outside of Kerrville, a city of about 24,000 people in central Texas. Images showed empty bunk beds covered in mud, with girls' belongings strewn throughout the decades-old campsite that has brought generations of Texas families together. Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said 750 girls were at the camp when rain of up to 12 inches per hour fell. City officials estimated 27 girls are still missing. To get to the camp, far removed from cell service, families traveled on Highway 39, which runs along the Guadalupe River, crossing over the waterway at points. Then, they'd see the Mystic sign atop a hill. The landscape is marked by rolling hills dotted with cypress, live oak, and pecan trees. 'What that area is like when it's in it's prime − when it's not devastated like this − is probably one of the most serene and peaceful places that I've ever seen in my life,' Clair Cannon, a 45-year-old realtor in Dallas who is the second of three generations of women to attend Camp Mystic, told USA TODAY. 'That part of Texas is just absolutely gorgeous.' Cannon's mother, Emily Morrill, now 75, was a campgoer and later a counselor. She vowed to take Cannon to the camp from the womb, and tells Cannon to spread her ashes there, Cannon quipped. Cannon's daughter also went to the camp beginning at age 8 − the youngest someone can attend − and went for a decade before now being in college. The family has developed lifelong friendships at the camp, and her daughter knew counselors in the cabins that flooded. Cannon's mother, Morrill, was just a bit older than their family friends, Dick and Tweety Eastland, who have run the campsite for decades and live on the property. The campsite itself dates back nearly a century. On July 4, Dick Eastland, known for teaching the girls how to fish, died in the floods after he went to check on the younger girls amid the rainfall. The camp's cabins for its youngest were closest to the riverbank. His nephew confirmed the death on social media, Texas Public Radio reported. Several girls have been identified among the dead. Renee Smajstrala, an 8-year-old camp attendee, was killed in the flooding, her uncle, Shawn Salta, confirmed to the Washington Post. He had shared a Facebook post announcing his niece's death. 'We are thankful she was with her friends and having the time of her life, as evidenced by this picture from yesterday,' Salta's post said. 'She will forever be living her best life at Camp Mystic.' Another camper, Janie Hunt, 9, is among the dead, her mother told CNN in a message the morning of July 5. Sarah Marsh, an 8-year-old from Alabama, also died at the camp, Mountain Brook, Alabama, Mayor Stewart Welch announced. Several others are still missing. Normally, at the end of the monthlong summer camp, girls would have a second reunion before leaving the Hill Country, Cannon said. Their pilgrimage is to the Texas jewelry institution, James Avery. The artisan jewelry store, with locations across the state, is headquartered in Kerrville, a few miles downriver. With their families in tow, the girls would go together to decorate their camp bracelets with charms. Still dirty from the outdoors, the girls would bedazzle their bracelets with charms for their cabin, the year they attended Mystic, and activities they completed, among other icons. After the second reunion ends, parents put their daughters in the car, Cannon recalled. Girls would fall asleep on the drive home across Texas, exhausted from camp. They'd have to wait to see their friends until next summer. Faithful Hill Country comes together In Kerrville, churches of various denominations have worked to shelter and feed people in the county seat of Kerr County, which has become a destination for retirees. First Presbyterian Church, just a few blocks from the eastern bank of the Guadalupe River, repurposed its Family Life Center to serve as a reunification area for hundreds of people, including children bused and even airlifted from camps up the river, where the roadways had been flooded. Video showed masses of children, many in shorts and flip flops or barefoot, standing in an indoor basketball gymnasium. Christian faith is important to many Kerrville residents, according to the Rev. Jasiel Hernandez Garcia, the 32-year-old pastor of First Presbyterian. 'We have all sorts of convictions and beliefs,' he told USA TODAY. 'And yet, when things like this happen, we are eager to make that connection and say, 'What do you need? How can we help?'' In an update, Hernandez Garcia also announced to congregants that Jane Ragsdale, the longtime director of the Heart O' the Hills summer camp for girls, also died in the flooding. For now, Hernandez Garcia said, the community appears lucky to have sufficient resources for food, water and other immediate supplies, but people will need help rebuilding their lives with financial assistance. Church was home for families of missing Camp Mystic campers Soyla Reyna, a staff administrator at Calvary Temple Church in Kerrville, told USA TODAY that the church became a shelter for displaced families when the flooding began. "We did have people here that have been displaced (and) lost everything, or couldn't stay at their home because it was unsafe," Reyna said. As of Saturday, many of the displaced families who were at the church have been moved to another location, and now the facility is being used to house the families who still have loved ones missing or awaiting rescue, according to Reyna. Reyna did note that the families the church housed initially were all looking for their campers who went missing from Camp Mystic. She recalled a lot of those families being "devastated" and "heartbroken" because they did not know their children's whereabouts at that time. Calvary Temple Church has been working hand-in-hand with the American Red Cross and Salvation Army throughout the rescue efforts, according to Reyna. A day after disaster struck, she said there are still a good number of people at the church waiting to be reunited with their lost family members. Reyna applauded the "overwhelming amount of people" who have come from all over to bring supplies, food and necessities to the families in need. "We're at the point where we're turning people away because we can't have any more stuff," she said about the immense support. "It's been that impactful to our community." Contributing: Jeanine Santucci, Mike Snider and Joel Shannon of USA TODAY
