Latest news with #MichaelPhillips
Yahoo
a day ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Last known missing person from Burnet County is Marble Falls area volunteer fire chief, sheriff says
MARBLE FALLS, Texas (KXAN) — The last person unaccounted for from this weekend's catastrophic flood in Burnet County is Marble Falls Area Volunteer Fire Chief Michael Phillips, who was swept away while helping others get to safety. MAP: Where have flash flooding fatalities been confirmed in Texas? Burnet County Sheriff Calvin Boyd told KXAN crews Tuesday morning that search and rescue efforts are ongoing for Phillips, whose last known location was near FM 1174 at Cow Creek. Boyd said search teams from numerous agencies are covering the ground and sky via helicopters and drones. He said 12 K-9s were also aiding in the search Tuesday. Phillips' vehicle and personal items were found early on in the search after floodwaters receded. Boyd said the area where Phillips was last seen has treacherous terrain, which has made the search even more difficult for teams. PREVIOUS COVERAGE: 4 dead, 2 missing in Burnet County flooding; Volunteer fire chief still missing Phillips became the final missing person in Burnet County's search after a body was recovered Monday night, Boyd said. In total, Boyd said six people were reported missing after the flood, with five now recovered deceased. He said 62 people were rescued. He said the numerous agencies helping in search, rescue and recovery efforts are working around the clock to locate Phillips. Boyd said knowing a fellow first responder is still waiting to be found has added another layer of emotion to this search. 'It's difficult searching for anybody but when it's one of your own it makes it a little more difficult. Searching for the Chief is a little more difficult on us, but you know, we just do the job. That's what we do,' Boyd said. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
a day ago
- General
- Yahoo
Central Texas Food Bank to distribute food in counties impacted by flooding
AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Central Texas Food Bank, or CTFB, announced it would hold special emergency distributions for three counties impacted by the July 4 floods. BLOG: Search for missing continues July 10 as Texas community grieves CTFB said its first distribution would take place in Burnet County Friday from 1-2 p.m. at 549 East Farm-to-Market Road 243 in Bertram. The second distribution will take place Monday in Llano County from 4-6 p.m. at the Kingsland Community Center located at 3451 Rose Hill Drive. Travis County will also have daily distributions, with no fixed hours, at the Round Mountain Baptist Church at 14500 Round Mountain Road in Leander, according to CTFB. In San Saba, distributions will be held Saturday, July 12, from 1-2 p.m. at First Methodist Church San Saba, located at 204 W. Brown Street. The final location is in Andice on Tuesday, July 15, from 9 – 10 a.m. at Santa Rosa de Lima Catholic Church, located at 6571 FM 970. How to help local Texas communities impacted by flooding 'We recognize that in times like these, having access to nutritious food and clean water can help restore strength, stability, and a sense of normalcy during a time of crisis,' said Sari M. Vatske, Central Texas Food Bank president and CEO. As of Thursday, Travis County confirmed there have been seven people killed and 10 missing after the July 4 flooding event. Burnet County said five people were killed and one person is missing, which is Michael Phillips, the chief of the Marble Falls Area Volunteer Fire Department. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
4 dead, 2 missing in Burnet County flooding; Volunteer fire chief still missing
AUSTIN (KXAN) — An additional death has been confirmed in Burnet County, bringing the total to four, officials said in a press conference this afternoon. The Burnet County Sheriff's Office is still actively searching for two more people that remain missing. One of the missing people is Marble Falls Area Volunteer Fire Chief Michael Phillips. Burnet County Sheriff Calvin Boyd said Monday they found his vehicle and personal items through drones and on-the-ground efforts. Boyd previously said Phillips went missing while attempting a rescue near FM 1174 at Cow Creek. The other person missing is a man from the Burnet area. His vehicle was also found. Names are not being released at this point. Boyd said that the Burnet County has rescued 62 people so far. 'Anywhere from people that were stranded in their attics, to people in trees or on the top of their vehicles,' Boyd said. The humidity and heat is causing search and rescue responders to be changed every couple hours, according to Boyd. With all the debris that the flood brought downstream, helicopters are being used to drop off the responders. This morning's rain kept responders away from some of the low-lying areas out of precaution, according to Boyd. It also added new road closures to the map. 'We didn't want to take a chance with any of our folks who are out there working hard,' he said. The search hasn't changed a lot since operations in Burnet County swung into full effect Saturday. With some of the low-level crossings in the midst of repair, Boyd said that the option for vehicles to drive in will change the search plan. Once the terrain becomes less drenched with water, horses and ATVs will be employed. Currently, foot, dog and drone searches are primarily being used. 'I would love to wrap it up today, but it just depends on how long it takes to find these individuals,' Boyd said. 'We are committed to finding these folks. We want to find them.' SUNDAY LIVE BLOG: Rescue efforts continue in Central Texas after 'catastrophic' flash flooding According to the National Weather Service (NWS), a Flash Flood emergency was put into effect for Burnet County shortly after 5 a.m. NWS said that 5-12' of rain occurred, with an additional 2-5″ possible. 'This is a Particularly Dangerous Situation with life-threatening flash flooding. Seek higher ground if near a flooded creek or stream,' NWS said. Operations in Burnet County were in full effect Saturday, with nearly 20 water rescues underway as flood waters moved through Central Texas. According to the Burnet County Office of Emergency Management (BCOEM), first responders were working 19 different water rescues in the area. In an update, BCOEM confirmed a firefighter was swept away during a rescue. As of 11:36 a.m., the office said crews were attempting to find them. 'All these issues are being handled based on situational urgency,' BCOEM said. 'All agencies within Burnet County are all coordinating these rescues.' The office said several roadways in the area were inaccessible. Those roadways included: Highway 29 to Hamilton Creek Between Burnet and Bertram Highway 281 North (approximately at County Rd 108) Highway 281 at Park Rd 4 1174 to 1431 1431 at Cow Creek Rd. Numerous other county roads 'We are urging everyone to stay home to avoid these high-water dangers. People have already been rescued from trees and cars, several have also called in with high or rising water near their homes,' BCOEM said. The city of Burnet said those affected by flooding or in need of a safe place to go, the Burnet Community Center, located at 401 East Jackson Street, was open for evacuations. In an update Saturday night, BCSO said emergency responders performed more than 50 rescues. Those operations were suspended Saturday night and continued Sunday morning. BCSO Captain Mike Sorenson confirmed that three people died. One of the missing persons included Marble Falls Area Volunteer Fire Chief Michael Phillips. Burnet County Sheriff Calvin Boyd said Phillips went missing while attempting a rescue near FM 1174 at Cow Creek. 'If you can stay home, don't travel. Everyone wants to go out and look at the high water and the wreckage but we ask you to stay home at this point,' said Boyd on Saturday. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Fox News
5 days ago
- Climate
- Fox News
Harrowing photos show what's left of volunteer fire chief's vehicle after he was swept away in Texas floods
A desperate search was under way for a volunteer fire chief who disappeared when floodwaters swept away his emergency vehicle near Cow Creek in Texas Hill Country. Past president of the International Association of Fire Chiefs, Gary Ludwig, said that Fire Chief Michael Phillips, of the Marble Falls Volunteer Fire Department, went missing early Saturday after being swept away by floodwaters while responding to a call near Cow Creek in Travis County, Texas, 50 miles from Austin, Texas. "Chief Phillips was driving an emergency vehicle when he went missing late this morning," Ludwig wrote in a post on Facebook. "The vehicle has been found; however, the Chief has not been found with the vehicle, or anywhere else as of yet," he continued. Harrowing images of Phillips' truck show it completely smashed and covered in flood debris. Ludwig said Phillips was still missing as of Sunday evening. The Burnet County Sheriff's Office said that it is "actively searching for Phillips," with the search area being focused on three distinct areas off FM 1431 between Faith Academy and the Cow Creek area, with an additional search underway north of US Highway 281 near Hamilton Creek in Burnet. "As of the time of this post, there are 5 known missing individuals, and we currently have recovered the remains of 3 individuals," the sheriff's office wrote in a post on their Facebook page Sunday evening. During a news conference on Monday, Burnet County Sheriff Calvin Boyd emphasized that teams remain dedicated to the ongoing search until all missing individuals are located, KVUE reported. Over the weekend, officials said intense flooding swept through the region, complicating their search operations and that continued rainfall has further damaged infrastructure, making it challenging for crews to reach lower-lying areas. Authorities noted that some methods of search—such as horseback or ATV patrols—are currently not viable due to hazardous conditions. Numerous low-water crossings and bridges remain in need of repair before emergency teams can fully access all affected locations. According to his Facebook profile, Phillips has served as a volunteer fire chief since 1995. Fox News Digital reached out to the Marble Falls Fire Department and the Burnet County Sheriff's Office, but did not immediately receive a response. On Monday, the White House said at least 91 people were killed in central Texas in flash flooding that began early on the morning of the Fourth of July. The National Weather Service also issued multiple Flash Flood Warnings on Monday for counties in central Texas. Stepheny Price is a writer for Fox News Digital and Fox Business. She covers topics including missing persons, homicides, national crime cases, illegal immigration, and more. Story tips and ideas can be sent to
Fox News
5 days ago
- Climate
- Fox News
Heartbreaking photos show what's left of volunteer fire chief's vehicle after he was swept away in Texas floods
A desperate search was under way for a volunteer fire chief who disappeared when floodwaters swept away his emergency vehicle near Cow Creek in Texas Hill Country. Past president of the International Association of Fire Chiefs, Gary Ludwig, said that Fire Chief Michael Phillips, of the Marble Falls Volunteer Fire Department, went missing early Saturday after being swept away by floodwaters while responding to a call near Cow Creek in Travis County, Texas, 50 miles from Austin, Texas. "Chief Phillips was driving an emergency vehicle when he went missing late this morning," Ludwig wrote in a post on Facebook. "The vehicle has been found; however, the Chief has not been found with the vehicle, or anywhere else as of yet," he continued. Harrowing images of Phillips' truck show it completely smashed and covered in flood debris. Ludwig said Phillips was still missing as of Sunday evening. The Burnet County Sheriff's Office said that it is "actively searching for Phillips," with the search area being focused on three distinct areas off FM 1431 between Faith Academy and the Cow Creek area, with an additional search underway north of US Highway 281 near Hamilton Creek in Burnet. "As of the time of this post, there are 5 known missing individuals, and we currently have recovered the remains of 3 individuals," the sheriff's office wrote in a post on their Facebook page Sunday evening. During a news conference on Monday, Burnet County Sheriff Calvin Boyd emphasized that teams remain dedicated to the ongoing search until all missing individuals are located, KVUE reported. Over the weekend, officials said intense flooding swept through the region, complicating their search operations and that continued rainfall has further damaged infrastructure, making it challenging for crews to reach lower-lying areas. Authorities noted that some methods of search—such as horseback or ATV patrols—are currently not viable due to hazardous conditions. Numerous low-water crossings and bridges remain in need of repair before emergency teams can fully access all affected locations. According to his Facebook profile, Phillips has served as a volunteer fire chief since 1995. Fox News Digital reached out to the Marble Falls Fire Department and the Burnet County Sheriff's Office, but did not immediately receive a response. On Monday, the White House said at least 91 people were killed in central Texas in flash flooding that began early on the morning of the Fourth of July. The National Weather Service also issued multiple Flash Flood Warnings on Monday for counties in central Texas. Stepheny Price is a writer for Fox News Digital and Fox Business. She covers topics including missing persons, homicides, national crime cases, illegal immigration, and more. Story tips and ideas can be sent to
