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The Hill
5 days ago
- Climate
- The Hill
Federal forecast concerns surface in Texas' deadly flooding debate
KERR COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) — State and local officials are calling out federal forecasters amid deadly flooding in the Texas Hill Country over the extended Fourth of July weekend. The criticism comes, as funding cuts and staff shortages plague the National Weather Service and other emergency management agencies nationwide. Texas Division of Emergency Management Chief Nim Kidd told reporters Friday original forecasts from the National Weather Service predicted 4 to 8 inches of rain in that area, 'but the amount of rain that fell in this specific location was never in any of those forecasts.' 'Listen, everybody got the forecast from the National Weather Service, right?' Kidd said. 'You all got it, you're all in media, you got that forecast. It did not predict the amount of rain that we saw.' Kidd added TDEM 'worked with our own meteorologist to finetune that weather statement' but did not elaborate on any updated interpretation that would have led to more urgent warnings for evacuations. The area actually received a much more significant amount of rain that night, with NWS observed totals exceeding 10 inches just west of Kerrville, near where dozens were killed or remain missing – including several children at a summer camp. Localized LCRA rainfall totals in the region have exceeded 18 inches in some places. The Guadalupe River in Kerrville measured just under a foot on Thursday, leading up to midnight. At about 4 a.m. Friday, the river rose over 30 feet in less than two hours, according USGS data. On Friday, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick also said during a separate press event that TDEM Region 6 Assistant Chief Jay Hall 'personally contacted the judges and mayors in that area and notified them all of potential flooding.' KXAN has requested record of that communication to verify that statement and its level of urgency. 'Yesterday morning, the message was sent,' Patrick added. 'It is up to the local counties and mayors under the law to evacuate if they feel a need. That information was passed along.' NWS issued a flash flood warning at 1:14 a.m. Friday for a portion of Kerr County – where the majority of flood-related deaths have been reported. But it would be at least four hours before any county or city government entity posted directions to evacuate on social media. City and county officials have yet to fully explain the timing of their Facebook posts surrounding the height of the flood or other ways they might have notified people near the water. Kerrville Mayor Joe Herring, Jr., said Saturday the city had done an 'admirable' job making sure all information was available to the public. KXAN is awaiting responses after requesting records of communication between city, county and state officials to better understand decisions regarding their public warnings. Kerr County Judge Rob Kelly has claimed officials 'didn't know this flood was coming.' 'This is the most dangerous river valley in the United States, and we deal with floods on a regular basis – when it rains, we get water,' Kelly said to reporters Friday. 'We had no reason to believe this was going to be anything like what has happened here, none whatsoever.' Kerrville City Manager Dalton Rice reiterated that apparent lack of awareness, telling the media Friday: 'This rain event sat on top of that and dumped more rain than what was forecasted.' Following those statements, the NWS provided additional details on its notification timeline for the Kerr County flood, including: KXAN is awaiting additional responses from the NWS on that timeline. KXAN also requested comments from Kidd and from NWS Austin/San Antonio Meteorologist in Charge Pat Vesper regarding how recent federal funding cuts might have impacted weather forecasting abilities in Texas. TDEM responded but did not answer KXAN's questions or indicate when Kidd would be available to speak directly about those issues. An NWS spokesperson said Vesper's office 'is focused on forecast operations right now, as flash flooding is ongoing.' While state and local officials have not publicly – nor outright – blamed the Trump Administration's financial decisions for any possible forecasting issues, public accusations on social media and elsewhere point to their timing during severe weather season. For instance, directly under Vesper at the local NWS office is a key position – warning coordination meteorologist (WCM) – that has remained vacant since April. The role was most recently held by longtime employee Paul Yura, who took an early retirement package offered to agency workers as the administration worked to reduce the budget and personnel number at the NWS and its parent agency, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Yura, who KXAN recently reported spent more than half of his 32-year career at the local NWS office, gained tremendous experience understanding local weather patterns while ensuring timely warnings get disseminated to the public in a multitude of ways. The importance of his role as WCM cannot be understated. Ensuring ample and timely warning to Central Texas counties was among the chief responsibilities. According to NOAA, 'The WCM coordinates the warning function of the office with the outside world. This would include heading the Skywarn Program, conducting spotter training and being a voice to the local media for the office.' Following the Kerr County flood, KXAN reached out to Yura – who referenced a hiring freeze in his retirement message to the media – but he referred questions to an NWS public affairs official. Along with Yura's job, five other vacancies in the local NWS office have stacked up, according to its online staff roster and the NWS Employees Organization. Those include two meteorologists, two technology staff members and a science officer. The office has 26 employees when fully staffed. The administration made cuts to the federal workforce an early priority in Trump's second presidential term this year, and those reductions extended to the NWS. In May, NBC News reported the agency was working to shuffle employees to cover 150 positions that were vacated by the firings of probationary employees and early retirements of other longtime workers. Some forecasting offices were left without overnight service, though no Texas offices were mentioned among those. Tom Fahy, the NWSEO legislative director, then told NBC the staff cuts could increase risk and damage the agency's ability to respond to a disaster. Fahy told KXAN on Saturday the Central Texas flooding 'was indeed a flash precipitation event,' leading to massive rainfall – something the local NWS office still had 'adequate staffing and resources' to handle, despite its vacancies. 'They issued timely forecasts and warnings leading up to the storm,' he said, also referencing flood watches 'out well in advance' the day before the waters rose. In early June, the NWS was seeking to hire at least 126 people across the country, including meteorologists, following previous staff cuts, The Hill reported. A NOAA spokesperson told the outlet the NWS would be conducting 'short term temporary duty assignments' and providing 'reassignment opportunity notices' to fill field offices with the 'greatest operational needs.' The NWS Austin/San Antonio Weather Forecast Office currently has a 15% vacancy rate for meteorologists. The office's total vacancy rate was 12% at the beginning of the year, but that increased to 23% by the end of April when employees took buyouts, Fahy confirmed to KXAN. President Trump posted on Truth Social he is 'working with State and Local Officials on the ground in Texas in response to the tragic flooding,' ahead of U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem visit to represent the administration in Kerrville Saturday. During a press conference after surveying the area, Noem told reporters the amount of rain in this flooding event was 'unprecedented,' underscoring the reason Trump is working to 'fix' aging technology within NOAA. 'I do carry your concerns back to the federal government and back to President Trump,' she said, acknowledging the need for upgraded technology to give 'families have as much warning as possible.' Central Texas and the Hill Country are broadly known for major floods. With one of the highest risks for flash flooding in the country, the area has earned the nickname 'flash flood alley,' according to LCRA. This weekend's tragedy isn't the first. In 1987, a flood hit the Guadalupe River, pushing the waterway up 29 feet and catching a church camp bus, according to the NWS. The bus, which was being used to evacuate dozens of children, was swept away and 10 children were killed. Again, in 1998, flooding struck the region. On Oct. 17 and 18 that year a storm dropped roughly 30 inches of rain near San Marcos. Homes along the Guadalupe River near Canyon Lake and down to Seguin were washed off their foundations, NWS reported. Closer to Austin, the Blanco River experienced catastrophic flooding in 2015 during the Memorial Day holiday weekend. Houses and bridges were washed away, and 13 people were killed across the region.
CBS News
07-07-2025
- Climate
- CBS News
Deadly Texas floods raise questions about emergency alerts and whether staffing cuts affected forecasts and warnings
As the death toll climbs in central Texas from catastrophic flooding over the holiday weekend, many are wondering how the tragic event could have been prevented and who is to blame. President Trump has declared a major disaster for the state of Texas following flood waters that have claimed more than 80 lives so far. At least 27 campers and counselors from Camp Mystic, a summer camp for girls, were killed in the flooding. The storm dumped up to 20 inches of rain on some areas, and Guadalupe River at Kerrville rose more than 20 feet in just an hour in the early morning of Friday, July 4. Many officials have begun to point fingers as to why the waters rose so quickly, with so little warning. During a July 4 press conference, Nim Kidd, the chief of the Texas Division of Emergency Management, said the forecast his office received on Wednesday in advance of the storm predicted several inches of rain, but that "the amount of rain that fell at this specific location was never in any of those forecast." Kerrville city manager Dalton Rice reiterated that sentiment in the same press conference, saying the storms that hit the areas "dumped more rain than what was forecasted." But when the same officials were asked why emergency managers didn't do more to alert the public and evacuate campers in the area, they didn't have a clear response, stressing that they were focused on the missing victims. Vehicles sit submerged as a search and rescue worker looks through debris for any survivors or remains of people swept up in the flash flooding on July 6, 2025 in Hunt, Texas. Jim Vondruska / Getty Images According to Kerr County Judge Rob Kelly, a top local government official, the area does "not have a warning system," and authorities were shocked by the ferocity of the floods. The area is prone to flooding, and transcripts of their meetings show Kerr County commissioners discussed whether to install an outdoor flood warning system several times in recent years, but hadn't done so due to the cost. Timeline of forecasts and warnings The afternoon before the disaster struck, the National Weather Service office in Austin/San Antonio issued a flood watch on July 3 at 1:18 p.m. CT that included Kerrville. The alert stated: "Rainfall amounts of 1 to 3 inches with isolated amounts of 5 to 7 inches are possible." But a convergence of thunderstorms sent the rainfall totals higher, and water levels in the Guadalupe River near Kerrville skyrocketed from 0.34 feet at 11:45 p.m. CT on July 3 — well below flood stage — to a raging 34.29 feet by 6:45 a.m. on July 4, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. A CBS News analysis of the emergency weather alerts in the state of Texas found there were 22 warnings from the National Weather Service for Kerr County and the Kerrville area, where the most catastrophic flooding occurred. The first warning to residents occurred at 1:14 a.m. CT on July 4, urging people to avoid flooded roadways, but not calling for evacuations. A slightly earlier announcement was issued ahead of midnight for Bandera County, which is adjacent to Kerr. The first weather emergency alert sent by the National Weather Service with urgent language instructing people to "seek higher ground now" was sent at 4:03 a.m. CT, according to CBS News review of every alert sent to cellphones from July 2 to July 5. At this point the river was rising, roughly 1.74-feet high. But there were no alerts sent to cellphones in the area by Kerr or Bandera local government officials. The only information the public could only rely on was National Weather Service announcements that were sent in the middle of the night and early morning. During the most critical hours — from 5 a.m. until nearly 7 a.m. CT, when the river rose from 1.82-feet to 34.29-feet because of the 5-10 inches of rain that had fallen — the National Weather Service sent out three critical cellphone messages to Kerr County, which includes Camp Mystic, saying "This is a PARTICULARLY DANGEROUS SITUATION. SEEK HIGHER GROUND NOW!" Some Kerrville residents told CBS News they received no phone warnings before the flood hit, or that they don't pay much attention to the weather warnings they do receive. "We get alerts regularly about flash flood warnings," Kerrville resident Heidi Easton told CBS News. "I kind of just swipe … because it usually doesn't mean much." The Integrated Public Alert Warning System, known as IPAWS, is software used to send emergency text alerts to cellphones, but none were initiated by Kerr County, according to CBS News' analysis. The only notifications sent to the public were the ones from the National Weather Service. Meteorologists defend National Weather Service forecasts Local officials have claimed the forecasts were not accurate, and the most extreme rainfall totals did exceed what was predicted. But many experts have come out and defended the work of the National Weather Service. "There have been claims that NOAA/NWS did not foresee catastrophic TX floods--but that's simply not true," said climate scientist Daniel Swain of UCLA in a social media post, "This was undoubtedly an extreme event, but messaging rapidly escalated beginning ~12 hrs prior." An aerial view over the Guadalupe River on July 6, 2025 in Kerrville, Texas, after heavy rainfall caused deadly flooding. Getty Images Concerns about staffing and budget cuts at the National Weather Service have been in the news since the Trump administration took office in January. The San Antonio and San Angelo weather forecasts offices, which issued warnings for the affected areas, are currently operating with 23 meteorologists on staff, according to union officials for the National Weather Service. The two offices have a combined total of 10 vacancies, including a warning coordination meteorologist in San Antonio, leaving them slightly short of being fully staffed. The warning coordination meteorologist plays a crucial role in coordinating with local officials about severe weather emergencies. Texas Gov. Gregg Abbott was asked about concerns over staffing levels and budget cuts at the National Weather Service during a Sunday press conference and said he "knows nothing" about its staffing, although he said he did speak to Kristi Noem, the secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, about budgeting for weather offices. Abbott said there are plans to hold a special session of the Texas State Legislature to investigate what happened in Kerrville. When asked if the federal government should hire back more meteorologists, President Trump said, "I really wouldn't, I think not." He spoke to reporters on Sunday about the Texas flooding, saying, "Nobody expected it, nobody saw it." But the White House defended the work of the National Weather Service to CBS News and shared numerous reports of statements from other meteorologists, including Jason Runyon, who works for the National Weather Service and said that its office in New Braunfels, which contributes forecasts for Austin, San Antonio and other areas affected by the flooding, had extra staff on duty during the storms. "The National Weather Service weather forecasts offices in San Angelo and San Antonio got ithe forecast right," said Tom Fahy, the legislative director for the National Weather Service Employees Organization, the union that represents weather service workers. "The forecasters did their jobs." But Fahy has taken issue with some budget cuts enacted by this administration. He told CBS News that reduced funding for critical weather programs focused on the last level of warnings disseminated to the public are to blame for much of what happened in Texas. "Tragically, people will die" if funding and increased staffing of meteorologists and other staff are not restored, he told CBS News. Some of the programs Fahy cited that have been suspended relate to coordinating between NWS meteorologists and state, local, and county emergency management officials and public safety officers. He also raised concern about cuts to research labs that are responsible for studying catastrophic weather events to better understand why they happen and how the public can be better prepared for them. "This comes down to the warnings and more staff," Fahy told CBS News, "This is why we do this training stuff, and that's why funding has to be restored to strengthen collaborative exercises with the emergency management community to prevent tragedies like this weekend."
Daily Mail
07-07-2025
- Climate
- Daily Mail
Texas river rises 30 feet in just 45 minutes, pictures show
A chilling timelapse video has emerged showing how the Texas river of death swelled more than 30ft in just 45 minutes before claiming the lives of at least 80, including children. Sixty-eight of the fatalities, including 28 children, were in Kerr County in the early hours of the Fourth of July - when rapid rainfall caused the Guadalupe River to surge more than 30 feet above its normal level in under an hour. From around 5:15pm to 5:20pm the murky waters can be seen sweeping over a road while completely engulfing the smaller trees and bushes its path. Over the next 20 minutes, the waters creep further up the narrow road as onlookers flee the devastating scene. After the full hour has passed, only two tree tops are left visible as the flood water surges through the area. One concerned viewer wrote on social media: 'Those making remarks regarding evacuations and warnings please take note: The video begins at 5:12. Stop the video at 5:18 and look at the water level. Where does one run to in 6 minutes?' Another added: 'Beyond insane to watch the levels rise on the timelapse'. Officials in Kerr County have since warned the area near Johnson Creek and the Guadalupe River could rise by a further two feet due to incoming rain, as they announced a new wave of evacuations. Nim Kidd, Chief of the Texas Division of Emergency Management, advised Kerr County to brace for more of the deadly rains which have already claimed the lives of at least 80 people. 'There are unconfirmed at this point reports of additional water coming in. And as the governor mentioned, there's rain still falling on the area,' Kidd said at a press conference. 'We've got DPS aircraft that are flying up to try to find this wall of water right now, and the people in the reported areas, again, unconfirmed, that are on our communication systems.' Locals in central Texas are being urged to scramble to higher ground following further flash flood warnings as a result of further rain falling on saturated ground. On July 6, Daily Mail revealed that Texas's Division of Emergency Management predicted the number of dead as a result of catastrophic flooding would top 100. In an email sent out Saturday, the state disaster office told partners the number of dead would surpass 100, two different sources confirmed to Daily Mail. The estimate of the dead is vastly different than the message state officials are projecting publicly, insisting that they are still searching for people who are alive, and refusing to say rescue efforts have shifted to recovery of remains. 'Our state assets and local partners are continuing to search for live victims,' Kidd told reporters at a press conference Saturday. 'Our hope and prayer is that there is still people alive that are out there.' DNA testing will also be used to help identify the remains of the flood victims, a state source told Daily Mail. Families have been asked for blood draws or other records to help identify the bodies of loved ones who have been recovered. Relatives of the missing have started arriving in the Kerrville area from across the Lone Star State to provide investigators with DNA samples. More information has been emerging in recent hours about the victims, including those lost at Camp Mystic. At least five girls, aged between eight and nine, lost their lives in the flood after the summer camp was swept away on July 4. Beloved director of all-girl's Christian Camp Mystic, Richard 'Dick' Eastland, 70, also died while trying to save girls as a month's worth of rain dropped in a matter of minutes. The youngest campers slept on low-laying 'flats' inside the camp's cabins, whereas older girls slept in cabins on higher ground, according to the NYT. Most of the missing girls are from the younger age bracket, who were sleeping just yards away from the banks of the Guadalupe River. Texas Governor Greg Abbott said that some 750 girls had been staying at the camp when the floodwaters hit. Some of those who are missing or died at Camp Mystic are connected to wealthy families in Highland Park. Known as the Beverly Hills of Dallas, Highland Park and neighboring Park Cities are home to many of missing girls who belong to prominent families. Some have ties to Highland Park United Methodist Church - whose most famous member is former President George W. Bush.
Yahoo
07-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Abbott: Special session may address warnings after deadly Texas floods
AUSTIN (KXAN) — State lawmakers could soon be back at the Capitol considering better warnings for floods in Texas. Just days after the Guadalupe River rushed over its banks and killed dozens in Kerr County, Gov. Greg Abbott confirmed to reporters a looming special session will focus on this critical issue. '(It's) the way to respond to what happened in Kerrville,' Abbott said during a Sunday press conference at the State Emergency Operations Center in Austin. Following the end of the regular session in May, Abbott announced he would call lawmakers back on July 21. It is unclear if that special session will include any flood-related topics; those could be reserved for a subsequent special session. In 2023, Abbott called four special sessions, which can only tackle issues the governor outlines. Abbott's initial agenda for the upcoming special session includes regulating THC, human trafficking and title theft, among other items. Special sessions may last up to 30 days but can end sooner. Accompanying the governor during the Sunday news conference, Texas Department of Emergency Management Chief Nim Kidd said, 'Just sending the message is not the same as receiving the message.' 'We need to educate the public about what to do when they get the notifications,' Kidd added, referencing weather warnings and how remote areas – like rural Kerr County – might not have had access to cell phone notifications or NOAA radio broadcasts. Regarding National Weather Service forecast timing, communication and the possible impact of federal funding cuts to the agency, Abbott said he knew 'nothing about the staffing.' KXAN has reported the local NWS office, which covers Kerr County, currently has six vacancies among its 26 positions, some of which are meteorologists. The NWS and TDEM have not responded directly to KXAN about those numbers yet. Federal forecast concerns surface in Texas' deadly flooding debate 'We need to spend a lot of time trying to answer this question,' Kidd indicated, speaking generally about a further review of warnings preceding the deadly flood. When KXAN asked Abbott if a recently-failed bill to assist local governments with acquiring emergency communications equipment – like sirens – would re-emerge, he replied, 'It's going to be something that will be looked at (in the special session).' KXAN first reported House Bill 13 – which would not have been in effect until Sept. 1, had it passed – aimed to create a council to operate a grant program for that purpose. It would have developed a statewide strategic plan that included 'the use of outdoor warning sirens.' The council would have also been asked to 'develop and implement, as advisable, emergency alert systems and incorporate as necessary communication technologies into the emergency communications network of this state.' One of the bill's authors, Rep. Joe Moody, D-El Paso, told KXAN the issue should be added to the call for the 'coming special session.' 'I joint authored HB 13 because this is an area of public safety that needs significant and immediate attention,' Moody said in an emailed statement Sunday. 'The absolute last thing we can afford is to do nothing. We should be exploring all avenues and turning that into concrete policy now.' The bill stalled in the Senate Finance Committee where it was never brought up for a hearing. It did, however, pass the full House 129-18 on final reading. Among those voting against the measure was Rep. Wes Virdell, R-Brady, who represents Kerr County in the legislature. KXAN has reached out to Virdell for comment but has not received a response. KXAN's media partner, The Texas Tribune, reported Sunday that Virdell — who has been with the area first responders searching for victims and survivors over the weekend — said he would have decided differently based on his recent experience. 'I can tell you in hindsight,' he told the outlet, 'watching what it takes to deal with a disaster like this, my vote would probably be different now.' At a Friday news conference, Kerr County Judge Rob Kelly said he 'can't answer' why camps along the river – where many of the deaths occurred – weren't evacuated but acknowledged: 'We do not have a warning system.' The next day, a online petition launched, 'urgently' calling for Kerrville and Kerr County to implement an outdoor early warning siren system for life-threatening emergencies, like flooding. By Sunday, the petition had more than 200 signatures. Kerrville didn't have weather sirens used by other cities Outdoor weather alert systems are not required by any federal or state law. The choice is left up to local leaders. Sirens are typically activated by city or county officials, according to the NWS. Cities that use sirens, like San Marcos — which has 14 outdoor weather sirens to warn of floods, tornadoes and wildfires — have previously touted the outdoor warning system as a 'vital tool' for emergency preparedness. The sirens, called an Outdoor Warning System, are designed to quickly and loudly notify a community of threats to public safety, including severe weather. San Marcos notes its sirens emit unique sound patterns for different emergencies. Critics say the devices can be expensive, require regular maintenance, are primarily designed to be heard outdoors and are not as effective as weather radios and mobile alerts. A single siren can cost an estimated $10,000 to $50,000 and multiple are sometimes needed. In an interview with the New York Times, Kelly said one reason Kerr County has no flood warning system is cost. 'Taxpayers won't pay for it,' Kelly told the outlet. Asked if residents might reconsider now, he responded: 'I don't know.' According to a May 12 Kerr County Commissioners' Court agenda, officials most recently considered a presentation from the Upper Guadalupe River Authority on the 'development of a Flood Warning System for Kerr County.' But it would not be the first time area leaders have heard such plans. In 2018, the county, along with the UGRA, applied for a $1 million grant for a flood warning system. 'That application was not selected, okay. That's the bad news,' a commissioner said, according to county commission meeting minutes at the time. Two years later, in 2020, according to county meeting minutes, that same commissioner said: 'We've been trying to get a new flood warning system here.' That 2020 meeting is when the county implemented IPAWS, or Integrated Public Alert & Warning System through FEMA, which is a free program offered through an existing contract with CodeRed, a system the county currently uses for mass emergency pre-recorded emergency telephone messages, according to its website. The CodeRed system is also used in Kerrville with the caveat that it relies on White Pages data and residents should not 'assume their number is included.' In the UGRA's Strategic Plan update for fiscal year 2025 – the most recent posted on its website – the agency listed a goal to 'evaluate and implement resources for flood warning in the Guadalupe River watershed.' Included in that goal, the UGRA aimed to 'work with local partners to develop Kerr County flood warning system.' A timeline provided under that point detailed several failed, declined or pending attempts to do just that over the past decade: In January 2017, UGRA partnered with Kerr County in a FEMA flood warning implementation grant request for $980,000. The project was not selected for funding and most of the funds went to communities impacted by Hurricane Harvey. During the previous reporting period, a pre-application for a count wide flood warning system was submitted to the Texas Water Development Board Flood Infrastructure Fund. The project was invited to submit a complete application, but UGRA declined due to the low (5%) match offered through the grant. UGRA participated in the update to the Kerr County Hazard Mitigation Action Plan which addresses hazards including flooding. The final plan was submitted to FEMA in April 2025. During this reporting period, UGRA requested bids for a flood warning dashboard that combines multiple sources of data into one tool. The project will also recommend future improvements to monitoring equipment related to flood warnings. Information from this dashboard will be used by UGRA staff and local emergency coordinators and decision makers. A contractor for this project was selected in April 2025. KXAN is awaiting responses from the county judge, commissioners, UGRA, TWDB and FEMA regarding those details and any decisions made. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
07-07-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Over 70 have died after catastrophic flooding in Texas - as officials warn ‘wall of water' could batter region
Three days after flash floods first ravaged south-central Texas and claimed more than 70 lives, local officials are still searching for 10 missing campers as another 'wall of water' heads to the area. Flash floods slammed Kerr County and its surrounding areas at the start of the holiday weekend, leaving locals, campers, and July 4th visitors swept up in the catastrophic floods. Rescue efforts were still in full force Sunday as emergency crews raced against the clock to find 11 girls from Camp Mystic, an all-girls Christian camp along the Guadalupe River that was devastated by the floods. 'We won't stop until we find every girl who was in those cabins,' Governor Greg Abbott said in a Saturday evening statement. The region is now bracing for more heavy rainfall, potentially complicating the search efforts and endangering even more people. There are reports of an additional 'wall of water' heading toward Kerr County, Nim Kidd, Chief of the Texas Division of Emergency Management, said at a Sunday afternoon press conference. Kidd warned: 'Because the ground is already saturated, any rain that falls can be perceived as life-threatening rain.' The National Weather Service had predicted between 1 and 3 inches of rain, with some areas possibly getting 5 to 7 inches. But the reality was a torrential downpour along the Guadalupe River late Thursday that led to unexpected flash floods, with parts of Kerr County getting pummeled with 10 to 15 inches in just a short span. The river surged from 8 feet to 29 feet in a matter of hours early Friday morning. Camp Mystic, which sits along the river, was 'horrendously ravaged,' Abbott said. At least 27 people at Camp Mystic have died as a result of the floods, the camp told NBC News in a statement. "This tragedy has devastated us and our entire community. Our hearts are broken alongside the families that are enduring this tragedy, and we share their hope and prayers," the statement read. The search for 10 missing girls and one counselor continues. In total, at least 40 people across Texas counties were missing as of Sunday afternoon, the governor said, while dozens of others have died due to the flash floods. The death toll rose to 79 people on Sunday. Dick Eastland, the director of Camp Mystic, and Chloe Childress, an 18-year-old counselor at the camp, both lost their lives in the floods, according to reports. Jonathan Eades, head of the Kinkaid School from where Childress recently graduated, told the New York Times that she lost her life upholding a 'selfless and fierce commitment to others.' Several campers, not even 10 years old, also died in the floods, their families confirmed. Julian Ryan, a 27-year-old dishwasher in Ingram, Texas, lost his life after water poured into his trailer home. The rest of his family was spared. 'He was the best father, and was always such a happy person who was never above helping people, no matter what it cost,' his fiancee Christinia Wilson told the Times. 'He died trying to save us.' Jane Ragsdale, camp director and co-owner of Heart O' the Hills, a summer camp along the Guadalupe River, was killed in the floods, the camp said in a statement. 'She embodied the spirit of Heart O' the Hills and was exactly the type of strong, joyful woman that the camp aimed to develop with the girls entrusted to us each summer,' the statement read. More than two dozen other victims, including children, have yet to be identified, officials said Sunday. Federal, state and local entities have been working on search and rescue efforts for a third day. On Saturday, officials said more than 850 people had been rescued or evacuated. The Texas Military Department has conducted 525 rescues and evacuations, both by air and by ground, an official said at a Sunday afternoon press conference. The Coast Guard has saved or assisted in saving 223 lives, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said Saturday. As of Sunday, there are 230 Texas Military Department personnel working on the response. They are operating eight helicopters as well as some high-profile military vehicles to help evacuate people from high-water areas, officials said. The personnel are still in Kerrville and have expanded their operations to include San Saba and Burnet. There are also some behavior health officers and chaplains working in those areas. In Kerr County alone, there were 400 first responders working on Sunday, with more than 100 air, water, and ground vehicles conducting search and rescue efforts, the sheriff's office said. President Donald Trump signed a Major Disaster Declaration for Kerr County, Texas on Sunday, providing federal resources to the ravaged area, he said in a statement Sunday morning. '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,' the president wrote. '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!' Former President George W. Bush, who served as the 46th governor of Texas, offered his condolences in a statement shared to social media on Sunday. "On this day of prayer, Laura and I are holding up our fellow Texans who are hurting. We are heartbroken by the loss of life and the agony so many are feeling. Those who have lost their precious children are facing a grief no parents should ever know,' the former president said. 'We are grateful to the first responders and volunteers who are working to find the missing and comfort the grieving at Camp Mystic and along the Guadalupe. We know our words cannot help, but we believe the prayers of so many Americans will,' the statement continued. Former President Barack Obama also said he was praying for those affected by the floods, calling the disaster '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. And we're grateful to the first responders and rescue teams working around the clock to help,' he wrote.
