The Texas floods have claimed dozens of lives, and the death toll continues to rise as significant devastation along the Guadalupe River has prompted a massive search and rescue operation to locate those swept away by floodwaters.
Several individuals remain missing, including girls from the Camp Mystic summer camp and an unknown number of victims from the July 4 celebrations. Officials are facing increasing scrutiny over their preparedness and response speed, while U.S. President Donald Trump is planning a visit to the affected areas after signing a disaster declaration.
Here’s what you need to know about the deadly flooding in and around Kerr County, Texas, and the ongoing efforts to identify victims.
Rising Death Toll in Texas Floods
As of Sunday, the death toll from the catastrophic Texas floods has risen to 82, with much of the destruction centered in Kerr County. Sheriff Larry Leitha reported that 28 children are among the deceased, and the numbers are expected to climb further.
The count of missing individuals remains uncertain. Governor Greg Abbott confirmed that 41 people are officially unaccounted for across the state, with more potentially still missing, including 10 girls from Camp Mystic.
Survivors of the floods described the experience as a “pitch black wall of death,” stating they received no emergency warnings, according to the Associated Press. Officials are under scrutiny for not alerting residents and summer camps along the river sooner than 4 AM and failing to advise them to evacuate. However, officials argue that people may become desensitized to excessive flood alerts for minor events.
Presidential Response to the Crisis
President Donald Trump indicated he would likely visit the areas affected by the Texas floods on Friday. He also signed a disaster declaration for Texas, stating, “It’s a horrible thing that took place, absolutely horrible. So we say, God bless all of the people that have gone through so much, and God bless, God bless the state of Texas.”
A frantic search operation is underway to locate those still missing, including a young woman named Joyce Bandon, who sent what may have been her last message to her family: “Their house collapsed at about 4 in the morning and they were being washed away.” Louis Deppe, a volunteer leading efforts to assist her family, shared that the last message the family received was, “We’re being washed away,” before her phone went dead.
As the situation evolves, communities in Texas remain united in their efforts to assist one another and recover from this devastating disaster.
