The death toll from severe flooding in central Texas has reached 104, with recovery teams pulling 84 bodies, including 28 children, from the hardest-hit Kerr County, according to the Associated Press. Rescue operations persist as teams search for the missing in affected areas.
Many victims were staying at summer camps along the Guadalupe River when flash floods struck last week, uprooting campsites and sweeping individuals from cabins and tents as the river overflowed.
Authorities warn that the death toll may increase, with additional rain forecasted in the coming days. Ongoing rescue operations are crucial as recovery efforts sweep through central Texas.
The recent flash floods are considered some of the worst the U.S. has experienced in decades, devastating riverside camps and homes early Friday morning. As water surged through cabins, tents, and trailers, people were swept away and carried miles downstream, often past floating debris like tree trunks and vehicles. Some survivors were rescued while clinging desperately to trees.
The riverbanks are littered with debris, including uprooted trees, mattresses, refrigerators, and personal items like a volleyball and family photographs, serving as sobering reminders of the lives affected.
Authorities reported 19 fatalities across Travis, Burnet, Kendall, Tom Green, and Williamson counties. Among the victims were 8-year-old twin sisters from Dallas attending Camp Mystic, and a former soccer coach and his wife who were in a riverfront home. Their daughters remain missing.
Investigation into Flood Warnings and Camp Evacuations
Officials will investigate whether adequate warnings were issued before the catastrophic floods and why certain summer camps did not evacuate or move to higher ground in an area often referred to as “flash flood alley.”
The review will focus on how weather alerts were disseminated and received. Kerrville City Manager Dalton Rice stated that many camps are located in areas with poor cellphone coverage. “We want to dive in and look at all those things,” Rice said. “We’re looking forward to doing that once we can get the search and rescue complete.”
While some camps failed to evacuate in time, others took precautions by monitoring weather conditions. At least one camp relocated several hundred children to safer ground ahead of the flooding.
Senator Ted Cruz remarked that recent budget cuts to the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the National Weather Service did not affect the warnings issued. “There’s a time to have political fights, there’s a time to disagree. This is not that time,” Cruz stated. “There will be a time to find out what could have been done differently. My hope is in time we learn some lessons to implement the next time there is a flood.”
