Males trip in an airboat on the Guadalupe River as they search for lacking individuals in Hunt, Texas, on July 6, 2025, following extreme flash flooding that occured through the July Fourth vacation weekend.
Ronaldo Schemidt/AFP by way of Getty Photographs
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Ronaldo Schemidt/AFP by way of Getty Photographs
Officers in Central Texas are desperately trying to find survivors after a flash flood on Friday left at the very least 78 individuals useless and dozens unaccounted for, together with many kids.
Greater than 850 individuals have been rescued to date — many by helicopters, officers stated. Of the useless, 68 of the them had been in Kerr County, officers stated at a Sunday afternoon information convention. The demise toll within the county contains 40 adults and 28 kids, Sheriff Larry L. Leitha stated. Along with the deaths in Kerr County, 10 others died resulting from flooding in surrounding counties, in accordance with officers.
In the meantime, the search continues for 10 ladies and a counselor lacking from Camp Mystic, a Christian summer time camp subsequent to the Guadalupe River, Leitha stated.
W. Nim Kidd, chief of the Texas Division of Emergency Administration, stated officers are nonetheless holding out hope and are “very a lot fueled by the compassion that we really feel for these households.”
“We’re doing all the pieces we are able to to seek out their lacking family members,” he stated.
Greater than 400 first responders from over 20 businesses in Kerr County had been aiding with the search and rescue, Leitha stated earlier Sunday. As well as, greater than 100 automobiles and a few dozen Ok-9 items had been scouring the realm across the Guadalupe River in the hunt for survivors, in accordance with the Kerr County Sheriff’s Workplace. Greater than 1,000 personnel are aiding in search-and-rescue operations, in accordance with the Texas Division of Emergency Administration.
The search space has been expanded from Kerr County to incorporate San Saba and Burnet counties, which had been additionally affected by the flooding, officers stated Sunday.
Though first responders have confronted challenges corresponding to warmth, snakes and impassable roads resulting from flooding and particles, particles removing was nonetheless underway and enhancing, officers stated Sunday. The officers are additionally cautioning residents to not fly drones within the search areas, together with alongside the Guadalupe River, as a result of it’s hampering search drones from businesses.
President Donald Trump, who posted on his social media platform Sunday that he had signed a declaration of emergency for Kerr county, commented later that the flooding was “horrible” and that he would doubtless go to Central Texas on Friday.
“So we are saying God bless the entire those that have gone by a lot and God bless – God bless the state of Texas, it is an unimaginable place,” Trump advised reporters.
Trump additionally stated he would focus on FEMA later when requested if he nonetheless had plans to section out the company.
Extra rainfall forward
A volunteer seems to be for lacking individuals, following extreme flash flooding that occured through the July 4 vacation weekend, in Hunt, Texas, on July 6, 2025.
Ronaldo Schemidt/AFP by way of Getty Photographs
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Ronaldo Schemidt/AFP by way of Getty Photographs
Flash flood warnings had been issued for Central Kerr County till 7:30 p.m. Elements of the Hill Nation had been underneath a flash flood watch till 7 p.m., in accordance with the Nationwide Climate Service workplace in Austin/San Antonio.
The bottom within the areas that flooded stays saturated and even “somewhat little bit of rain, rainfall and watershed may cause points,” in accordance with Texas Division of Public Security Director Col. Freeman F. Martin, who spoke on Sunday.
An emergency alert telephone message was despatched out Sunday afternoon to space residents telling them to hunt increased floor due to “excessive confidence of river flooding at North Fork of river.”
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott on Sunday warned residents to be “terribly cautious” for the subsequent 24-48 hours and keep away from driving on flooded roads.
He stated individuals had died once they had been swept away in automobiles and warned residents that water on roads may rise very quickly.
“Chances are you’ll suppose you possibly can drive by it, solely to seek out out once you’re in there that it is too late and that you just’re getting swept away,” Abbott stated. “If there’s any water on the street, you gotta be protected. There’s an outdated saying for a cause… ‘flip round, do not drown’.”
