Deadly Texas floods claim over 80 lives, dozens still missing

Residents across central Texas observed a day of prayer on July 6, mourning at least 82 confirmed deaths and dozens still missing following the catastrophic flash flooding that struck on July 4.

The disaster began when torrential pre-dawn rains caused the Guadalupe River near San Antonio to surge 26 feet (8 meters) within 45 minutes, overwhelming a riverside summer camp, Caliber.Az reports via foreign media.

Kerr County Sheriff Larry Leitha provided a grim update during a July 6 afternoon briefing, confirming that 68 people, including 28 children, have died in the county alone. “The search continues for the missing girls and their counselor from Camp Mystic, along the river,” he said. Relatives remain anxiously awaiting news of 10 girls and one camp counselor still unaccounted for.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott reported an additional 10 fatalities in neighboring counties, with a total of 41 people still missing statewide. “We are seeing bodies recovered all over up and down,” said Dalton Rice, Kerrville’s city manager, during an earlier briefing.

Rescue operations have been extensive, with about 850 people saved so far and over 400 personnel engaged in ongoing search and rescue efforts. Despite water levels having receded by July 6 morning to just slightly above normal, further rain on Saturday and into Sunday complicated the search, which utilized boats, helicopters, and drones.

Authorities sent emergency alerts to residents in Kerrville, warning: “High confidence of river flooding at North Folks of river. Move to higher ground.”

Federal involvement has increased as well. U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem was on the ground in Texas, and President Donald Trump announced via social media that he signed a federal emergency declaration to release additional resources. Trump also posted a letter confirming that federal efforts would be coordinated by Benjamin Abbott of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

When asked on July 6 about his administration’s previous plans to phase out FEMA, Trump said, “Well, FEMA is something we can talk about later, but right now they’re busy working.” Noem defended the federal response, promising at a Saturday press conference that “relief will be coming.”

Despite these assurances, criticism has mounted over budget cuts that have weakened key weather forecasting agencies. Harsh reductions impacting the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) have left vital offices, including the National Weather Service’s Austin-San Antonio branch, short-staffed.

Officials maintained that flash flood warnings were issued ahead of the event. However, many residents reported not receiving warnings, a concern acknowledged by Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick during a July 6 Fox News interview. Compounding the issue, the initial National Weather Service forecast had predicted only 3-6 inches of rain — far less than the deluge that triggered the deadly flooding.

Governor Abbott pledged that responders would remain on site “until every individual was recovered,” underscoring the ongoing efforts amid one of Texas’s deadliest natural disasters in recent history.

By Vugar Khalilov