109 confirmed dead and 161 known to be missing after Central Texas floods, Gov. Greg Abbott says: Latest updates

DALLAS — The search for victims continues Tuesday after flash floods in Central Texas killed at least 109 people and left at least 161 missing over the Fourth of July holiday weekend and left others still missing, including several North Texans. 

The devastation along the Guadalupe River, outside of San Antonio, has drawn a massive search effort as officials face questions over their preparedness and the speed of their initial actions.

As rain continues to fall in the region, crews continue to urgently search for the missing while help pours in from across the state and the country. We’re also learning more about the victims, many of whom are part of our North Texas community. Officials said the death toll is expected to rise. 

Here’s what to know about the deadly flooding, the colossal weather system that drove it in and around Kerr County, Texas, and ongoing efforts to identify victims.

• Gov. Greg Abbott said in a press conference Thursday that 109 deaths have been reported statewide and 161 people are known to be missing statewide.
• “We have to find every single person’s who’s missing,” Abbott said. “We will not stop until every missing person is accounted for.”
• Abbott asked people who may know someone missing in the storm to call 830-258-1111 or email kervillemissing@dps.texas.gov and provide the name and last known location of any person believed to be missing. 
• Officials have said five girls and a counselor from Camp Mystic remain missing, but it’s unclear how many of those are part of the number released by camp officials Monday. Abbott said Tuesday that another child not associated with the camp was also reported missing, for a total of 7.
• Abbott said he was informed by federal officials that they’re set to declare a public health emergency for the Texas Hill Country flash floods to make it easier for health providers from out of state to respond.
• Abbott and state officials, including Speaker of the Texas House Dustin Burrows, toured the affected area Tuesday. 
• Burrows and Abbott said lawmakers will work to address issues related to flood response during the upcoming special session. 
• Twenty-seven campers and counselors from Camp Mystic died in the flash flood, the camp said in a statement Monday morning: “Camp Mystic is grieving the loss of 27 campers and counselors following the catastrophic flooding on the Guadalupe River.”
• The last live recovery took place Friday, the day storms moved through the area, local officials said. 
• The governor warned Texans of more rain in the forecast, posing danger for an already rain-soaked region.
• Stories of heroism emerged as survivors describe daring efforts to reach safety.

First responders on Tuesday described cutting through layers of mangled trees as the search for victims of the deadly flooding continues. 

Officials said the last live rescue of a victim of the flood occurred Friday, the same day “a wall of water” swept through the area, killing over 100 people. Game Wardens have searched 26 river miles and rescued 444 people since the flooding occurred, Ben Baker, Lt. Col with the Texas Game Wardens, said. 

 Baker said the search conditions are “extremely challenging.” 

“We’ve got these large piles of debris and with our canines, while we try to make these recoveries, these large piles can be very obstructive,” Baker said. “To get deep into these piles is very hazardous and those specialized teams have to go in there layer by layer because the safety of the first responders is also a concern.” 

Rain falling across the region has also made recovery efforts more challenging, officials said. 

The floods grew to their worst at the midpoint of a long holiday weekend when many people were asleep.

The Texas Hill Country in the central part of the state is naturally prone to flash flooding due to the dry dirt-packed areas where the soil lets rain skid along the surface of the landscape instead of soaking it up. Friday’s flash floods started with a particularly bad storm that dropped most of its 12 inches (30 centimeters) of rain in the dark early morning hours.

After a flood watch notice midday Thursday, the National Weather Service office issued an urgent warning around 4 a.m. that raised the potential of catastrophic damage and a severe threat to human life. By at least 5:20 a.m., some in the Kerrville City area say water levels were getting alarmingly high. The massive rain flowing down hills sent rushing water into the Guadalupe River, causing it to rise 26 feet (8 meters) in just 45 minutes.

Gov. Greg Abbott said Sunday that there were 41 people confirmed to be unaccounted for across the state, and more could be missing.

In Kerr County, home to youth camps in the Texas Hill Country, searchers have found the bodies of 87 people, including 30 children, Sheriff Larry Leitha said Tuesday. 

Five girls and a counselor were still unaccounted for at Camp Mystic, a Christian summer camp along the river.

For past campers, the tragedy turned happy memories into grief.

Beyond the Camp Mystic campers unaccounted for, the number of missing from other nearby campgrounds and across the region had not been released.

“We don’t even want to begin to estimate at this time,” Kerrville City Manager Dalton Rice said Saturday, citing the likely influx of visitors during the July Fourth holiday.

Camp Mystic says it is “grieving the loss” of 27 campers and counselors in a statement Monday. 

“We have been in communication with local and state authorities who are tirelessly deploying extensive resources to search for our missing girls,” the camp said in a statement posted on its website. “We are deeply grateful for the outpouring of support from community, first responders, and officials at every level.”

The camp asked for “continued prayers, respect and privacy” for all of the families affected. 

Among the victims confirmed Monday was Chloe Childress, a Camp Mystic counselor who died in the flooding, her family said.

“Our family was shocked to hear of the horrific tragic flooding in the hill country, and we were devastated to learn that our precious Chloe was among the victims,” Childress’ family said. “While we know that her joy is now eternal and her faith has become sight, our hearts are shattered by this loss and the similar heartbreak of other families like ours.”

Survivors have described the floods as a “pitch black wall of death” and said they received no emergency warnings.

Kerr County Judge Rob Kelly, who lives along the Guadalupe River, said Saturday that “ nobody saw this coming.” Various officials have referred to it as a “100-year-flood,” meaning that the water levels were highly unlikely based on the historical record.

And records behind those statistics don’t always account for human-caused climate change. Though it’s hard to connect specific storms to a warming planet so soon after they occur, meteorologists say that a warmer atmosphere can hold more moisture and allow severe storms to dump even more rain.

Additionally, officials have come under scrutiny about why residents and youth summer camps along the river were not alerted sooner than 4 a.m. or told to evacuate.

Officials noted that the public can grow weary from too many flooding alerts or forecasts that turn out to be minor.

Kerr county officials said they had presented a proposal for a more robust flood warning system, similar to a tornado warning system, but that members of the public reeled at the cost.

On Sunday, officials walked out of a news briefing after reporters asked them again about delays in alerts and evacuations.

The flash floods have erased campgrounds and torn homes from their foundations.

“It’s going to be a long time before we’re ever able to clean it up, much less rebuild it,” Kelly said Saturday after surveying the destruction from a helicopter.

Other massive flooding events have driven residents and business owners to give up, including in areas struck last year by Hurricane Helene.

President Donald Trump said he would likely visit the flood zone on Friday.

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