24 confirmed dead: Texas Gov. provides update on Kerrville flooding

Less than 24 hours after devastating storms caused flash flooding in the Texas Hill Country, Texas Governor Greg Abbott held a press conference with updates on recovery efforts and confirmed fatalities. 

Kerrville officials joined the governor during the updates. Kerr County Sheriff Larry Leitha confirmed flooding has led to 24 fatalities. One fatality was found in Kendall County but the sheriff could not confirmed if it was related to today’s event. 

Several deaths have been confirmed throughout the day. The Kerrville Daily Times reported the death of Heart O’ the Hills Camp director Jane Ragsdale. Even more reports of missing locals, visitors and at least 23 campers have spread across social media. 

Officials did not provide an estimated number of missing individuals and did not confirm if the number of missing campers out of Camp Mystic has changed since the afternoon update. 

“This is a time when we as a state, as a community, need God more than ever,” Abbott said just before signing a disaster declaration for several Texas counties in the region. 

According to Abbott, Texas A&M Texas Task Force 1 and 2 were deployed along with a 1,000 state officials and swift water boat teams from San Antonio and Austin. “They will continue in the darkness of night…seeking to find everyone that’s been unaccounted for.” 

Mayor Joe Herring Jr. expressed his gratitude to the first responders who activated throughout the day and asked for prayers for the Kerrville community. 

“You are our heroes today. We will not stop we will rescue those in peril, and we will find those who are missing. But I’d also ask, please pray for our community, this is a hard day,” Herring said. 

Five helicopters and were deployed during the day with three more helicopters on the way to support in the coming days. According to Texas National Guard Major General Suelzer, 237 people have been evacuated with 167 of those by helicopter.

City Manager Dalton Rice stressed the speed at which the flood waters rose and how quickly things took a turn. 

“Within an hour and a half, it had already risen well over 20, 25 feet,” Rice said. 

The National Weather Service did issue a flood watch for portions of the western Hill Country on July 3 as early as 2 p.m., but called for rainfall amounts of 1 to 3 inches with isolated 5 to 7 inches in some areas. CPS Meteorologist Brian Alonzo posted an update at 4:32 p.m. with the model calling for 15 inches of rain over Bandera. 

Texas Department of Emergency Management head W. Nim Kidd made a clear plea: If you don’t live in the area, stay away from Kerrville. 

“Tell the people that don’t live here and don’t have family here and don’t have family that are missing, not to come here. Do not come in this area and start looking around,” Kidd said. “We had people that were blocking bridges today, while we had emergency response vehicles trying to get out and do rescues. So if you don’t live in this area and you’re not personally involved in this response, don’t come to Kerrville, Texas right now.”