At least 81 dead as search efforts intensify after Texas floods

The National Weather Service is warning of the possibility of more flash floods over the next few hours in central Texas.

“Thunderstorms are expected to increase across portions of central TX over the next few hours with areas of slow movement and locally heavy rainfall," the weather service said in a forecast discussion.

The service said 1 to 3 inches of localized hourly rainfall is expected, "leading to isolated flash flood concerns across the region."

Above the Guadalupe River in Kerr County, the Coast Guard searches for survivors, scanning for heat signatures that could lead to rescues or recovery.

The number of statewide deaths fatalities blamed on July Fourth flooding has risen to at least 81 tonight.

The numbers include two confirmed deaths in Kendall County, which is downriver from the devastation in Kerrville and Kerr County.

"It is with heavy hearts that we confirm two recoveries have been made in Kendall County, bringing our death toll to 2," Kendall County Emergency Management said in an update. "Our thoughts and prayers are with the families impacted, and we continue to stand with our neighboring counties that are experiencing devastating losses."

In Kerr County, 40 adults and 28 children are confirmed dead, in Travis County the number is six, for Burnet County it's three, and for Tom Green and Williamson counties the figure is one each.

There are still multiple people missing in Kerr County, and it's still possible the number of deaths could continue to rise rise tomorrow.

Camp Mystic said in a statement tonight that it is continuing to coordinate with local and state authorities in the search for at least 10 missing girls.

In a statement, the summer camp near the community of Hunt, which has a location on the flooded Guadalupe River, also said it continues to grieve the deaths of campers and counselors.

"Our hearts are broken alongside our families that are enduring this unimaginable tragedy. We are praying for them constantly," the statement said.

The camp thanked the community, first responders and officials for "the outpouring of support" and asked for continued prayers.

Kerrville, Texas, was one of the areas hardest hit by the July Fourth floodwaters, with 40 adults and 28 children dead in underlying Kerr County and 10 children and a summer camp counselor still missing in the area.

It's my hometown, and my family is safe — my mother evacuated as waters rose — but some friends have been affected, and there's a sense of anguish at seeing the city of more than 24,000 stunned and forever changed.

On "NBC Nightly News," I described it like this: "There really aren't the words. You cover disasters, to some degree, for a living, and then it hits your own hometown and you’re at an absolute loss."

Among those who died at Camp Mystic was a camp counselor who “had a remarkable way of making people feel seen,” the head of the school from which she had just graduated said.

Chloe Childress was “wise beyond her years, with a steady compassion that settled a room," said Jonathan Eades, head of the Kinkaid School, a pre-K-through-12th grade institution in Houston.

"Whether it was sharing her own challenges to ease someone’s burden or quietly cheering a teammate or classmate through a tough day, Chloe made space for others to feel safe, valued, and brave," Eades said in a letter to the school community.

He continued: "She was deeply invested in people and cared for those around her. She understood how important it was to take care of others at all levels — physically, emotionally, and as a community. She lost her life upholding this selfless and fierce commitment to others."

Counselors will be available at Kinkaid, Eades said.

Six people in Travis County have died as a result of the flooding in central Texas, a county spokesman said tonight.

The number of deaths across the state is now 80.

Fatal floods in Texas that left thousands scrambling for safety with little warning have sparked a fresh round of scrutiny of Trump administration cuts to the National Weather Service.

At least 80 people were dead and many others were missing this evening after floodwaters surged through Texas Hill Country, an area known as “flash flood alley.”

Within hours of the deluge early Friday, some Texas officials were critical of the NWS, saying forecasts underestimated the rainfall. Rep. Jack Kimble, D-Calif., posted a tongue-in-cheek critique Saturday on X of NWS cuts in response to a post from Vice President JD Vance. Trump today rejected the idea of investigating whether NWS cuts had left key vacancies, and the White House said claims that NWS cuts had anything to do with the tragedy were “disgusting.”

Independent meteorologists and a former NWS official said warnings issued in the run-up to this weekend’s flooding were about as timely and accurate as could be expected with the weather data available in real time. Predicting extreme rain and flash flooding beyond several hours is challenging, they said, and it is also not easy to ensure urgent warnings reach those most at risk.

“The forecasting was good. The warnings were good. It’s always about getting people to receive the message,” said Chris Vagasky, a meteorologist based in Wisconsin. “It appears that is one of the biggest contributors — that last mile.”

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Trump didn't address reporters' questions this evening about whether he plans to phase out FEMA, saying it "is something we can talk about later."

He repeated that his administration didn't leave any important vacancies at the National Weather Service, saying the "setup" was put in place by former President Joe Biden, not him, but then he said that he wouldn't blame the last administration and that "this is a hundred-year catastrophe, and it’s just so horrible to watch."

The White House has already pushed back against the notion that the NWS was left understaffed leading up to the Central Texas floods, with critics pointing to forecasts that officials in the state said underestimated the amount of rain that ultimately fell.

Still, Trump said today as he left New Jersey for Washington that he wouldn't know whether the agency needs to hire back more meteorologists.

"This was the thing that happened in seconds. Nobody expected it; nobody saw it. Very talented people are there, and they didn’t see it," he said.