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What we know
- DOZENS KILLED: At least 104 people are dead across six counties. In Kerr County, officials reported 84 deaths — those of 56 adults and 28 children.
- SEARCH FOR SURVIVORS: Though the likelihood of finding survivors grows slimmer four days out from the devastating flood, rescue crews continue to comb through the region, searching for survivors.
- FLOOD THREAT REMAINS: More rain is expected in Central Texas, and a flash flooding risk remains in the area.
- CAMP MYSTIC GRIEVES: Camp Mystic, the summer camp at the center of the devastating flooding that has hit the Texas Hill Country over the last three days, is "grieving the loss of 27 campers and counselors."
Conspiracies and questions are growing over the role of cloud seeding in the deadly Texas flash floods. We break down the science behind its use in the state.
See Coast Guard crews bring people to safety
Coast Guard air crews hoisted people from flooded RV rooftops to escape fast-rising floodwaters in Kerrville. At least 95 people have died as search efforts intensify following catastrophic flooding in central Texas.
How to stay safe in a flash flood emergency
Julie Munger, who has trained swift water rescue teams for four decades, and Dr. David Markenson, a pediatric emergency physician and former chair of the American Red Cross Science Advisory Council, explain what you should do if you find yourself in a flash flood emergency.
‘The screaming was unbearable’: RV park owner tells how flash flooding overtook campers
A Texas RV park owner recalled how floodwaters overtook the site, sweeping away dozens of trailers in the dark of night. Jordan Elder, of NBC affiliate WOAI of San Antonio, spoke with Lorena Guillen of Blue Oaks RV Park, who said there is an urgent need for assistance in recovering people trapped in piled-up vehicles.
Officials are starting to focus on alert systems as they search for answers
Kerr County, where dozens of people died in the holiday flooding, has no siren system despite years of debate, in part because some local officials felt it was too expensive to install.
The part of Texas Hill Country known as “flash flood alley” has seen rising waters many times before, but the swift and punishing destruction over the Fourth of July has focused attention on whether local officials are doing enough to protect their residents as climate change causes more frequent and severe weather disasters and the federal government is slashing spending on emergency preparedness.
It is impossible to know whether a siren system in Kerr County would have saved lives; they are meant to alert people who are outdoors, not in bed indoors, as many of Kerr County’s victims were when the river rose overnight — at one point by 26 feet in just 45 minutes.
The camping business is the 'heart and soul of Kerrville'
Former Camp Mystic camper and counselor Claudia Sullivan has spent many summers on the banks of the Guadalupe River.
The area she calls home and holds so dear was transformed by the deadly floods. But Camp Mystic's legacy remains.
The camp — and the more than a dozen others in the county — offer the “pristine beauty of nature” and provide young people with a place where they can express themselves and find a sisterhood or brotherhood, she said.
Camp is a place where youths can “find out who you really are,” Sullivan said.
Though the camp has had flooding before, it was never anything like what happened last week. “The water came to places it’s never been before,” said Sullivan, who said she expects the camp, which has been hosting youths for nearly a century, to return — even if it’s with changes.
“It will be a long time and will be hard, but I think we’re resilient,” Sullivan said. “Camp teaches that resilience.”
Riders and horses from across Texas join the search in rugged terrain
Tara Dahnke, a member of Ladies of Texas Tradition, a Houston riding group, pulled up to a trailer park alongside the Guadalupe River with a horse in tow this afternoon.
She and Robert Crow, a member of Tejas Vaqueros, also a riding group out of Houston, threw blankets and saddles over Peaches, his horse, and Scout, Dahnke’s horse, to get ready to start trekking over the still debris-laden muck left from the swollen river.
“I have two daughters. I know what it feels like. I don’t know what it feels like to lose them,” said Crow, who added that he knows people who lost loved ones in the flood.
Both riders arrived in Ingram as part of Texas Equus. Dahnke, who has done other searches with the group, said that searchers can run into rocky and rugged conditions and that in rural areas there may be barbed wire and other obstacles that make searches difficult.
“We need as many people’s eyes on the grounds as we can get to help,” she said.
The magic of summer camp turns into heartbreaking tragedy
For generations, Camp Mystic has been a summer home for girls. It has served hundreds of campers and shaped young women. Now it's grieving after the deadly holiday floods.
Amid drought, 20 inches of rain fell in parts of Texas
The Texas storm that has so far been blamed for at least 100 deaths produced nearly 21 inches of rain at Bertram, a city of about 1,600 people outside Austin, according to federal data.
The unstable front that whipped up thunderstorms Thursday also produced at least 20 inches of rain at two other Hill Country locations through this morning, according to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration numbers released today: Liberty Hill in Williamson County and Streeter in Mason County, which posted 20.55 inches and 20.33 inches, respectively.
Three Central Texas locations measured 18 inches or more of rain, and three others measured 17 inches or more, according to the figures.
National Weather Service data, eyewitness accounts and cellphone video show much of that rain fell in just a few hours Friday morning, when the Guadalupe River raged over its banks and a "flood wave" may have struck residences and businesses in a flash.
All that water came as the region was experiencing drought conditions, with part of hard-hit Kerr County under "exceptional drought" status, the driest indicator.
In early June, however, the National Weather Service office that covers Austin said, "Portions of the Hill Country saw between 200-300% of normal rainfall over the past 30 days."
And that was before Thursday evening.
Private drone collides with helicopter assigned to flood response
A private drone collided with a helicopter being used for flood response efforts today, the city of Kerrville said in a statement.
The helicopter made an emergency landing, the city said. No injuries were reported, but the aircraft has been sidelined, it said.
"A critical piece of response equipment is now out of service until further notice," the city said.
It used the incident to remind drone operators that the area is off-limits.
"This was entirely preventable," it said. "Temporary Flight Restrictions (TFRs) are not suggestions. They are federal airspace rules designed to protect lives during emergency situations. When you fly a drone in restricted areas, you’re not just breaking the law — you’re putting first responders, emergency crews, and the public at serious risk."
The city of Hunt was under such restrictions. TFRs for Kerrville were not listed specifically in a Federal Aviation Administration database today, though two TFRs for law enforcement operations in Hunt appear to extend over the Guadalupe River toward Kerrville. They went into effect this afternoon, according to FAA information.
It's not clear who was operating the drone.
