Death toll surpasses 100, at least 160 missing in Texas floods
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Rescue crews continue to comb through the region, but hope for survivors is fading.
This liveblog has now ended. Follow the latest updates here.
Texas officials pressed about lack of countywide siren warning system
Kerr County officials were pressed today about why there is no countywide siren system to warn people about natural disasters like flash flooding.
Cruz and Cornyn say they'll travel with Trump to Texas
Talking to reporters during Senate votes today, Sens. Ted Cruz and John Cornyn of Texas said they plan to travel with Trump when he visits the flood damage in their state Friday, but they said it’s too early to say whether Congress will need to approve additional supplemental disaster funding to respond to the tragedy.
Both senators defended the response to the flooding and criticized Democrats for trying to link cuts to the federal workforce to any potential delay in alerting flood victims.
Cruz also stressed that the functions of FEMA were important but said he’s open to having a conversation about moving those functions into different agencies.
On the Senate floor, Cruz recounts touring the devastation at Camp Mystic
Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, spoke on the Senate floor this evening, calling the devastation he saw while touring Camp Mystic “the most horrible thing I’ve ever seen in my life.”
Cruz described the Texas Hill Country and the Guadalupe River and said that yesterday when he saw it, the river was “peaceful” but that “the morning of July 4, it rose with a ferocity that the cabins at Mystic, just about every one was 8 feet deep in water. I could see the water line. Where it rose, it shattered out the windows. The force of the water pulled furniture out of the cabins.”
“I cannot imagine the terror those girls experienced,” he said.
Cruz said crosses honoring some of those who lost their lives are displayed outside the cabin where many of the youngest campers stayed.
"I stood in front of those crosses and just wept,” Cruz said. “While I was there, there was a mom and dad who came and knelt in front of one of those crosses. They leaned over and kissed the cross, then the mom walked to the cabin and looked in the window in the cabin ... and she just stood there and wept.”
He said two of the girls whose names are on the crosses went to school with his daughter.
Cruz also said he spoke with Trump in the immediate aftermath, saying: “I will tell you what President Trump told me. He said, ‘Ted, whatever Texas needs, the answer is yes.’”
Cruz caught some heat over the weekend for a report from The Daily Beast, which spotted him on vacation in Greece on Saturday, a day after the floods killed dozens of people in his state.
The sighting drew criticisms from some who compared it to when he and his family took a vacation to Cancún, Mexico, during a historic winter storm in Texas in 2021. Cruz’s office said yesterday, however, that he had been on a planned trip to Greece when the floods happened and that he “promptly booked a flight back home.” He was on the ground yesterday morning, his office said.
Abbott applauds Trump administration for quick response
In his remarks this afternoon, Abbott said Trump's "immediate granting of the major master declaration" has been speeding up recovery efforts.
"It immediately opened not only access to more funding, but also access to more resources to be able to more quickly, more effectively respond to this storm. That includes debris removal, which has already begun," Abbott said.
He also applauded Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, who traveled to Texas after the floods.
"I've been dealing with events like this for 10 years; never have I seen someone respond as quickly and as effectively as what Secretary Noem did," Abbott said.
Texas family reunites with their 'angel' who helped bring them to safety
A Texas family reunited today with their hero who woke them up during the flash floods and guiding them to safety before their house washed off its foundation.
Matthew Crowder, Crissy Eliashar and her children shared a joyful reunion after a harrowing rescue.
Texas state rep urges Abbott to include natural disaster legislation in special session
State Rep. Drew Darby, who represents the Concho Valley, is urging Gov. Greg Abbott to add emergency disaster preparedness and relief to the Legislature’s July 21 special session agenda.
Darby said in a letter: “While we cannot change the past, we must act now to better prepare our communities for future natural disasters.”
“This includes, among other things, investing in a more robust and comprehensive alert system, as well as ensuring a coordinated, long-term recovery effort that leaves no community behind,” he added.
Darby asks Abbott to include natural disaster preparedness legislation in the upcoming special session, with provisions “to develop and deploy a more sophisticated, statewide emergency alert system — one that ensures timely, localized and accessible warnings to residents in both urban and rural areas.”
Catholic school student dies in Texas floods
A young Catholic school student has been added to the death toll of victims.
Mary Grace Baker. St. Anne Catholic School via Facebook
St. Anne Catholic School in Beaumont shared a eulogy for Mary Grace Baker on Facebook.
"Mary Grace was a bright light in our close-knit school family, known for her kindness and friendship to all, her joyful spirit and her love for her faith and family," the statement read. "Her giggle was contagious, as was her spirit. She loved art, dance, her school and playing at West End Little League."
Mary Grace had recently celebrated her first communion and finished the second grade, according to the school.
The longest night of Camp Mystic mother's life
Ten-year-old Lucy Kennedy described the harrowing moments when floodwaters began to rise at Camp Mystic.
She said that at first, she evacuated from her bunk to a rec center. Then, at daybreak, she was driven to another camp, where a helicopter picked her up and took her to safety.
Lucy’s mother, Wynne, said the hours when she waited for news about her daughter were the longest of her life.
‘Here’s the Scoop’ podcast: The 10-year-old recalls fleeing the rising water
Kerr County has had 87 of 110 deaths
The death count rose to at least 110 today when an additional death was reported in Williamson County.
Abbott said earlier today that 161 people remained missing. The following are deaths by the counties where they occurred based on reports from authorities.
- Kerr County: 87 deaths — 57 adults and 30 children
- Travis County: 7 deaths
- Burnet County: 5 deaths
- Kendall County: 7 deaths
- Tom Green County: 1 death
- Williamson County: 3 deaths, including the one reported today
Father surrounded by love, volunteers in his heartbreaking search for son
Thad Heartfield and his wife, Melanie, greeted strangers with smiles and warmth, despite the close of another day spent searching for their son and his friends.
Heartfield, an attorney from southeast Texas, said a couple of times that he did the hard task of making his anguish public through an interview with NBC News to send a message of gratitude for the many from all around Texas who have come since day one to help search for his son, Aidan, his son’s friends and all the other victims of the flood.
Aidan was with Joyce Badon, Reese Manchaca and Ella Cahill at their family’s home on the river when the floods hit. Badon’s and Machaca’s bodies have been found.
Thad Heartfield and his son, Aidan, 22. Aidan is Heartfield’s youngest child — his three siblings are girls — and Heartfield called Aidan “my caboose.” Courtesy Thad Heartfield
Heartfield has been in the area since Saturday, the soonest he could get through floodwaters and debris. He searched in the first days but has stopped and is trying to help organize searchers and lend his help to state law enforcement when it asks for reinforcements.
“As time goes on, I’m emotionally not prepared to find my son’s body in, you know, the condition that naturally occurs after this many days,” he said.
He stood beneath the shade of a tree on the drive to his home in Hunt on the banks of the Guadalupe. Behind him, the giant trunk of a felled cypress tree lay alongside the slab of the home where his son and his three friends were spending the holiday weekend.
Parts of the home were found in the river, twisted around the trees, some covered by branches, bark and mud the water left behind.
Aidan had called his father at 4 a.m. Friday, telling him 4 inches of water were in the house. Heartfield said he told his son to get the girls and go to higher ground across the street.
“Within minutes, he started reporting there was now 4 feet of water in the house,” he said.
Aidan and the girls made it to the back side of the house. He said that he was urging them to drive to the highway but that the water was rushing in too fast, the cars were washing away, and they couldn’t make it, Aidan told his father.
Aidan told his dad he had to help Ella and handed his phone to one of the other girls, who told him his son and two of the other girls were gone.
“And then within seconds the phone went dead,” he said.
On Friday night, he showed up in Ingram, and a group of about 20 people showed up to help him search. Now it is more than 100 people.
They have searched from Hunt to Ingram Dam, about 7 miles downriver, at least three times.
“What fills my heart with love and joy is the volunteers who came to assist,” he said.
Texas Sen. John Cornyn becomes emotional on the Senate floor leading moment of silence
Republican Sen. John Cornyn spoke on the Senate floor for the first time since the devastating floods in his state this weekend, becoming emotional several times and leading the Senate in a moment of silence for those who died.
Cornyn said now is not the right time to ask how to prevent such a catastrophe from happening again after he dodged reporters’ questions about funding for FEMA and other disaster relief agencies.
“Some here in the nation’s capital and elsewhere are asking how could this happen. And what, if anything, could we possibly do to prevent a recurrence? We can, and we should, try to answer those questions, but not now,” he said.
Cornyn, who said the floods “brought the Lone Star State to our knees,” became emotional on the Senate floor, pausing for several seconds.
“My heart breaks for all those who are grieving, and especially those who are holding out hope that somehow, some way, their loved one may still be found,” he said.
Texas singer Pat Green 'suffered a heartbreaking and deeply personal loss' in floods
Country singer Pat Green said on Instagram that he "suffered a heartbreaking and deeply personal loss" over the weekend amid the dangerous floods that devastated central Texas.
Green did not clarify who he lost, but his wife, Kori, said Green's "little brother John, his wife, Julia, and two of their children were swept away in the Kerrville flood."
"We are heartbroken and anxiously waiting for all of them to be found," Kori Green said on Instagram.
Pat and Kori Green asked for privacy and space as they mourn the losses.
161 people missing in Texas, governor says
At least 161 people are known to be missing, Gov. Greg Abbott said at an afternoon news briefing.
Abbott said the number includes five Camp Mystic campers, a counselor, “another child not associated with the camp” and 12 people “in other parts of the state.”
"Know this: We will not stop until every missing person is accounted for," Abbott said. "Know this also: There very likely could be more added to that list."
Abbott encouraged people to report their missing loved ones by calling 830-258-1111 or emailing [email protected].
The grief is visible near Camp Mystic
A sign that reads “Jesus Wept” sits on debris up the riverbank from Camp Mystic, where young girls had been tucked in their beds just before floodwater overwhelmed the camp.
Buildings at Camp Mystic are visible across the river from a "Jesus Wept" sign. Suzanne Gamboa / NBC News
On the fifth day since the historic and tragic flood on the Guadalupe River, the search for survivors continued in some places, while in others, large equipment signaled a shift to cleanup.
Children's belongings piled up outside buildings at Camp Mystic. Suzanne Gamboa / NBC News
Rescuers from Mexico assist with Texas recovery efforts
Emergency response personnel from Acuña, Mexico, and members affiliated with the Mexican nonprofit Fundación 911 traveled to Kerr County to assist with search-and rescue-operations, according to the Mexican Embassy.
Sharing updates of its efforts on social media, Fundación 911 said its group was asked to lend a hand in Kerrville and Ingram.
The U.S. ambassador to Mexico, Ronald Johnson. praised the rescuers’ efforts, writing on X that the United States and Mexico stand together as a family in times like these. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum also recognized the work of each rescuer and expressed willingness to provide further support.
"This cooperation reflects Mexico’s longstanding principle of providing aid to the United States during emergencies, demonstrating the solidarity between our nations in times of crisis," the Mexican Embassy said in a statement.
'Mystic made me who I am': Camp alumnae honor flood victims
Former Camp Mystic campers and counselors gather in Houston for a vigil honoring the lives lost in the July Fourth flood.
Body of missing Camp Mystic 8-year-old found
The body of 8-year-old Blakely McCrory, who disappeared when the Texas floods inundated Camp Mystic, has been found, her family said today.
“While we hoped for a miracle, it has been confirmed that Blakely’s life was lost on the Guadalupe that early morning, along with so many others,” Blakely’s mother, Lindsey McLeod McCrory, said in a statement.
“While we find some comfort in the knowledge that Blakely is happy, safe, and secure in the arms of Jesus, we are beyond shattered and will miss her with every breath we take for the rest of our lives. Eight years on this earth is far too short a stay,” the statement continued.
The family remembered Blakely as a “light” who “brightened the day of everyone fortunate enough to cross her path.”
“Although we must mourn her absence, we will choose to celebrate her life,” her mother said. “Deepest thanks go to all the first responders, many of whom remained on station for days at a time, without sleep, sustenance, or comfort. You brought Blakely home, and for that, we will always be grateful. Our thoughts and prayers remain with the many other families who have suffered unimaginable loss and trauma in this tragic event.”
Police officer killed in flash floods
An Odessa police officer was killed in flash floods, the Odessa Police Department said.
The officer, whom the department identified as Bailey Martin, was on a trip to the Guadalupe River for the Fourth of July when it surged more than 20 feet because of heavy rain. The police department initially reported him as missing, but in an update shared today, it said his body had been found.
"We kindly ask that you respect the family’s privacy during this difficult time, as they have not only lost Bailey but also several other family members," the police department said on Facebook. "Our prayers go out to them and to everyone affected by this devastating natural disaster."
Search-and-rescue volunteer says: 'We’re finding some of the people that have passed'
Brooks Holzhausen, a search-and-rescue volunteer, said crews been finding bodies as they search through debris.
"We’re finding some of the people that have passed, certainly," Holzhausen told MSNBC’s Ana Cabrera about what they are finding. "A lot of clothes, a lot of kids' clothes, laundry, if you will. Shirts, socks, shoes, some trunks from, you know, kids' trucks when they go to camp."
Holzhausen recently underwent Achilles heel surgery but remains determined to lend a hand.
"The doctor that did my surgery is probably not very happy, but it’s just that’s kind of who we are down here. We got to try. I got a strong back, you know, and the team I’m working with are Navy sailors and Texas cowboys. So both are pretty tough. And that’s just what we do," he said.
Holzhausen said the search holds personal significance, as both of his daughters were counselors at Camp Mystic a couple of years ago.
"They’re connected to it. They know the staff, the owners. ... Their friends, their sisters are now camp counselors there who were, did get out," he said. "A lot of kids go to that camp and many missing right now, so we do what we can."
Access to Guadalupe River temporarily closed
Access to the Guadalupe River has been temporarily closed, according to the city of New Braunfels, Texas.
Access to the Comal River for recreational purposes will also be closed today. The Comal River feeds into the Guadalupe River.
"While conditions are improving, local rivers are still experiencing increased flow, water clarity issues, and hidden submerged debris," New Braunfels spokesperson David Ferguson said. "Conditions will be reevaluated on Wednesday morning (July 9) to determine when recreation can resume."
Texas flood survivor recalls escape from ‘huge wall of water’
Christian Fell was faced with a "wall of water" when he opened a door in his home and was unable to escape. Fell tells NBC News' Morgan Radford how he eventually escaped.
Tennessee deploys canine team to support Texas
The Tennessee Emergency Management Agency, in coordination with the Memphis Fire Department, deployed a canine search team to Kerr County.
The team, comprising expert handlers and specialized dogs trained in detecting human remains, will assist with search-and-rescue operations for the next 14 days.
"Their rapid deployment is in direct response to a formal request for aid through EMAC, a mutual aid system that enables states to share resources during times of disaster," according to a news release.
Trump addresses Friday visit to Texas
Trump said that he would travel to Texas on Friday with first lady Melania Trump.
He said during today’s Cabinet meeting that he did not want to get in anyone’s way. (Responders are still trying to locate missing people.) White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt formally announced Trump’s trip yesterday.
The president did not provide further details about the trip.
Death toll in Kendall County rises to 7
The death toll in Kendall County, Texas, rose to seven on Tuesday, according to the Kendall County Office of Emergency Management & Fire Marshal.
The organization said search and rescue operations are continuing across the county today and may involve K-9 units, drones, boats, and ground teams "working through wooded areas, riverbanks, and low-water crossings."
It also warned others to ground their drones until rescue operations are finished, citing a situation yesterday where a private drone "illegally operating in restricted airspace collided with a helicopter involved in emergency operations in Kerr County."
"The helicopter was forced to make an emergency landing, and a critical piece of response equipment is now out of service until further notice," the organization said.
Immense cleanup underway in Hunt to clear flood debris
Andi Fell, whose son survived floodwaters that swept through her family’s home in Hunt, Texas, was seen wearing rubber gloves as she continued cleanup and debris removal today.
She said that other pairs of work gloves are so laden with muck that they are unusable, as well as a pair of rubber boots she was wearing. She says she’s in need of work gloves, rubber boots, masks that cover the mouth and nose, and jeans to keep up with the work that will go on for weeks.
Andi Fell. Suzanne Gamboa / NBC News
Photos from her home show towering piles of broken wood and debris, as well as a large cooler that pushed through Fell’s home when it was lifted by water.
Sheriff asks private boats to stay off Guadalupe River
Kerr County Sheriff Larry Leitha asked private boats to stay off the Guadalupe River to "allow search and rescue teams to operate without any interference."
"This is a tragic time for us. We’re so grateful and thankful for all the resources that have been provided to us to do this job, you know, and I can assure you, we will not stop until this mission is complete," he added during the news conference.
Officials dodge questions on Kerr County alert system
Officials dodged questions at a news briefing this morning regarding Kerr County's alert system for the flash floods that have devastated the area.
Kerr County Sheriff Larry Leitha told reporters that the county is working on putting together a timeline of how it alerted residents about the flash floods.
"As I’ve told you several times, that is not my priority this time," Leitha responded to a reporter's question about alerts. "There are three priorities, that's locating the people out there, identifying, notifying the next of kin — that is what I’m taking as my job as sheriff."
When the reporter pressed him, asking if the emergency manager was awake during flooding and "push[ed] the button to issue an emergency alert," Leitha said, "It's not that easy."
"It’s not that easy as you just push a button, OK, there’s a lot more to that, and we’ve told you several times," Leitha responded.
Reporters continued to inquire about the county's alert system, but officials at the briefing, including Lt. Col. Ben Baker of the Texas Game Wardens, evaded the questions.
Kerr County death toll rises to 87
The death toll in Kerr County has risen to 87 as of this morning, according to Kerr County Sheriff Larry L. Leitha.
Of the 87 identified, 57 are adults, and 30 are children, Leitha said. Identification is pending for 20 adults and seven children.
With regards to Camp Mystic, five campers and one counselor are still unaccounted for, Leitha said.
A map of Camp Mystic
Kerr County's Camp Mystic, a 99-year-old summer camp for girls, was devastated by flash floods that affected central Texas.
The camp is right along the Guadalupe River, which surged over 20 feet on Friday.
Here's a map of the camp.
Texas man who lost family in 2015 flood aids in Kerr County search
Jonathan McComb is one of the many volunteers digging through the rubble left in the wake of floods in central Texas, looking for survivors and clearing debris.
He had lost his own family in another devastating flood in Wimberley, Texas, over Memorial Day weekend in 2015. That tragedy saw the Blanco River swell and carry the home they were vacationing in downstream. His wife and two children didn’t survive.
Jonathan McComb, who lost his family in a 2015 flood, is now helping search for missing campers and families in Kerr County. via NBCDFW
"I think it’s good for people to see that there’s hope, through tragedy. That life can go on, and I’m here to help do whatever I can for those people. Because they’re going through the worst part of their lives right now, and I did that. I know exactly how they feel," he told NBC Dallas-Fort Worth.
He’s volunteering with TEXSAR and has spent the last four days clearing debris across Kerr County.
Guadalupe River flood levels on July 4
Texas flooding photos: Camp Mystic among sites with catastrophic storm damage
Law enforcement officials and volunteers search for missing people near Camp Mystic on Saturday. Ronaldo Schemidt / AFP - Getty Images
Rescuers and volunteers were scouring for survivors yesterday as others prayed after catastrophic flooding in Texas left more than 100 people dead, including more than two dozen children, officials said.
At Camp Mystic, a Christian summer camp in Hunt, where officials are grieving the loss of 27 children and counselors, belongings of the young campers were strewn about the flooded floors of a dormitory, while other items, including a pink backpack and a Camp Mystic T-shirt, were found along the bloated Guadalupe River, photos show.
The camp is on the banks of the river, which swelled during heavy rain early Friday and surged by more than 20 feet in an hour, authorities said. The storm downed power lines and trees and swept away vehicles.
The water rushed into Kerr County, where Sheriff Larry Leitha said at least 48 adults and 27 children were found dead.
See photos of the storm’s devastation and efforts to find survivors here.
The sun sets over the Guadalupe River on Sunday in Kerrville. Brandon Bell / Getty Images
A search and rescue volunteer holds a Camp Mystic shirt and backpack. Danielle Villasana for The Washington Post via Getty Images file
Search and rescue team members prepare their Zodiac boat on the flooded Guadalupe River on Friday. Eric Vryn / Getty Images
Ayzlin Garcia stands in her aunt Audrey's flood-damaged home Sunday in Center Point, Texas. Brandon Bell / Getty Images
‘It’s a lot of human suffering’: Mourners hold candlelight vigil for Texas flood victims
Mourners gathered in San Antonio and held a candlelight vigil for the victims of catastrophic flooding in central Texas that left more than 100 people dead.
A few flood warnings remain in Texas
As of early this morning, all flood watches have been dropped for Texas.
However, a few flood warnings remain in effect, which are issued when a hazardous weather event is imminent or already happening.
Those flood warnings include the Leon River at Gatesville affecting Coryell County, Cowhouse Creek near Pidcoke, and the San Saba River affecting San Saba County, according to the National Weather Service.
Today will be much drier compared to the last several days, with only scattered afternoon thunderstorms possible. Tomorrow’s forecast is similar, with widespread rain not expected, but instead spotty storms.
Given the sensitivity of the river system and soil, isolated flooding can’t be ruled out.
‘I said a prayer’: Victims fled homes as floodwaters rose rapidly
Battling the heat, mud and misery, they're looking for any sign of life. Search and rescue teams on the Guadalupe River furiously comb through massive mountains of debris.
It's an all-out search for survivors by water, air and horseback. Homes across the area have been marked with an orange "X," meaning that the property has been searched. NBC News found one RV that had been flipped over, with all its contents destroyed.
Among those who died was Julian Ryan, who saved his family from rising water that suddenly swelled inside their home.
"My husband started panicking because there was no way to get out, there was no way for us to get up," his wife, Christina, said.
Diana Smith said she woke up to find her house surrounded by water, so she called 911, but nobody immediately came.
"I said a prayer when I was standing on my porch," she said. She managed to jump into a kayak with her dogs and paddled to safety.
Missouri and Florida send elite task forces to Texas
Missouri Task Force 1, part of the Boone County Fire Protection District, was activated by FEMA to deploy to Texas, focusing on water rescue operations and capabilities for detecting human remains.
The 50-member team departed from Columbia, Missouri, to Kerr County last night.
"The team will support search and rescue operations in response to the historic flooding affecting the region," according to a news release.
The task force includes four human remains detection canines and their handlers, as well as an additional search team manager. They’ll be in Texas for up to 14 days.
Miami-Dade Fire Rescue’s Urban Search and Rescue Team, also known as Florida Task Force One, was also activated.
The seven-member team, including two canine search teams and support personnel, was deployed to assist in ongoing search operations in Texas.
Camp Mystic survivor's mother recalls how her daughter was airlifted to safety
Wynne Kennedy, who lost her house in the floodwaters in Texas, recalled how her 10-year-old daughter, Lucy, was airlifted to safety from Camp Mystic.
"She said that around 12:30 a.m., they all woke up to a giant crash of lightning. The counselors comforted them, but she kind of had a hard time going back to sleep. I believe around 1:30 a.m. or 2 a.m., she heard people screaming and yelling just to get out," Kennedy explained.
Trucks arrived at the camp to evacuate the girls and the counselors helped them out of the cabin.
“I think that the water came on so fast, and I believe maybe from multiple directions. All the adults there that were in trucks were just trying to get to whichever cabin they could to evacuate just because it was so quickly,” Kennedy added.
Kennedy praised the girls for their "instincts just to get to higher ground." Her daughter and the other campers ran to the rec hall and piled onto a loft upstairs, waiting for the waters to recede until daylight. Eventually, they were evacuated, and Kennedy's daughter was taken by helicopter, along with about 14 other girls, to a nearby high school, where she was examined.
"She’s very strong. She has her moments. She did witness a dear friend of hers being swept away. So, you know, she has moments she gets very emotional," her mother explained. "But luckily, she’s a student at the Hunt School, and we have an amazing counselor there that she’s very close with. So she’s already begun meeting with her."
Flood-hit parts of Texas should see a break in thunderstorms today
There is a slight chance that rain and storms could continue across Texas today and into Thursday. Still, the National Weather Service has indicated that a weakness in the high-pressure weather system has moved and should provide some relief from storms.
"This weakness will promote instability and allow scattered thunderstorms to pop up across the Arklatex region during the heat of the day today," the service said in a 4 a.m. ET update.
"This slight northeastward shift in the position of the weakness should allow a break in the thunderstorm activities across the flood-ravaged region of south-central Texas today."
Some areas could experience heavy rain from storms moving east across the region, but this is expected to taper off by tonight and continue into tomorrow.
The weather service office in San Antonio stated that the chance of rain will gradually decrease today, while temperatures are expected to increase.
Search crews scour central Texas for signs of life after devastating floods
A cabin at Camp Mystic, Texas, where at least 20 girls went missing after flash flooding. Ronaldo Schemidt / AFP - Getty Images
Samuel Cummings spent much of yesterday wading through knee-high floodwaters, trudging across muddy fields, digging into mounds of dirt and slashing through thickets of brush with a chain saw.
But the physical demands of the search and recovery efforts near flood-battered Kerrville were nothing compared with the emotional gut punch of what Cummings saw strewn underfoot: girls’ Crocs and tennis shoes, volleyballs and water bottles.
Heavy rain, flooding in North Carolina due to tropical depression Chantal
North Carolina’s governor says about 120 roads in the state are closed because of severe flooding. Eric Miller of WRAL in Raleigh reports on the historic storm and ongoing rescues.
In deadly Texas floods, one town had what some didn’t: A wailing warning siren
As heavy rain triggered flash flood warnings along the Guadalupe River in Texas Hill Country early Friday, the small unincorporated town of Comfort had something its neighbors upriver in Kerr County didn’t: wailing sirens urging residents to flee before the water could swallow them.
Comfort had recently updated its disaster alert system, installing a new siren in the volunteer fire department’s headquarters and moving the old one to a low-lying area of town along Cypress Creek, a tributary of the Guadalupe that is prone to flooding. Friday was the first time the new two-siren system had been used outside of tests, providing a last-minute alarm for anyone who hadn’t responded to previous warnings on their cellphones or evacuation announcements from firefighters driving around town.
“People knew that if they heard the siren, they gotta get out,” said Danny Morales, assistant chief of the Comfort Volunteer Fire Department.
