Texas flooding latest: 21 children among more than 60 dead while desperate searches continue

Key Points

• Death toll climbs to 67 across Central Texas
• At least 21 children are deceased
• Witness accounts lay bare horror of the floods
• Mapped: Where was hit by the deadly flooding?
• How the Texas Hill Country flood went from small water flow to deadly tide in a matter of hours

Death toll climbs to 67 across Central Texas

At least 67 people have died in Central Texas due to the devastating floods over the weekend, with a majority of those deaths occurring in Kerr County.

At least 59 people have died in Kerr County.

Four people were confirmed dead in Travis County.

Three people died in Burnet County.

One person was reported dead in Kendall County.

Eleven campers, one counselor missing from Camp Mystic

Rescuers are still searching for 11 campers and one counselor who are missing from Camp Mystic, the all-girls camp located near the Guadalupe River.

At least 21 children are deceased

Of the 59 people who have died in the floods, 21 of them are children, Kerr County Sheriff Larry Leitha said on Sunday.

Trump says he signed a major disaster declaration for Kerr County

President Donald Trump said on Sunday that he signed a major disaster declaration for Kerr County, Texas, which endured tragic flooding over the weekend and losses of life.

“I just signed a Major Disaster Declaration for Kerr County, Texas, to ensure that our Brave First Responders immediately have the resources they need,” Trump said.

“These families are enduring an unimaginable tragedy, with many lives lost, and many still missing.”

Despite railing against the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which provides federal resources to state and local officials, Trump is using his power to activate FEMA.

When a major disaster declaration is made, states can access federal funding and resources to help with cleanup, rebuilding efforts, and assistance to those affected.

Pope Leo offers condolences and prayers to victims of Texas floods

Pope Leo XIV gave condolences to families who have lost loved ones in the devastating Texas floods on Sunday, speaking in English from the Vatican.

“I would like to express sincere condolences to all the families who have lost loved ones, in particular their daughters who were at summer camp, in the disaster caused by the flooding of the Guadalupe River in Texas,” Pope Leo said.

Pope Leo offers condolences to victims of the Texas floods (AP)

Death toll rises to 59

At least 59 people have died as a result of the devastating floods that ravaged Central Texas over the weekend, Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick said.

That death toll is expected to rise.

Watch: Rescuers search around Camp Mystic for survivors of Texas flash floods

Flood watches and warnings issued for central Texas

Parts of central Texas, from San Angelo to Austin, are under flood watch as more storms are expected to drop several inches of rain.

The National Weather Service has issued watches and warnings for the vast majority of central Texas on Sunday. It comes after unexpected heavy rains caused major flooding on Friday.

Parts of Texas are expected to see anywhere from one to three inches of rain per hour or more.

A drone view shows an area flooded by the swollen San Gabriel river, in Georgetown, Texas (Adam Grumbo via REUTERS)

The flash flooding was caused by torrential rain (Adam Grumbo via REUTERS)

At least 51 people have been killed (Adam Grumbo via REUTERS)

Sunday declared 'day of prayer' for Texas state

Texas Governor Greg Abbott has declared Sunday a “day of prayer” for Texas state as they mourn the loss of dozens of people in the catastrophic flash floods.

Authorities will work around the clock, Abbott vowed, adding that new areas were being searched as the water receded.

"I urge every Texan to join me in prayer this Sunday — for the lives lost, for those still missing, for the recovery of our communities, and for the safety of those on the front lines," he said in a statement.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, center, speaks to media during a press conference as Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem (Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

Helicopters and drones used in frantic search

Kerrville City Manager Dalton Rice on Saturday gave an update on the status of the rescue efforts.

Search crews were facing harsh conditions while "looking in every possible location," Rice said.

Officials said more than 850 people had been rescued in the last 36 hours and there were heroic efforts at the camps to save children.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem arrived and pledged that the Trump administration would use all available resources. Coast Guard helicopters and planes were assisting to ensure operations can continue even in darkness.

One reunification center at an elementary school was mostly quiet after taking in hundreds of evacuees the day before.

"We still have people coming here looking for their loved ones. We've had a little success, but not much," said Bobby Templeton, superintendent of Ingram Independent School District.

Girl ‘living her best life’ at camp and man who saved his family. Everything we know so far about Texas flooding victims

Here’s what we know about the victims:

Watch: Texas flood victim clinging to tree is airlifted out of danger in dramatic rescue

What happened when the floods first broke out?

An initial flood watch — which generally urges residents to be weather-aware — was issued by the local National Weather Service office at 1:18 p.m. Thursday.

It predicted between 5 to 7 inches (12.7 to 17.8 centimeters) of rain. Weather messaging from the office, urged people to move to higher ground and evacuate flood-prone areas in the early hours of Friday morning, said Jason Runyen, a meteorologist in the National Weather Service office.

At 4:03 a.m., the office issued an urgent warning that raised the potential of catastrophic damage and a severe threat to human life.

Jonathan Porter, the chief meteorologist at AccuWeather, a private weather forecasting company that uses National Weather Service data, said it appeared evacuations and other proactive measures could have been undertaken to reduce the risk of fatalities.

"People, businesses, and governments should take action based on Flash Flood Warnings that are issued, regardless of the rainfall amounts that have occurred or are forecast," Porter said in a statement.

How the Texas Hill Country flood went from small water flow to deadly tide in a matter of hours

A powerful flash flood hit Central Texas’ Hill Country late Friday into early Saturday, leaving at least 27 people dead, including children, while many more are still missing.

Most of the missing were attending Camp Mystic, a popular summer camp along the Guadalupe River.

What began as a routine flood watch quickly turned into a deadly disaster. The National Weather Service predicted between 1 and 3 inches of rain, with some isolated spots possibly getting 5 to 7 inches. Instead, parts of Kerr County were slammed with 10 to 15 inches, and in some places, over 20 inches, within a few hours.

Better warning systems needed as 'intense' storms will continue in future, says expert

An expert in climate change impact has called for the government to develop better early-warning systems for intense storms.

The flash flooding in Texas was caused by torrential rain, but the flooding was not forecasted by weather authorities.

Here is what Professor Hayley Fowler, Professor of Climate Change Impacts, Newcastle University, said:

Texas officials prioritizing search and rescue

Texas officials are prioritizing search and rescue efforts, Kerrville City Manager Dalton Rice said on Saturday evening.

“We’re really focused on life safety,” he said. “Our primary focus is on search and rescue of every single person involved, and we’ll continue through the night to make sure that happens.”

“We’re in a marathon, and we got to make sure we always think about that and look after each other,” he added.

Watch: Debris fills Guadalupe River after massive floods

Officials detail response after after 'once-in-a-century flood'

Kerr County Judge Rob Kelly said he lives along the Guadalupe River: “Our properties were devastated.”

He saw body bags and seen firsthand the devastation from the floods. The judge added: “We know we get rains, we know the river rises. But nobody saw this coming.”

Texas GOP Congressman Chip Roy called the disaster a “once-in-a-century flood.”

Nim Kidd, Chief of the Texas Division of Emergency Management, said his team refuses to quit searching until every missing person has been found: “We will not stop until we find every one of them.”

There are 1,300 additional personnel working on the response as well as 906 state assets, Kidd said.

Pictures from the scene of devastating Texas floods

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A look at some of the deadliest floods in the US in the last 25 years

Here's a look at some of the most deadly flooding nationwide in the past 25 years.

How is the search being carried out?

Search crews were facing harsh conditions while "looking in every possible location," Rice said.

Officials said more than 850 people had been rescued in the last 36 hours and there were heroic efforts at the camps to save children.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem arrived and pledged that the Trump administration would use all available resources. Coast Guard helicopters and planes were assisting to ensure operations can continue even in darkness.

One reunification center at an elementary school was mostly quiet after taking in hundreds of evacuees the day before.

"We still have people coming here looking for their loved ones. We've had a little success, but not much," said Bobby Templeton, superintendent of Ingram Independent School District.

Watch: Residents describe historic deadly floods in Texas

Trump says he's 'praying' for Texas families

President Donald Trump said his administration is working “on the ground” in Texas to support the state amid devastating floods.

“The Trump Administration is working with State and Local Officials on the ground in Texas in response to the tragic flooding that took place yesterday,” he wrote on Truth Social. “Our Secretary of Homeland Security, Kristi Noem, will be there shortly. Melania and I are praying for all of the families impacted by this horrible tragedy.”

“Our Brave First Responders are on site doing what they do best,” he added. “ GOD BLESS THE FAMILIES, AND GOD BLESS TEXAS!”

Witness recalls 'indescribable' moment of the flooding

Tonia Fucci, a Pennsylvania resident visiting her grandmother for the Independence Day weekend, woke early on Friday to the sound of heavy rain "coming down in buckets."

"It's indescribable, the sounds, of how loud they were, which turned out to be ... the massive cypress trees that came down along the river," she told a Reuters reporter in an interview the next day.

Ms Fucci filmed on her phone a torrent of muddy water flooding the road to her grandmother's house and two recreational vehicles in a parking lot, with their wheels submerged in water.

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"I'm still in shock today," Fucci told Reuters news agency. "There's so many missing children and missing people. You just want them to be found for the sake of the families. But, you know, it's not going to be a good ending... There's no way people could have survived the swiftness of the water."

Ms Fucci said she had received National Weather alerts on her phone hours after the flood had already hit. The residents of the town had to rely on one another, as they ran to their neighbors to see who needed help before rescue teams arrived.

"Something I've never seen before. You knew it was tragedy," Ms Fucci said.

ICYMI: Congressman reunited with daughters after flooding

Representative August Pfluger shared that he and his wife were reunited with their two daughters, who were attending Camp Mystic.

“Camille, Vivian and I are now reunited with Caroline and Juliana who were evacuated from Camp Mystic,” he wrote. “The last day has brought unimaginable grief to many families and we mourn with them as well as holding out hope for survivors.”

Texas officials question scaled-back Weather Service’s actions on the night of the floods - but experts say the agency did all it could

Texas officials are questioning the actions of the National Weather Service leading up to Friday’s deadly floods, as fellow meteorologists defend the agency.

Some state and local officials say the NWS didn’t provide accurate forecasts ahead of Friday’s destructive flooding, months after President Donald Trump’s administration gutted the agency and experts warned forecasts could suffer.

Keep reading:

62-year-old woman found dead in San Angelo

A 62-year-old woman was found dead amid floodwaters in San Angelo, Texas.

Death toll rises to 52

Fifty-two people have been killed by the disastrous flooding in central Texas, according to a new tally Saturday evening by The New York Times.

Trump 'heartbroken' over Texas flooding

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said President Donald Trump is “heartbroken” over the Texas flooding.

“Know that President Trump is absolutely heartbroken by what’s happened here in Texas,” Noem said.

“Relief will be coming,” Noem added, noting that Trump has indicated he’ll accept Texas Governor Greg Abbott’s request for federal aid.

Man recounts rescuing victim caught in floodwaters

Texas resident Carl Jeter told CNN he helped rescue a woman swept away in the Guadalupe River as heavy storms battered the state.

The woman was stuck in the Guadalupe River for four hours before pulling herself up onto a tree, Jeter told CNN.

He called the police to rescue her, but when they didn’t arrive within 30 minutes, he sprang into action.

Jeter said he got into his car and flagged down a nearby rescue officer. Soon afterward, a water rescue team helped get the woman to safety.

She then waited inside Jeter’s home until a family member picked her up.

“It’s a true miracle,” Jeter told CNN. “We’ve been on the river for a long time and that’s not something that is survivable.”

Photos of rescue teams searching for missing campers after Texas Hill Country flash flood

How the Texas Hill Country flood went from small water flow to deadly tide in a matter of hours

A powerful flash flood hit Central Texas’ Hill Country late Friday into early Saturday, leaving at least 27 people dead, including children, while many more are still missing.

Most of the missing were attending Camp Mystic, a popular summer camp along the Guadalupe River.

What began as a routine flood watch quickly turned into a deadly disaster. The National Weather Service predicted between 1 and 3 inches of rain, with some isolated spots possibly getting 5 to 7 inches. Instead, parts of Kerr County were slammed with 10 to 15 inches, and in some places, over 20 inches, within a few hours.

Keep reading:

Girl ‘living her best life’ at camp and man who saved his family. Everything we know about Texas flooding victims

Texas officials prioritizing search and rescue

Texas officials are prioritizing search and rescue efforts, Kerrville City Manager Dalton Rice said on Saturday evening.

“We’re really focused on life safety,” he said. “Our primary focus is on search and rescue of every single person involved, and we’ll continue through the night to make sure that happens.”

“We’re in a marathon, and we got to make sure we always think about that and look after each other,” he added.

Two girls died in flooding in Kerr County: report

Two girls — 13-year-old Blair and 11-year-old Brooke — were killed by the floods in Kerr County, their father told CNN on Saturday night.

Harber said Blair “was a gifted student and had a generous, kind heart.”

He described Brooke as “like a light in any room, people gravitated to her and she made them laugh and enjoy the moment.”

Death toll rises to 51

The Texas flooding death toll has risen to 51 people.

43 people were killed in Kerr County, including 15 children. The floods killed another four people in Travis County, three people in Burnet County and one person in Kendall County.

Grok uses climate change stats to explain Karoline Leavitt’s post about Texas floods

Grok, Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence bot on X, summarized a post from the White House Press Secretary about the devastating Texas floods, providing information on how global warming increases the likelihood of extreme weather.

27 children still missing from Camp Mystic

Twenty-seven children are still missing from Camp Mystic, authorities said on Saturday evening, indicating no change from earlier in the day.

Authorities said they are rescuing people by the hundreds.

Death toll rises to 43

This week’s catastrophic flooding has killed at least 43 people in Kerr County, Texas, officials revealed at a Saturday evening press conference.

The fatalities include 15 children and 28 adults.

Watch: Texas flood victim clinging to tree is airlifted out of danger in dramatic rescue

Georgia Congressional candidate shares conspiracy theories amid floods

A woman running for Congress in Georgia is spreading conspiracy theories claiming that devastating weather events — like floods and hurricanes — are “fake.”

Her comments come amid the devastating flooding in Texas.

“Whack weather patterns creating crisis that are portrayed to be natural and real, but when weather is manipulated, it is a fake progression not natural,” she added.

It is not possible to artificially create or manipulate large-scale weather events like hurricanes.

When another X user accused Taylor of “making false claims” about the Texas floods to “get attention,” the candidate said she was praying “nonstop” for those affected.

“I wasn’t speaking about that event specifically, Taylor wrote. “However, if weather was modified there, it is murder. We better speak up.”