The death toll from the devastating floods that swept through parts of Texas over the Fourth of July weekend has risen to more than 100, with authorities warning that the number could climb as rescue and recovery efforts continue under challenging conditions.
Among the victims were at least 27 girls and counselors who were staying at Camp Mystic, an all-girls Christian summer camp situated along the Guadalupe River. The camp was home to about 750 people when flash floods surged through the area in the early hours of Friday, overwhelming cabins and sweeping away structures.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott on Monday described the flooding as an ongoing emergency, warning of additional rainfall on saturated terrain. “There is still a threat of heavy rain with the potential to cause flooding,” he said in a statement.
President Donald Trump announced plans to visit Texas on Friday and defended his administration against criticism that funding cuts to weather agencies had weakened preparedness. “Blaming President Trump for these floods is a depraved lie,” said White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, insisting the National Weather Service issued “timely and precise forecasts.”
The president, who previously advocated for state-level disaster responses, has signed a federal disaster declaration to unlock emergency aid and resources. He called the flooding a “100-year catastrophe that nobody expected.”
Kerr County has emerged as the hardest-hit region, with 84 confirmed deaths — including 28 children — according to local authorities. The Guadalupe River reportedly surged by more than 26 feet in under an hour, reaching rooftops and uprooting entire cabins. Volunteers, aided by helicopters, boats, dogs, and over 1,700 rescue workers, are combing through debris-strewn areas in hopes of locating the missing.
In a chilling account, Louis Deppe, a volunteer, said he was helping the families of two missing girls. “The last message they got was, ‘We’re being washed away,’ and the phone went dead,” he recounted.
Residents have begun questioning why more robust early warning systems were not in place, especially in a region known as “Flash Flood Alley” due to its vulnerability to sudden inundations. Climate experts argue the forecasts were accurate, but the warnings may not have reached all communities in time.
San Antonio resident Nicole Wilson, who nearly sent her children to Camp Mystic, has launched a petition urging the state to implement a modern warning network. “Five minutes of siren could have saved every single one of those children,” she told AFP.
At a candlelight vigil in San Antonio on Monday night, residents gathered to mourn the victims and call for better preparedness.
Extreme rainfall, attributed in part to climate change, dumped months’ worth of water within hours. The floods have reignited concerns about the increasing frequency and intensity of weather disasters linked to global warming.
