Texas Flood Disaster: 161 Missing in Kerr County as Search Expands
Rescue crews in Texas are racing against time after catastrophic flash floods killed at least 111 people and left 161 others missing in Kerr County, according to Governor Greg Abbott. Most of the fatalities occurred in the Kerrville area, where the Guadalupe River surged beyond its banks following torrential rainfall early Friday morning.
Among the missing are five campers and a counselor from Camp Mystic, a Christian girls’ summer camp located near the river. The camp confirmed that 27 girls and staff members had died in the floodwaters.
“We will not stop until every missing person is accounted for,” Governor Abbott said Tuesday. He warned that more names could be added to the list as damage assessments continue.
The floods struck during the early hours of the July Fourth holiday. Some residents had little to no time to escape. Emergency responders have been combing the debris-filled region with helicopters, drones, boats, and cadaver dogs, though search teams describe progress as painfully slow.
“I’ve worked hurricanes and floods before,” said Tim, a volunteer on the ground. “But nothing like this. This is a nightmare.” Another volunteer, Justin, said, “It’s like looking for a single hay in a haystack.”
General Thomas Suelzer said the Texas National Guard deployed 13 Black Hawk helicopters and Chinooks to assist in aerial searches. Four aircraft came from Arkansas. Reaper drones are also scanning the area.
More than 250 emergency personnel are focused on Kerr County alone. Agencies involved include border patrol, the FBI, and the National Guard.
Questions are mounting about whether warnings came too late and if officials underestimated the danger. The governor acknowledged a storm warning had been issued but said no one predicted the scale of the flood.
“We didn’t know the magnitude of the storm,” Abbott said. “No one expected a 30-foot high tsunami wall of water.”
When asked if anyone should be blamed for the death toll, Abbott responded sharply: “That’s the word choice of losers. Champion teams don’t point fingers.”
President Donald Trump is expected to visit the flood zone with First Lady Melania Trump on Friday. He will meet survivors and first responders and assess the federal response.
In nearby New Mexico, flash floods hit the town of Ruidoso on Tuesday, killing three people. Officials said the Rio Ruidoso rose to 15 feet, sweeping houses downstream. Boats were used to rescue trapped residents. A number of people remain unaccounted for.
Back in Texas, survivors are grappling with loss and devastation. Justin Brown, a longtime resident of the Blue Oak RV Park along the Guadalupe River, lost his home in the flood. “There’s just a puddle where my RV used to be,” he said. Brown credited emergency crews and his landlord for evacuating most of the park’s residents in time.
The disaster has left a scar across Texas and renewed calls for stronger early-warning systems and flood preparedness. As rescue operations continue, residents and officials alike brace for more difficult days ahead.
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