More than 100 people have been killed after heavy rain brought dangerous flash flooding to central Texas’ Hill Country region.
Days after Friday’s deadly deluge, first responders continue their search for victims along the Guadalupe River near Kerrville. The river surged by more than 20 feet within 90 minutes Friday, washing out roads and creating widespread damage.
Follow live coverage here
Here’s what we know about the flooding so far.
Areas affected
The flooding primarily affected the south-central Texas region, commonly referred to as the Hill Country. Counties that were severely affected include Kerr, Travis, Burnet, Kendall, Tom Green and Williamson.
The catastrophic flooding struck Friday with a surge of 20 to 26 feet on the Guadalupe River near Kerrville. President Donald Trump signed a major disaster declaration for Kerr County, which is west of Austin.
Cellphone video verified by NBC News also showed what appeared to be a so-called flood wave rolling along the Guadalupe River in Center Point, a town about eight miles southeast of hard-hit Kerrville.
“No one knew there would be a 30-foot high tsunami of water,” Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said Tuesday, addressing questions about state and local preparations for the floods.
Eyewitness accounts of flash flooding along the river are consistent with a flood wave. Survivor Christian Fell described “a huge wall of water that was pushing me backwards” when he opened a door in his home on Friday.
Another survivor, Hallie Thompson, said roaring water from the Guadalupe not far from the tragic events unfolding at Camp Mystic, a summer camp for girls, ripped her home in half as the water level came up to the second floor and then receded just as rapidly.
“The front of it is gone,” she said.
Victims
At least 110 people have been killed across six counties as a result of the devastating floods.
The majority, 87, were killed in Kerr County, officials said — 57 adults and 30 children. Additionally, seven fatalities have been reported in both Travis and Kendall counties, five in Burnet County, three in Williamson County and one in Tom Green County.
Camp Mystic, the 99-year-old Christian summer camp in Kerr County, said Monday that it was “grieving the loss of 27 campers and counselors.”
Speaking at a news conference Tuesday afternoon, Abbott said five camp attendees and one counselor remain missing. A child not associated with the camp was also missing, he said.
They are among the 161 people confirmed missing in the region, the governor said.
The response
Abbott declared a disaster in the following counties across the region: Bexar, Burnet, Caldwell, Guadalupe, Travis, Williamson, Bandera, Coke, Comal, Concho, Gillespie, Kendall, Kerr, Kimble, Llano, Mason, McCulloch, Menard, Reeves, San Saba, and Tom Green.
Trump declared a major disaster for the state on Sunday, which Abbott had done the previous day.
Search-and-rescue missions continue.
The U.S. Border Patrol’s Border Search, Trauma, and Rescue division has been deployed to assist with the recovery effort, Border Patrol Chief Tom Homan said.
Maj. Gen. Thomas M. Suelzer, who commands the Texas National Guard, said at Tuesday’s news conference that the search was being aided by military drones, as well as four UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters sent from Arkansas.
Help was also sent by Mexico and California.
“Your National Guard will not leave until every person is found,” Suelzer said.
Some Texas officials have been critical of the National Weather Service, saying its forecasts underestimated the rain that caused severe flooding. Independent meteorologists and a former NWS official said the warnings issued in the run-up to the flooding were as timely and accurate as could be expected, given the real-time data available. Predicting extreme rain and flash flooding beyond several hours is challenging, they said, and it is also difficult to ensure that urgent warnings reach those most at risk.
On Sunday, Trump rejected the idea of investigating whether NWS cuts had left key vacancies, and the White House said claims that NWS staffing cuts had anything to do with the tragedy were “disgusting.”
Abbott said Tuesday that state officials were aware of possible flooding two days before and started to stage resources in the region, though determining an exact location and the intensity of future flooding proved difficult.
“We had assets here already,” the governor said, speaking of staging on July 2 and 3. “That said, we didn’t know the magnitude of the storm.”
State legislators will likely investigate preparations and warnings, Abbott said, but he cautioned against placing blame, saying it’s an exercise for “losers.”
“The way winners talk is not to point fingers,” Abbott said. “They talk about solutions.”
