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Live updates: Cleanup in Kerrville begins as the search for the missing continues
At least 120 people have died in Central Texas — and 161 are still missing in Kerr County alone — after flooding inundated the region over the weekend, officials said Wednesday. At least 36 children are among the dead. Five campers and one counselor with Camp Mystic are still missing.
Now that the water’s receded, Kerrville is slowly coming back. But it’s not quite the same.
Becky Etzler is executive director of the Riverside Nature Center.
“These giant historic cypress trees, bald cypress that line the Guadalupe all through Kerrville, you know, are either gone or damaged," Etzler said. "People are right now, rightfully so, very concerned about the loss of life, but we're going to be environmentally impacted by this for years.”
The nature center has a strong volunteer base that has been there for days. But strangers have dropped by as well.
“The rugby team from Texas State, they contacted me Sunday night, said, ‘We're in town. Can we come?’ So we had the whole rugby team here yesterday," Etzler said. "We had some nice, young, strong backs to do some heavy lifting for us.”
Also there: the Shim’s Be Blessed food truck, which delivered free lunches, and Mir’s Landscaping, which supplied a crew with chainsaws. On the other side of the Guadalupe was a sign that read "Free Sandwiches and Prayer."
“Ham sandwiches, turkey sandwiches or peanut butter and jelly? Which one do you want?” asked Jamie Stanford, who drove the five hours from Fort Worth to help.
"We're here to pray with people. Give them a free sandwich if they're hungry, and just to show emotional and spiritual support as much as possible,” she said.
Her friend Brigid Tripp came too.
“I think one of the things that stands out too is yesterday, a canine first responder unit came, and he just had tears in his eyes the whole time," Tripp said. "And you know, my heart just knows what they saw."
Crates full of dogs and cats from Kerr and Williamson counties lined the tarmac outside Texas Jet in Fort Worth on Wednesday. Some will stay with emergency foster families in the area, and others will continue heading north to Kanab, Utah.
Nelda Corbell with the nonprofit Wings of Rescue said the transport helps free up kennels for pets displaced by last week’s devastating floods.
"There's such a great need right now and truly this is just a small part of what we can do to make things better, getting pets out," Corbell said.
The organization partnered with SPCA of Texas and the Humane Society of North Texas to find foster families.
More pets are set to arrive in Fort Worth on Thursday.
Homeowners, renters and eligible non-residents impacted by the severe storms and flooding in Kerr County can apply for disaster assistance through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the U.S. Small Business Administration starting Thursday, July 10.
The disaster recovery center will be open from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily at First Baptist Church, 625 Washington St. in Kerrville.
Claim should first be filed with insurance companies. Federal funding is available for those whose policies don't cover all damages.
FEMA staff can help in several ways, including:
- Checking the status of an application already in the system and making minor changes to applications.
- Contacting faith-based organizations, community groups, private sector businesses and public libraries that may have the capability to distribute disaster-related information to residents in the impacted counties.
- Identifying organizations providing disaster-related services and/or resources to the public for long-term recovery.
- Gathering information about impacts to communities.
- Providing flyers explaining how to apply for disaster assistance.
For information and to apply online visit the Small Business Association's website at SBA.gov/disaster. Applicants may also call the SBA at (800) 659-2955 or email disastercustomerservice@sba.gov for more information on SBA disaster assistance. For people who are deaf, hard of hearing or have a speech disability, please dial 7-1-1 to access telecommunications relay services.
Survivors may also apply for assistance through FEMA's website, disasterAssistance.gov, which is the fastest method, or by downloading the FEMA App for mobile devices or calling the FEMA Helpline at 800-621-3362. Calls are accepted every day from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. Help is available in most languages.
Two of the state's best-known brands, both born in Kerrville, are showing their support for Hill Country flood victims in a big way.
Grocery giant H-E-B started as a tiny family-owned store in Kerrville in 1905. H-E-B, a household name to most Texans that's headquartered in San Antonio, now has 435 stores in Texas and Mexico.
Volunteers from H-E-B have been on the ground serving up meals, distributing gift cards, handing out bottled water and clean-up products, and pitching in with the clean-up themselves.
What is now James Avery Artisan Jewelry started in 1954 by James Avery in his mother-in-law's garage in Kerrville, according to the company's website. The self-taught jewelry-maker fell in love with Kerrville as he underwent training at Lackland Air Force to serve in the U.S. Army Air Corp.
Avery died in 2018, and his son Chris has served as CEO and chairs the company's board.
The company's manufacturing facility is based in Kerrville on property purchased by James Avery. It temporarily closed this week due to the flood. The company today has 1,000 associates and 30 retail stores and is selling its famous charms to raise money for flood victims.
Cpt. Jason Waldrip with the Kerr County Sheriff's Office says the department has coordinated with a local construction company, the Texas Department of Public Safety and a team from Acuña, in the Mexican state of Coahuila, to locate the missing.
"We have spotters on the ground, so as materials are being removed, we are looking for anything of a sign of a person that may be within this material," Waldrip said.
Heavy equipment is being used to remove debris build up.
He asks anyone in Kerrville to avoid areas where excavators are working.
Hours after catastrophic flooding tore through Kerr County, an army of volunteers was already en route.
"We had seen the alerts overnight when we started getting reports about mass casualties. We had a feeling we were going to get a call," says Brian Trascher, vice president of the Louisiana-based group of volunteers called the United Cajun Navy.
And within a couple of hours they did.
By Friday afternoon, a group from a chapter in San Antonio arrived with airboats. Trascher and others from Louisiana soon joined them.
Read more about the United Cajun Navy's rescue efforts in Kerr County from NPR here.
Tom Moser, who served as Kerr County commissioner from 2012 to 2021, told NPR he advocated for a flood warning system with sirens in 2016 after a deadly flood in nearby Wimberley.
That system was never built because commissioners were denied funding from state grants and there was public pushback.
Locals were concerned about the more than $1 million price tag. "People did not like the idea of sirens throughout the county," he added.
The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension service has teamed up with the Texas Well Owners Network, its well owner education program, to begin testing private water wells for contaminants in the next few weeks.
“Our biggest concern with a situation like this is that we generally see elevated levels of E. coli," said John W. Smith, an AgriLife Extension program specialist. "And basically, what we're saying when that hits is the possibility of some kind of feces-borne contaminant may be in your well."
Private well owners are being asked to bring water samples into the AgriLife Extension offices in Burnet, Lampasas, Llano and San Saba counties Thursday morning from 8:30 to 10 a.m. Visit the Resources tab at twon.tamu.edu for more information.
Kerr County Sheriff Larry Leitha said on Wednesday that the county will look at the initial response to the flooding at a later time.
Volunteer firefighters requested that the county deploy an emergency alert system known as CodeRED in the early morning hours of Friday as the Guadalupe River rose. Residents told The Texas Newsroom they received alerts at different times. County officials have insisted that an emergency alert system doesn't exist.
"As with other significant events that our emergency services encounter, this incident will be reviewed," Leitha said. "You have my word. When if necessary, if improvements need to be made, improvements will be made. "
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick has said the state will provide resources to fund alert systems currently used in other Texas communities.
Gov. Greg Abbott said flood assistance would be a priority in the upcoming special legislative session.
Officials say rescue efforts began when two Kerrville Police officers rescued people in Hunt as the flood waters began to rise.
Kerrville Police Sgt. Jonathan Lamb said at a press conference Wednesday that other officers joined in the rescue efforts in the hours that followed.
"They rescued people out of vehicles. They rescued people out of homes that were already flooding, pulling them out of windows."
Lamb says officers evacuated over 100 homes and evacuated and rescued over 200 people in the initial hours of the flooding.
In the wake of the deadly floods in Central Texas, Gov. Greg Abbott praised President Trump for quickly approving a major disaster declaration for Kerr County, the hardest-hit area.
"The swift and very robust action by President Trump is an extraordinary help to our response," Abbott said.
The declaration unlocked federal money to assist with the disaster response. That includes paying for debris removal, for search and rescue experts who are working around the clock, and for housing, food and other immediate necessities for those who lost homes in the floods.
But such assistance may not be available in the future.
For a large group of volunteers, the search for victims of the July 4 flood begins every morning — before sunrise — in the parking lot of a Walmart in Kerrville.
It's an effort led by Thad Heartfield.
Standing in the center, ringed by volunteers, they start with a prayer. Then he says, "Let's gather in close and I'll give you a briefing." Heartfield isn't normally an emergency worker. He's an attorney from Beaumont, Texas. His family had a house in Hunt, an unincorporated community on the Guadalupe River.
On the day of the flood, Heartfield's son was staying there with three friends.
"I was on the phone with him at 4 a.m. when they were washed away from the home," he says. "The water just overwhelmed them. We're still missing my son, Aidan Heartfield, and Ella Cahill."
Texas inspectors approved Camp Mystic disaster plan two days before flood, AP reports
Texas inspectors signed off on Camp Mystic’s emergency planning just two days before catastrophic flooding killed more than two dozen people at the all-girls Christian summer camp, most of them children.
The Department of State Health Services released records Tuesday showing the camp complied with a host of state regulations regarding “procedures to be implemented in case of a disaster.” Among them: instructing campers what to do if they need to evacuate and assigning specific duties to each staff member and counselor.
Five years of inspection reports released to The Associated Press do not offer any details of those plans at Mystic, raising new questions about the camp’s preparedness ahead of the torrential July 4 rainfall in flood-prone Texas Hill Country.
Kerrville held its first city council meeting Tuesday evening since the devastating Fourth of July floods. The city renewed its disaster declaration and began discussing how the cleanup will work.
The city plans to use 28 acres of soccer fields to pile up tree debris.
"We need a massive amount of space,” said assistant city manager Michael Hornes. “I'm not sure exactly the numbers of debris, but it's in the millions of cubic yards, and it's kind of an unimaginable concept."
Kerr County officials are asking residents to delay cleaning their properties until debris drop-off sites are established. The county will update its Facebook page with site locations.
Kerr County enacted a burn ban earlier this week after debris fires were interfering with search efforts.
The city must also repair a water plant, as well as bridges and sidewalks.
The search operation continues to find all who went missing during the flood.
"I wish to God there was a way we could have warned them,” said Mayor Joe Herring Jr.
Kerr County residents say emergency alert messages were sporadic and inconsistent
In his first press conference after the deadly floods last weekend, Kerr County Judge Rob Kelly said unequivocally that the area did not have an emergency alert system.
“We have no warning system,” he said on the morning of July 4, just hours after the Guadalupe River topped its banks. When pushed about why evacuations did not occur earlier, Kelly doubled down. “We didn't know this flood was coming. Rest assured, no one knew this kind of flood was coming. …This is the most dangerous river valley in the United States.”
And when asked Tuesday at what time warnings were issued, Kerr County Sheriff Larry Leitha said he was focused on search and rescue.
“It's not that easy, and you just push a button. Okay? There's a lot more to that, and we've told you several times,” he said. A reporter then asked, “Did it happen?” to which Leitha responded, “I can't tell you at this time.”
But The Texas Newsroom has learned that not only does the county have a mass-alert system for public emergencies, first responders asked that it be triggered early Friday morning.
Gov. Greg Abbott says 161 people are still missing, including Camp Mystic campers
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott announced during a press conference on Tuesday that 161 people remain unaccounted for throughout the Hill Country.
“We will not stop until every missing person is accounted for,” Abbott said.
Among them are five Camp Mystic campers and one counselor, Abbott said.
An inspiring tale of 2 girls rescued in the Texas Hill Country floods went viral. It wasn't true
It was a miraculous story: two girls rescued alive, nearly 30 feet up in a tree, two days after a devastating flood hit the Texas Hill Country and claimed the lives of more than 100 people.
The story was reported in local media and shared hundreds of times across several social media platforms. It was an inspiring tale, giving people a glimmer of hope during a tumultuous time.
But just as quickly as it spread, the story was debunked by state and local officials as an all-too-common case of misinformation during a disaster.
Survivors are beginning to pick up the pieces
Across the Texas Hill Country, flood survivors are returning to homes filled with mud, debris and sewage – some with wildlife still swimming through hallways. In Ingram and other hard-hit areas, families are sorting through waterlogged furniture, ruined keepsakes and collapsed walls.
Despite the devastation, many are focused on what they still have: their lives, their loved ones and support from neighbors.
"We lost everything inside the home, but we have our lives," Lilia Herrera said.
Read more stories from those who survived the floods from TPR.
An Austin nonprofit is leading animal rescue efforts
Austin Pets Alive! has been working in Kerrville and surrounding areas, focusing on:
- Emergency sheltering and vet care for rescued animals
- Reuniting pets with their families whenever possible
- Transporting adoptable pets to safer areas to free up space in local shelter.
APA! is urging the public to donate only through official channels to avoid scams. Monetary support is most needed. Read more from the Texas Standard.
A family credits their narrow escape on their knowledge of the area
David Beebe and his family narrowly escaped the flood’s wrath thanks to their intimate knowledge of the land. Staying at a riverfront home built on high stilts, they spotted risk early – about 3:45 a.m. – when relentless rain intensified.
Read more about the Beebe family's harrowing escape from floodwaters from the Texas Standard.
A statewide emergency response is underway. Here's what it entails.
The state has mobilized a slew of resources to support flood recovery efforts, including more than 1,700 personnel and nearly 1,000 vehicles.
More than 20 state agencies are now active across the affected region. Texas remains at a Level II escalated emergency response – one step below the highest alert level – as rescue and recovery efforts continue.
Gov. Greg Abbott to address flood response at 3 p.m. Tuesday
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott will hold a press conference today at 3 p.m. to update the public on the state’s response to the deadly floods. He’s expected to speak on emergency operations, aid efforts and ongoing recovery.
Check back here for coverage following the governor’s remarks.
Fort Worth singer Pat Green’s personal tragedy amid flooding
Members of Pat Green’s family are among those unaccounted for following the floods that ravaged Texas over the weekend.
The Fort Worth-based country singer’s younger brother, sister-in-law and two of their children are missing, according to an Instagram post from Green’s wife.
26 miles of the Guadalupe River have been searched since Friday
Lt. Col. Ben Baker with the Texas Game Wardens gave an update on search efforts at a press conference on Tuesday.
"It's extremely treacherous, time consuming. It's dirty work," he said. "The water's still there. So we're having to go layer by layer, peeling these off to make those recoveries."
Baker said the game wardens have conducted more than 400 rescues and 30 recoveries.
He says additional rain this week could potentially alter, but not deter, search and recovery efforts.
Kerr County officials say drones and fires are hurting rescue efforts
Officials say a private drone collided with a rescue helicopter in Kerr County on Monday, forcing it to make an emergency landing and rendering it out of service.
Airspace is restricted over the search zone.
Kerr County Commissioners also approved a burn ban on Monday after burning debris was interfering with search and rescue efforts along the Guadalupe River.
"We already have enough obstacles we're going through in the search and rescue," Kerr County Sheriff Larry Leitha said. "This could hamper [it] in several ways. We're worried about our aircraft, we're worried about drones, we're worried about it putting off heat. What do we look for at night? We look for a heat source."
Heat put off by fires interferes with heat-detecting equipment being used in the search process.
FEMA offers aid to Kerr County residents
Homeowners and renters impacted by the floods may qualify for federal assistance, including temporary lodging, basic home repair costs, personal property loss, or other disaster-caused needs. Read more about how to apply for relief from TPR.
A Mesquite man’s mission to find missing people leads him to the Guadalupe River
A North Texas man from Mesquite who has made it his life’s mission to find missing people is helping others search for their loved ones following this weekend’s flooding along the Guadalupe River.
“I’m exhausted,” said Alfonso Solis, who spent the weekend offering support to first responders. He came back to his residence in Mesquite on Monday for some respite and to see his family — but plans to return to Kerr County on Tuesday to continue the work.
Flash floods slam Central Texas, leaving at least 14 dead
Flash floods struck Austin-area counties over the holiday weekend. Homes were swamped, bridges washed out and at least 14 people were killed across Travis, Williamson and Burnet counties, with many still missing. Read more from KUT News.
Why were the floods so devastating?
The Texas Hill Country – spanning Kerrville and Central Texas – is part of what meteorologists call “flash flood alley,” a landscape marked by steep limestone hills and winding rivers that unleash sudden, destructive floods when heavy rain hits.
Read more about why this region is one of the most dangerous in the country for flash flooding.
Camp Mystic: A sacred sanctuary shattered
Camp Mystic, the 99-year-old Christian girls' summer retreat nestled on the banks of the Guadalupe River, was more than a camp – it was “my favorite place in the entire world,” recalled former camper Lauren Garcia. Now, the popular all-girls camp set among limestone hills 80 miles northwest of San Antonio is the site of an unfolding tragedy.
Read more about the history of Camp Mystic from The Texas Newsroom.
How to help and how to find help
Survivors need to find out how to rebuild their lives. People from throughout the region, the state and the nation are eager to assist them in some way.
Here is some guidance for both people who need help and those who want to help.
Lives lost, stories left behind
Pickup trucks lie half-submerged in fields of debris. Family photo albums, mud-caked and torn, are scattered where homes once stood. The aftermath of catastrophic flash floods has left the Texas Hill Country reeling.
Among the dead are 27 children who were attending Camp Mystic, a Christian girls’ summer camp that became the heart of one of the deadliest natural disasters in Texas history.