This is TPR's roundup of the latest headlines and news developments. It provides a summary of the stories TPR is following.
Today's weather: There is a 30% chance of rain this afternoon. Expect partly sunny skies and a high of 92. Similar chances of rain hold through Wednesday. Temperatures across the week will steadily rise in the high 90s under mostly sunny skies.
Guadalupe River flood has killed at least 68 people
At least 68 people are confirmed dead as a result of devastating flash floods in Kerr County on the Fourth of July.
Kerr County Sheriff Larry Leitha said Sunday he expects the death toll will steadily rise over the coming days.
“At present there are over 400 first responders from more than 20 agencies that are working in Kerr County," he explained. "We have more than a dozen canine working in and near the river. More than 100 air, water, and ground vehicles are in the field right now working on this search and rescue."
Deadly flash floods this past weekend also killed at least eight people in Travis, Burnet, and Williamson counties.
Vigil for victims planned for Monday at 8:30 p.m. at Travis Park
A candlelight vigil will be held Monday evening in downtown San Antonio to mourn and honor the dozens of children and adults who died in Friday's floods.
Goodwill and the American Red Cross will be present to receive nonperishable donations for people in Kerr County.
The vigil will also remember the 13 victims of last month's deadly flash floods in San Antonio.
The vigil hosted by Centro San Antonio begins at 8:30 p.m. at Travis Park.
Also, pop superstar Shakira announced prior to her show at the Alamodome on Saturday that she donated a portion of her show's proceeds to Catholic Charities flood relief efforts. She encouraged her fans to also donate to the efforts.
People want to know if campers received adequate flood warnings
People are asking if adequate warnings were issued Friday ahead of the deadly wave of water along the Guadalupe River.
On July 3, the National Weather Service issued a flood watch for the Hill Country, forecasting up to seven inches of rain overnight. Totals reached up to 12 inches in some areas — far exceeding the initial forecasts — resulting in the Guadalupe River rising over 20 feet in less than two hours.
On Saturday, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said the reason for the lack of severe weather alerts in the Hill Country before the flash flood was due to the National Weather Service’s outdated technology.
“We know that everybody wants more warning time and that's why we're working to upgrade the technologies that have been neglected for far too long to make sure that families have as much advanced notice as possible.”
Since President Trump took office, the National Weather Service has seen mass layoffs.
Voices from the Guadalupe River disaster
Martha Murayama is a resident of Ingram in Kerr County. She said Friday's flood came without warning.
"We heard a roar, and the door started ... the hinges started buckling, and we looked outside, and the water was up above our windows."
She said her house was destroyed. It was inundated with water and sewage. Still, she was thankful that she and her husband are alive, and she appreciated the outpouring of community support.
"People dropping off buckets with mops and water and paper towels and trash bags, and a lot of other people [were] dropping off bags of hamburgers and bottled water. Just a huge outpouring of love from strangers who don't know us. So that was a big blessing."
Lilia Herrera, also from Ingram, recalled the moment the water struck her home.
"We couldn't push the door open with all the water that just came within five minutes, and my neighbor up the hill helped my husband with a rope around his waist. He has Parkinson's. Like many of us, we lost everything inside the home, but we have our lives."
Kyle McCormack in Kerrville said he struggled to cope with what he experienced: "I mean, there's 38 inches of water in there, or water line, and I mean, it's really just devastating."
But he added that he realizes that others have lost so much more: "We’re all safe. Everybody else wasn’t that lucky."
McCormick said he's ready for a difficult road ahead, and he plans to rebuild what he's lost.
Beloved camp counselor lost in floods celebrated for her contributions
Jane Ragsdale was a camp director and a counselor at the Heart O’ The Hills Summer camp.
Ava Steindl attended the camp beginning in 2010 and was a counselor there in 2017: “She taught me and most of these girls everything that we know -- from basic life skills to learning how to change a tire.“
Thomas Mayo’s 23-year-old daughter attended Heart O’ The Hills from age six. He said Ragsdale's impact on thousands of girls and their parents was immeasurable: “She loved the camp, and she loved those kids. And it's a darker place today without her in it."
Although the camp was not in session at the time of the flood, some of the camp counselors were staying there for the 4th of July holiday.
Floodwaters steadily replenish area lakes and reservoirs
The deadly rains were also a source of renewal for the Edwards Aquifer. The aquifer rose about a foot a day since Friday.
The current level is just shy of 638 feet. That's 10 feet higher than a year ago at this time but 21 feet below where it usually sits this time of year.
Levels at Canyon Lake are also on the rise as the Guadalupe River pours in its extra water. As of Sunday, lake levels were up 10 feet compared to last week. The lake is 60% full.
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers assured him the dam at the lake can handle the large amounts of water.
Stage 3 water restrictions remain in place for San Antonio Water System customers.
