KERRVILLE, Texas (Covering Katy News) — The death toll from catastrophic flash flooding in the Texas Hill Country rose to 43 as of Saturday evening, with 27 girls from Camp Mystic still missing after severe weather and torrential rains devastated the region, state and Texas officials said.
Harris County Precinct 4 Commissioner Lesley Briones confirmed at least one child is from her precinct, which includes Katy and much of western Harris County, but she did not specify which community within Precinct 4 the missing child is from.
"At least one child from Harris County Precinct 4 has still not been located," Briones said in a Saturday statement provided to Covering Katy News.
"As a mother of three young daughters, I cannot fathom the pain these families are experiencing."
Briones, whose precinct serves more than 1.2 million people including the Katy area, expressed solidarity with affected families.
"My heart is with the families who have lost loved ones to the horrific flooding in Kerr County and the surrounding region," she said. "To the families waiting for news, I am praying with you."
Harris County
Harris County Precinct Map
Flood Victims and Missing Persons
The flood victims included 15 children and 28 adults, with 12 adults and five children remaining unidentified.
"What was supposed to be a joyful 4th of July getaway in Kerrville has turned into an experience I’ll never forget," Ricky Gonzalez posted on social media. "Within hours, a flash flood hit and the water didn’t just rise, it swallowed everything in sight. It reached the second floor of our Airbnb. Vehicles swepted away and lodged into the house. Thankful we are safe. To the kind strangers who rescued us, thank you," he wrote.
Gov. Greg Abbott expanded his disaster declaration to include Bexar, Burnet, Caldwell, Guadalupe, Travis and Williamson counties and requested federal disaster status from President Donald Trump following the historic flooding emergency.
"We will be relentless in going after and assuring that we locate every single person who's been a victim of this flooding event," Abbott said during a news conference with state and federal emergency management officials.
U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said President Donald Trump would approve the federal disaster request, allowing additional federal emergency resources for flood rescue and recovery efforts in the Texas Hill Country.
Emergency responders rescued more than 850 people in 36 hours from the devastating floods, some found clinging to trees amid rising floodwaters, Abbott said.
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Ricky Gonzalez
Flooding in Kerville went under a rental home being used by a family on vacation.
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Ricky Gonzalez
Flash flood water pushed a truck against a house during the July 4th flooding in the Texas Hill Country.
Continued Flooding Threat
The severe weather and flooding threat continued Saturday, with Georgetown officials evacuating parts of the city as additional rainfall and potential flash flooding was forecast. The National Weather Service predicted two to four inches of rain across south Central Texas, with isolated areas potentially receiving up to 10 inches of additional precipitation.
About 10 inches of rain fell within hours earlier this week during the extreme weather event, causing the Guadalupe River to rise 26 feet in 45 minutes and triggering widespread flash flooding across the region.
Warning System Questions
The rising death toll from the Texas flooding disaster raised questions about whether sufficient flood warnings were issued to people near the river, including vacationers spending the July 4 weekend in the flood-prone Hill Country area.
AccuWeather and the National Weather Service issued flash flood warnings and severe weather alerts hours before the catastrophic flooding devastation.
"These warnings should have provided officials with ample time to evacuate camps such as Camp Mystic and get people to safety," AccuWeather Chief Meteorologist Jonathan Porter said in a statement about the flash flood emergency.
Local emergency management officials defended their disaster response, saying they hadn't expected such intense rainfall equivalent to months of precipitation for the region during the severe weather outbreak.
Nim Kidd, chief of the Texas Division of Emergency Management, said earlier weather forecasts predicted up to six inches of rain.
"It did not predict the amount of rain that we saw," he said about the historic flooding event.
Porter emphasized that flood safety precautions should be taken regardless of predicted rainfall amounts during flash flood warnings.
"People, businesses, and governments should take action based on Flash Flood Warnings that are issued, regardless of the rainfall amounts that have occurred or are forecast," Porter said. "Flash Flood Warnings indicate an immediate risk to life and property in the warned area."
Flood Damage Assessment
As floodwaters receded near Kerrville, flood damage became visible with dozens of tree trunks snapped in half and power lines tangled with branches from the severe flooding.
Billy Lawrence, a 73-year-old San Angelo man who searched for bodies during 1987 flooding, said Saturday's flood disaster was twice as severe as previous Texas flooding events.
"I'm used to death. I've been around it a lot," Lawrence said while patrolling the river for flood victims. "I'm not blaming them. They just have to do that," he said regarding summer camp counselors needing weather safety training.
Community Relief Efforts
At Cross Kingdom Church, Pastor Justin Carpenter collected disaster relief donations for flood victims and families affected by the Texas Hill Country flooding.
"The biggest thing would be to get the word out into the community that we're here and ready to give everything out," he said about flood relief efforts.
President Trump posted condolences about the Texas flooding tragedy on Truth Social.
"Melania and I are praying for all of the families impacted by this horrible tragedy. Our Brave First Responders are on site doing what they do best. GOD BLESS THE FAMILIES, AND GOD BLESS TEXAS!"
The National Weather Service has faced staffing shortages after Trump administration budget cuts led to nearly 600 layoffs and retirements, though the weather agency said it maintained adequate staffing levels for flood forecasting and severe weather warnings.