USA Texas Floods Leave Trail of Devastation as Death Toll Climbs to 80

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Texas Floods Leave Trail of Devastation as Death Toll Climbs and Children Remain Missing

 

The devastating floods that swept through central Texas have now claimed the lives of at least 80 people, including 21 children, in one of the deadliest natural disasters to strike the region in decades. Officials are bracing for the toll to rise further as rescue teams continue to search for those missing, including 11 young girls and a counselor who vanished during the chaos at a historic summer camp.

 

 

The flooding, which began Friday, was triggered by a powerful storm system that dumped nearly 38 centimeters of rain on the region. The Guadalupe River near Kerrville surged to between six and eight meters, obliterating roads, homes, and campgrounds in its path. Entire communities were left submerged, and the extent of the destruction is still being uncovered.

 

 

Kerr County has borne the brunt of the disaster, reporting 68 deaths, including 40 adults and 28 children. Other casualties were confirmed in Travis, Burnet, Kendall, Tom Green, and Williamson counties. Among the hardest hit was Camp Mystic, a nearly 100-year-old Christian camp where families are still waiting in agony for news about their missing daughters.

 

 

In a heartbreaking revelation, the grandson of Camp Mystic’s director, Dick Eastland, confirmed that his grandfather had died attempting to rescue campers from the deadly waters.

 

 

Questions are already mounting over why local authorities did not initiate evacuations sooner. When pressed on Friday about the failure to clear summer camps ahead of the storm, Kerr County Judge Rob Kelly said, “I can’t answer that. I don’t know.”

 

Governor Greg Abbott, who visited the devastated areas on Saturday, said the scenes were deeply disturbing. “It was nothing short of horrific to see what those young children went through,” he said, promising continued efforts to locate the missing.

 

President Donald Trump responded by signing a Major Disaster Declaration for Kerr County on Sunday, unlocking federal resources to support the search, rescue, and recovery operations. “These families are enduring an unimaginable tragedy, with many lives lost, and many still missing,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.

 

He later addressed reporters before departing New Jersey, where he spent the weekend. “We’ll continue to be there. And we’re working very closely with representatives from Texas, and it’s a horrible thing that took place, absolutely horrible,” Trump said. “So, we say, God bless all of the people that have gone through so much, and God bless, God bless the state of Texas.”

 

Asked about his previously announced plans to reduce the scope of FEMA’s responsibilities, Trump deflected. “FEMA is something we can talk about later, but right now, they’re busy working, so we’ll leave it at that,” he said. He also stated he would “probably” visit Texas on Friday.

 

Search and rescue teams have already saved more than 850 people, some of whom were found clinging to trees. U.S. Coast Guard helicopters and FEMA teams continue to scour the area. The National Weather Service has kept much of south-central Texas under a flood watch, with more rain expected.

 

Survivors have begun to share terrifying stories. Brothers Brock and Braeden Davis, who were attending Camp La Junta, described being awakened around 4 a.m. Friday by screams and surging water. “I hear screaming from outside. Later on, I find out someone’s cabin flooded, and they were outside in the middle of the rain,” said Braeden.

 

“We jumped up to another bed, a top bunk and like our beds started tipping over, and we got to the top really quick and then, one of the walls fell down,” Brock recalled. The boys waited 13 harrowing hours on the top bunk before they were rescued.

 

Amid the grief and chaos, some critics have raised concerns that federal staffing cuts, including at the National Weather Service, may have hindered the ability to predict the storm’s ferocity and issue timely warnings.

 

As rescue efforts enter another critical day, Texas remains on high alert, and the full scope of this disaster is yet to be revealed.

 

  Adapted by ASEAN Now from Sky News  2025-07-07

 

 

[Callmeishmael]

Although people are asking why there weren't adequate weather warnings, there is another factor that no-one seems to mention. 

 

https://www.yahoo.com/news/us-efforts-predict-weather-hit-133342621.html

 

For those of you who don't like to click links or read complete articles, here is the relevant quote: 

"The Trump administration has axed thousands of jobs from NOAA, the National Weather Service's parent agency, leaving many weather offices understaffed,"

also:

"A lot of the weather forecast offices now are not operating at full complement of staff, which means that you're really putting an extra burden on these folks. I don't know how much that was a factor in what happened in Texas this weekend."

[fredwiggy]

8 minutes ago, Callmeishmael said:

Although people are asking why there weren't adequate weather warnings, there is another factor that no-one seems to mention. 

 

https://www.yahoo.com/news/us-efforts-predict-weather-hit-133342621.html

 

For those of you who don't like to click links or read complete articles, here is the relevant quote: 

"The Trump administration has axed thousands of jobs from NOAA, the National Weather Service's parent agency, leaving many weather offices understaffed,"

also:

"A lot of the weather forecast offices now are not operating at full complement of staff, which means that you're really putting an extra burden on these folks. I don't know how much that was a factor in what happened in Texas this weekend."

This is true. They are cutting out a lot of jobs and things people receive and doing this because it doesn't affect them directly, as billionaires only have personal health to worry about. These things they're doing might seem to help the economy but people who lose insurance and needed benefits are part of  that economy, because some, meaning most, still are living paycheck to paycheck and you don't cut out health benefits as a large percentage need them eventually. This might backfire in a very bad way.

[Tug]

Firstly my deepest condolences to the families of the bereaved…..all of those young kids just horrific.there certainly is a case to be made for the foolish cuts to our weather services and many others.its kinda strange that our last jobs report that many newly employed are in government jobs…..perhaps they are beginning to realize they were a bit hasty…humm??

[merck]

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