Texas flash floods: Death toll crosses 100; questions grow over warnings and camp evacuations

The death toll from severe flooding in Texas over the July Fourth weekend rose above 100 on Monday, as rescue crews continued searching swollen rivers and clearing debris to find people still missing.

Authorities said they were not yet ready to answer questions about weather warnings or why some summer camps didn’t evacuate before the floods hit. So far, at least 104 people have died.

Camp Mystic, a historic all-girls Christian summer camp in the Texas Hill Country, announced it had lost 27 campers and counselors to the floodwaters. Kerr County officials said that as of Monday, 10 campers and one counselor were still missing.

Search teams have recovered the bodies of 84 people in the county, including 28 children, where Camp Mystic and several other camps are located.

With more rain forecast, officials warned that flooding could worsen in parts of central Texas. They said the death toll is expected to rise.

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The devastating flash floods — among the worst in decades — struck early Friday, sweeping through camps and homes along the Guadalupe River. People were pulled from their cabins, tents, and trailers and carried away by fast-moving water filled with tree trunks and cars. Some survivors were rescued from trees.

On Monday, riverbanks were strewn with tangled trees, mattresses, refrigerators, coolers, and personal items like a volleyball, canoes, and a family photo — reminders of the area’s popular campgrounds and cabins.

Nineteen deaths were also reported in nearby counties, including Travis, Burnet, Kendall, Tom Green, and Williamson.

Among the victims were 8-year-old sisters from Dallas who were at Camp Mystic, and a former soccer coach and his wife who were staying at a riverfront home. Their daughters are still missing.

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Questions about warnings

Officials said an investigation will follow to find out whether enough warnings were issued and why some camps didn’t evacuate or move people to higher ground in an area known as “flash flood alley.” Poor cellphone service in many remote camps and cabins may have been a factor, said Kerrville City Manager Dalton Rice.

“We definitely want to dive in and look at all those things,” Rice said. “We’re looking forward to doing that once we can get the search and rescue complete.”

Some camps did act on weather alerts and moved campers to higher ground before the flooding began.

Senator Ted Cruz said recent federal budget cuts did not cause delays in issuing warnings.

“There’s a time to have political fights, there’s a time to disagree. This is not that time,” Cruz said. “There will be a time to find out what could have been done differently. My hope is in time we learn some lessons to implement the next time there is a flood.”

The National Weather Service began warning of possible flooding on Thursday and issued several flash flood warnings early Friday, later declaring flash flood emergencies — a rare step signaling imminent danger.