Flash floods that ravaged Texas over the weekend have killed not less than 82 folks and left many others lacking within the state within the southern United States.
The deaths and destruction attributable to the floods have introduced the federal government’s response and warning techniques beneath scrutiny. A warning for flash floods in components of Texas stays in place by way of Monday, and the seek for lacking folks continues.
Right here is extra about what occurred in Texas and the way the federal government has responded:
What occurred and what triggered the floods in Texas?
Whereas residents had been nonetheless asleep early on Friday, flash floods hit Texas Hill Nation, a area spanning central and southern Texas. In beneath two hours, the Guadalupe River swelled past its banks, surging increased than two-storey buildings at about 9 metres (30ft).
Drone footage taken on Saturday confirmed complete neighbourhoods inundated with excessive volumes of water.
Flash floods happen when giant volumes of rain pour down quickly and the bottom will not be capable of take in it. Central Texas known as “flash flood alley” as a result of it’s particularly inclined to flooding.
The place had been the worst floods?
Kerr County was hit the toughest by the floods, which struck on US Independence Day and the beginning of a protracted vacation weekend.
The county, house to greater than 52,000 folks, sits on the Edwards Plateau in central Texas. The county is house to parks and out of doors websites in addition to cultural hubs, together with the Museum of Western Artwork.
What’s Camp Mystic in Texas?
Many women had been killed and others went lacking because the floods hit the riverside Camp Mystic, a non-public Christian summer time camp for women. The camp is positioned within the Hunt neighborhood in western Kerr County alongside the banks of the Guadalupe River about 137km (85 miles) northwest of San Antonio.
Camp Mystic was based in 1926 by EJ “Doc” Stewart, a College of Texas American soccer coach. Since its institution, the camp has operated each summer time besides for 3 years throughout World Conflict II when the US authorities leased the camp to be a restoration facility for Military Air Corps veterans.
The camp runs three classes each summer time, providing greater than 30 actions, reminiscent of archery, aerobics, basketball, ceramics, kayaking and golf.
When the flood hit, about 750 folks had been staying at Camp Mystic. A minimum of 23 folks from the camp are lacking within the aftermath of the flooding.
How many individuals have died?
A minimum of 82 folks have been killed within the flooding, officers mentioned.
These embody 68 individuals who died in Kerr County alone, Larry Leitha, its sheriff, advised reporters on Sunday afternoon. Among the many lifeless in Kerr County are 28 kids.
Texas officers confirmed that not less than 10 extra folks had died in close by areas.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott mentioned on Sunday that 41 folks throughout the state had been lacking. “You will note the demise toll rise at this time,” Texas Division of Public Security Director Freeman Martin mentioned at a information convention.
Al Jazeera’s Heidi Zhou-Castro reported from Washington, DC, that rescue staff had promised to “not hand over till the final individual is discovered – both alive or their physique is recovered”.
Has the Guadalupe River flooded earlier than?
Sure, Kerr County has traditionally seen flooding from the Guadalupe River.
The flood over the weekend evoked recollections of a catastrophe that occurred in July 1987. That flood started as a storm in Mexico and moved throughout the border, hitting western Kerr County and dumping rain into the higher a part of the Guadalupe.
The 1987 flood additionally hit a summer time camp, killing 10 youngsters on the Pot O’ Gold Christian Camp close to Consolation, Texas, in response to native media.
The Nationwide Climate Service (NWS) mentioned the Guadalupe River on Friday surged previous these 1987 ranges.
Why is the federal government’s response being criticised?
President Donald Trump’s Division of Authorities Effectivity (DOGE) made cuts to the NWS, lowering funding and slashing employees.
The Trump administration has additionally proposed cuts and modifications to the Nationwide Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the US authorities company that conducts local weather change analysis. The NWS is a part of NOAA.
By early June, the NWS misplaced practically 600 workers, who had been both laid off or retired.
The Austin/San Antonio workplace of the NWS is wanting six workers, and the close by San Angelo workplace is wanting 4 workers, in response to Tom Fahy, the legislative director for the Nationwide Climate Service Staff Group, a union that represents authorities workers, NBC Information reported.
Some Democrats have argued that understaffing the NWS makes it laborious to deal with climate disasters such because the flash flooding in Texas.
“I don’t assume it’s useful to have lacking key personnel from the Nationwide Climate Service not in place to assist stop these tragedies,” Joaquin Castro, a Democratic member of the US Home of Representatives from Texas, advised CNN.
What emergency warnings did the federal government concern?
Regardless of the cuts, the federal government did concern a sequence of flood warnings for Texas. On Wednesday, the Texas Division of Emergency Administration (TDEM) introduced there was a risk of flooding, activating state emergency response sources. Later that afternoon, the Austin/San Antonio workplace of the NWS posted on X: “Scattered reasonable to heavy showers proceed to develop and develop to the Hill Nation.”
On Thursday, the TDEM in an X submit mentioned western and central Texas continued to face a flood risk. The NWS mentioned on X: “Pockets of heavy rain are anticipated and should lead to flooding.”
The NWS additionally issued a flood watch, which is an alert that climate circumstances are beneficial for flooding. “It doesn’t imply flooding will happen, however it’s potential,” the NWS web site mentioned.
On Friday, the NWS upgraded the flood watch to a flood warning, which implies a flood is imminent or occurring. At 1:26am (06:26 GMT), the NWS posted on X “flash flooding possible in a single day with vital impacts potential”. About 4am (09:00 GMT), the NWS posted: “A really harmful flash flooding occasion is ongoing. … Flip Round, Don’t Drown!”
An hour later, the San Angelo workplace of the NWS issued a uncommon flash flood emergency, and the Austin/San Antonio workplace adopted swimsuit a short while later.
What has the federal government mentioned?
The Trump administration has dismissed allegations that understaffing of climate monitoring companies was in any strategy to blame for the disaster, sustaining that the dimensions of the floods was surprising and couldn’t have been predicted.
Trump advised reporters: “This can be a 100-year disaster, and it’s simply so horrible to look at.”
Scientists usually use phrases like “100-year flood” or “500-year flood” to consult with a flood that’s of unprecedented depth in contrast with historic information, in response to the US Geological Survey.
Trump added that he would go to Texas “in all probability on Friday”.
When Trump was requested if the meteorologists who had left the NWS due to the DOGE cuts needs to be rehired, the president mentioned he “wouldn’t know”, including, “I’d assume not. This was the factor that occurred in seconds. No one anticipated it. No one noticed it. Very proficient folks in there they usually didn’t see it.”
Talking at a information convention with Abbott, US Secretary of Homeland Safety Kristi Noem mentioned Trump was utilizing “all of the sources on the federal authorities” for search and restoration operations.
“For many years, for years, everyone is aware of that the climate is extraordinarily troublesome to foretell, but additionally the Nationwide Climate Service through the years at occasions has carried out properly and at occasions we have now all needed extra time and extra warnings,” Noem mentioned.
She added that the Trump administration was “upgrading the expertise” that the NWS makes use of.
What rescue efforts are going down?
About 17 helicopters had been deployed over the weekend to seek for lacking folks. Moreover, the Texas Nationwide Guard was known as as much as assist with the search operation.
“We proceed our 24/7 search & rescue operation till each lacking individual is discovered,” Abbott wrote on X on Sunday.
What’s the newest state of affairs on the bottom?
An space northeast of Austin to west of San Antonio in Texas Hill Nation and alongside the Interstate 35 freeway hall remained beneath risk of flash floods on Monday, the NWS Austin/San Antonio workplace wrote in an X submit about 3am (08:00 GMT) on Monday.
About the identical time, the San Angelo workplace of the NWS additionally posted on X saying “newest indications are that our space will not be carried out with flooding dangers but.”
* Essential replace at 10 PM: Newest indications are that our space will not be carried out with flooding dangers but. Newest mannequin knowledge signifies extra showers/storms with heavy rain might develop by dawn over our southeast counties & then unfold westward Monday morning. #sjtwx #txwx pic.twitter.com/ouhOU93xzq
— NWS San Angelo (@NWSSanAngelo) July 7, 2025
In an earlier submit a little bit after midnight (05:00 GMT on Monday), the Austin/San Antonio NWS workplace mentioned it was “troublesome to pinpoint actual places the place remoted heavier [rainfall] quantities happen”, including that any extra rain would result in flash flooding.
There stays a risk of flash flooding in a single day and thru the day on Monday someplace over the Flood Watch space. Troublesome to pinpoint actual places the place remoted heavier quantities happen. Any extra heavy rainfall will result in fast runoff and flash flooding. pic.twitter.com/9AHwr7Vkg5
— NWS Austin/San Antonio (@NWSSanAntonio) July 7, 2025
