More than 100 people have been confirmed dead following devastating flash floods that swept through central Texas on Friday, July 4. Among the hardest-hit areas was Kerr County, where the swollen Guadalupe River claimed the lives of at least 84 people 56 adults and 28 children. Dozens remain missing as search and rescue teams continue operations, hampered by relentless rain and mud-piled riverbanks.
Tragedy struck particularly hard at Camp Mystic, a Christian all-girls’ summer camp near Hunt, Texas. The camp confirmed that at least 27 girls and staff were among the dead, while ten girls and a counselor remain unaccounted for. Camp co-owner and director Richard Eastland, 70, died heroically attempting to save children from the rising waters. “The whole community will miss him. He died a hero,” said local pastor Del Way.
In response to the disaster, the White House rejected suggestions that recent budget cuts at the National Weather Service (NWS) played a role in weakening the emergency response. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt stated that “this was an act of God,” emphasizing that the NWS provided early and consistent warnings, including a flood watch and multiple advisories in the hours leading up to the catastrophe.
However, concerns over preparedness persist. Local campaigner Nicole Wilson has revived a long-standing petition to install flood sirens in Kerr County, a measure discussed for nearly a decade but never funded. Lt Governor Dan Patrick admitted on Monday that such a system could have saved lives and pledged that sirens would be installed by next summer.
Political leaders, including Texas Senator Ted Cruz, called for unity in the face of tragedy, discouraging partisan blame. Meanwhile, international condolences have poured in, with King Charles III sending a letter to President Trump expressing his “profound sadness” and deepest sympathies for those affected.
With further thunderstorms forecasted by the NWS, rescue teams are racing against time to locate the missing. As Texas reels from what Trump described as a “100-year catastrophe,” grieving families and communities cling to hope amid heartbreak.
