HUNT, TEXAS — The death toll from the devastating flash floods that struck central Texas over the July 4 weekend has climbed to 119, with officials warning that the number could surge further as more than 160 people remain missing across affected areas.
In Kerr County, the heart of the catastrophe, officials confirmed that at least 95 people have lost their lives, including 36 children. Local authorities say the scale of the tragedy could have been even worse had it not been for swift rescue efforts.
“We are still trying to locate 161 individuals in Kerr County alone,” Sheriff Larry Leitha said at a press briefing on Wednesday, standing alongside exhausted rescue teams and tearful families awaiting news of their loved ones.
Among the missing are children and staff from Camp Mystic, a summer camp near the swollen Guadalupe River, where floodwaters rose with terrifying speed. Five campers and a counselor remained unaccounted for, in addition to another child unaffiliated with the camp, officials said.
Elsewhere across the state, 24 more fatalities have been confirmed, bringing the total statewide death toll to 119. Authorities say the numbers may still climb as search-and-rescue teams comb through debris-strewn landscapes with the help of helicopters, drones, cadaver dogs, and hundreds of volunteers.
“We’re doing everything we can. It’s an ‘all hands on deck’ operation,” said Ben Baker of the Texas Game Wardens, noting that treacherous mud and tangled debris are complicating recovery efforts. “These piles aren’t just dangerous, they’re enormous — getting inside them safely is a challenge.”
A Region in Mourning
The Hill Country region, often referred to as “Flash Flood Alley”, has long been vulnerable to rapid-onset floods. But this event — intensified by severe drought conditions and extreme heat — has left entire communities devastated.
In Hunt, where much of the damage has been concentrated, 24-year-old Javier Torres was seen digging through layers of muck in search of his missing grandmother. Just hours earlier, he had found his grandfather’s lifeless body. He also stumbled upon the remains of two children.
“It doesn’t feel real,” he told reporters quietly, hands covered in mud, eyes red from exhaustion.
Government Response and Criticism
Amid mounting grief, questions are being raised about the speed and effectiveness of emergency response efforts, and whether previous funding cuts had weakened disaster preparedness systems.
During tense news conferences on Tuesday and Wednesday, officials deflected inquiries into early warning failures. Sheriff Leitha confirmed there would be a full “after-action” review, adding: “These are hard questions, and they deserve answers — but right now, our focus is finding the missing.”
Still, some officials insisted that hundreds of lives were saved by first responders who went door to door in flooded neighborhoods.
“They were pulling people out through windows, waking up families at 2 a.m.,” said Officer Jonathan Lamb of Kerrville Police. “As horrific as this tragedy is, it could have been far worse.”
Flags across the state were ordered to half-staff by Governor Greg Abbott, while President Donald Trump is set to visit Texas on Friday with First Lady Melania Trump. The president praised the emergency teams, saying, “They were real pros… they saved a lot of lives.”
Weather and Climate Factors
The National Weather Service (NWS) warned that more scattered storms could hit central Texas in the coming days, including pockets of heavy rainfall that may hamper ongoing rescue efforts.
Climate experts say the geography of the Hill Country, combined with prolonged drought and record-high temperatures, contributed to the disaster’s scale.
“When soil is too dry, it can’t absorb rain quickly — the water just runs off,” explained Shel Winkley from Climate Central, a non-profit climate research group. “In this case, everything aligned for a catastrophic flash flood.”
Meanwhile, in neighboring New Mexico, flash floods in Ruidoso claimed three lives Tuesday after the local river surged to a record-breaking 20 feet.
