The death toll from catastrophic flash floods across Texas has climbed to 111, with rescue teams still searching for 161 people missing in Kerr County alone, four days after the disaster struck the state.
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Governor Greg Abbott confirmed the grim figures as emergency crews face diminishing prospects of finding survivors in the worst-affected areas, where torrential rains transformed normally peaceful waterways into deadly torrents.
Among those unaccounted for are six individuals from Camp Mystic, a Christian all-girls summer camp situated along the Guadalupe River – five campers and one counsellor who were swept away when floodwaters inundated the facility. At least 27 campers and staff members were killed, according to camp officials.
Camp co-owner and director Richard Eastland, 70, was among the deceased. He reportedly died while trying to save children. “He died a hero,” said local pastor Del Way, a family friend close to the deceased.
Camp Mystic expressed grief over the tragedy on Monday: “Our hearts are broken alongside our families that are enduring this unimaginable tragedy,” they said in a statement.
The Kerrville area has borne the brunt of the tragedy, accounting for more than 90 of the confirmed fatalities as the Guadalupe River system overwhelmed communities that had little warning of the approaching danger.
The crisis extends beyond Texas borders, with New Mexico declaring a flash flood emergency on Tuesday that claimed at least three additional lives, highlighting the regional scope of the extreme weather event.
Search and rescue operations continue across multiple counties, although officials acknowledge that hopes of finding survivors are decreasing as time passes and floodwaters recede, revealing the full extent of the devastation.
Emergency teams are searching through debris and mud-covered riverbanks along the swollen Guadalupe River, amid warnings of more rain and thunderstorms in the coming days. The search for survivors is becoming increasingly desperate, days after the tragedy struck on the July Fourth public holiday.
Amid the disaster, questions have emerged over whether federal budget cuts contributed to the disaster’s toll. Critics have pointed to staffing reductions at the National Weather Service (NWS) and its parent agency, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). However, findings show the Trump administration has put forward a proposal to slash NOAA’s current annual budget of $6.1 billion by 25%.
NOAA oversees the National Weather Service (NWS).
These proposed budget cuts are scheduled to take effect in the 2026 fiscal year, which begins this October, meaning they did not directly influence the Texas flood disaster. However, the NWS has already experienced staff reductions as part of the administration’s broader efficiency measures implemented since January 2025.
Meanwhile, the White House pushed back on those claims. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said the flood was “an act of God,” stating that the NWS issued timely warnings. “There were early and consistent alerts, and the National Weather Service did its job,” she said.
According to the NWS, its Austin-San Antonio office briefed local officials ahead of the storm and issued flood watches and multiple warnings on July 4.
President Trump, expected to visit the disaster zone later this week, downplayed suggestions that federal cuts affected emergency response efforts. “This is a 100-year catastrophe,” he said. “I wouldn’t blame Biden for it, either.”
Texas Senator Ted Cruz also urged restraint in political blame. “Now is not the time for partisan finger-pointing,” he said at a press conference, where he mourned the loss of children from Camp Mystic.
Locals are now calling for stronger flood warning systems. A community advocate, Nicole Wilson, launched a petition urging authorities to install flood sirens in Kerr County. Although the idea has been discussed for nearly a decade, funding has never been allocated. Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick acknowledged that such systems could have saved lives and committed to ensuring they are installed by next summer.
Messages of sympathy have poured in, including Britain’s King Charles III who sent a letter to President Trump expressing his “profound sadness” over the floods and extended condolences to the victims’ families.
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