A flash flood threat remains in place overnight and is expected to last through Monday in parts of Texas Hill Country, according to the National Weather Service Austin/San Antonio.
Additional rainfall amounts of 2 to 4 inches and isolated amounts of up to 10 inches could occur in the watch advisory area, which includes Austin, San Antonio, Kerrville and other surrounding areas, the weather service advised in a post on X early Monday.
“Difficult to pinpoint exact locations where isolated heavier amounts occur. Any additional heavy rainfall will lead to rapid runoff and flash flooding,” the post advised.
Hundreds of local, state and national first responders are participating in search and rescue operations in Kerr County, one of the hardest hit areas, where at least 40 adults and 28 children have been killed by flash flooding.
More than 400 people across some 20 agencies are involved in the operation, according to the Kerr County Sheriff’s Office. This includes more than a dozen K9 units working around the Guadalupe River, which rose more than 20 feet in less than two hours during the peak of the flooding early on the Fourth of July.
More than 100 air, water and ground vehicles have also been deployed to assist in rescue operations, the Sheriff’s office said.
The Texas National Guard and Air National Guard have deployed Black Hawk helicopters to assist with search and rescue operations.
Their rescue operations have “resulted in the successful recovery of 520 individuals,” the Texas military said, including 361 air evacuations conducted with Black Hawks and 159 ground rescues.
Volunteers are heeding to flood warnings and moving to higher ground amid dangerous rescue and recovery efforts in Kerrville, Texas, a volunteer rescuer told CNN.
First responders are still struggling to connect with each other while some radios are also not working, said Nick Sortor, a public information officer with the United Cajun Navy, a volunteer rescue group from Louisiana assisting in the search and rescue efforts in Kerrville.
Rescuers are out near the riverbed where floodwaters have receded “a little bit” and are “still trying to dig” for any survivors, Sortor told CNN’s Polo Sandoval.
The group has also been outfitting vehicles with Starlink’s satellite communication devices to ensure proper communications, as authorities have warned about further possible flooding.
“Today, a lot of rescue workers had to pull out of the area and get to higher ground because there were reports of a wall of water that was headed right downstream, straight back at Kerrville,” said Sortor.
It’s also critical to make sure civilians are totally out of any flood warning areas, he added.
“The warnings have to be absolutely taken seriously.”
A Texan woman whose store was devastated by the catastrophic floods described how the waters decimated the structure, with dozens from the community mourning its loss.
Haley Lehrmann, co-owner of the Hunt Store, said she lost “several people” she knew and has cried non stop since the floods hit central Texas, killing at least 82 people.
“Never in my lifetime did I think this would happen,” she told CNN’S Pamela Brown.
Lehrmann described how the Hunt Store was a place of community that brought people together.
“So many memories made here through the years,” Lehrmann said as she looked around at the devastation. “It’s really a special place,” she added.
Lehrmann said her store’s general manager and daughter were forced to seek refuge on the roof of the store as the floodwaters rose. Debris is strewn across the ground of the store and pieces of scraps and broken wood line the ground. Muddy waters surround the building as Lehrmann walked through the area.
The Hunt volunteer fire department has brought chairs and tables to the store so members of the community can “congregate, community and cry,” Lehrmann said.
“It’s devastating and we’re with every one of (those affected) with our heart and soul,” she said through tears.
Cassie Hyde, the media coordinator for Camp Mystic, an all-girls summer camp along the Guadalupe River – which rose more than 20 feet in less than two hours during the peak of the flooding early on the Fourth of July – broke down in tears as she spoke of the children and her boss, who died trying to save them.
“Camp Mystic is everyone’s second home if you were so lucky enough to be there,” Hyde said.
Camp Mystic owner Dick Eastland died while trying to rescue campers, as shared by his grandson in an Instagram tribute on Saturday.
“Always just a smile on his face, a big warm hug, whether he knew you forever, whether he just met you,” Hyde said of Eastland. “He treated you as if you were his own.”
The death toll from the catastrophic Texas floods has reached at least 82, with dozens more still missing.
A new round of rain is expected to swell waterways in Kerr County, where Camp Mystic is located, and officials are warning of the potential impacts.
Here’s the latest:
Death toll: At least 82 people have died after floods rushed through central Texas during the July 4 weekend. The toll includes at least 28 children in Kerr County, where 10 girls and one counselor from Camp Mystic are still unaccounted for. The toll has risen as local emergency officials across the state carry out search, rescue and recovery efforts.
Rising water levels: Waterways in some of the most devastated parts of central Texas are beginning to swell once again as more rain falls in the area. Gov. Greg Abbott said Sunday flash flooding could still pose a danger for some regions of Texas over the next few days as “more heavy rainfall” is expected.
Missing campers: Crews are continuing to search for 10 campers and one counsellor from Camp Mystic, the all girls’ summer camp near the Guadalupe River. Crews are searching by land and air, with the Texas Air National Guard using remotely piloted military drones typically used by the military to conduct surveillance.
Emergency readiness: Records show officials in Kerr County previously considered installing flood warning sirens, but the plan never came to fruition. While the National Weather Service issued a slew of alerts before the storm, questions have been raised about the agency’s staffing and ability to reach residents at the time of the disaster.
President Donald Trump vowed continued federal support for Texas after devastating floods left scores dead and said he will “probably” visit the state on Friday.
Trump said his administration, including Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, was working closely with state and local officials.
“We’ll continue to be there. And we’re working very closely with representatives from Texas, and it’s a horrible thing that took place, absolutely horrible,” Trump said Sunday as he departed New Jersey after a weekend at his golf club there.
“So we say, God bless all of the people that have gone through so much, and God bless, God bless the state of Texas,” Trump said.
On FEMA: Asked about his plans to phase out the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Trump said it was a matter for another time.
“FEMA is something we can talk about later, but right now, they’re busy working, so we’ll leave it at that,” he said.
Trump said he expected to visit Texas on Friday.
Waterways in some of the most devastated parts of central Texas are beginning to swell once again as more rain falls in the area.
The rain, impacting the upper Guadalupe basin this afternoon, has led to a rise in Johnson Creek in Kerr County, where 68 people have died due to flash flooding as of Sunday evening.
“This water may lead to a rise of [one to two feet] downstream when it enters the Guadalupe river in Ingram,” the Kerr County Sheriff’s Office said in a Facebook post this evening.
“Please be aware if you are near the Guadalupe River or Johnson Creek,” the post said.
The City of Ingram sits along the river, about 6 miles west of the City of Kerrville.
A timelapse, captured on Friday, shows how quickly floodwaters rose along the Llano River in Kingsland, Texas.
The video, which was sped up, shows the water rush in and rise along the river in the span of 30 minutes.
A man who worked as a night security guard at Camp Mystic is being hailed as a hero for saving the lives of campers after devastating floods struck the Kerr County, Texas, area on Friday.
In a statement to CNN, Glenn Juenke says he has served as the night watchman at the camp for the past four summers.
He was on duty when the floodwaters began to rush in.
Juenke explained the campers were inside a building called the Wiggle Inn, and when the water started to rise, he placed the girls on mattresses to help them ride it out safely.
“I witnessed firsthand the courage and faith that your daughters displayed during some of the most terrifying moments of their young lives,” Juenke said. “Each of those sweet girls (were) cold, wet, and frightened — but they were also incredibly brave. They trusted me, and we leaned on each other through a long, harrowing night together inside their cabin.”
