According to the reports on Thursday (10 July), the death toll from the catastrophic flash floods in Texas rose to 119, with officials fearing it may climb significantly as 161 people remain missing. Kerr County, part of the Hill Country region known as “Flash Flood Alley,” suffered the heaviest losses, including 95 confirmed fatalities—36 of them children. Many of the missing were at a summer camp near the Guadalupe River when it burst its banks, sweeping away counselors and young campers.
Search and rescue operations have mobilized over 2,000 personnel, including police, firefighters, and specialists using helicopters, drones, and search dogs. However, the terrain—thick mud, debris piles, and unstable conditions—has made recovery efforts dangerous and slow. Authorities described the operation as “all hands on deck,” with harrowing accounts of first responders pulling residents from windows and rooftops during the early hours of flooding.
Officials have faced increasing scrutiny over the timeliness and preparedness of the emergency response. Questions have also been raised about whether prior federal funding cuts under President Donald Trump’s administration weakened early warning systems. While acknowledging that an “after-action” review would be necessary, local authorities emphasized that their current priority is finding the missing and reuniting families.
President Trump is scheduled to visit the flood-affected region with First Lady Melania Trump on Friday. Meanwhile, scattered storms and pockets of heavy rain continue to threaten recovery operations. In neighboring New Mexico, three people were killed by flash floods in Ruidoso, adding to the regional scale of the disaster. Experts attribute the intensity of the flooding to extreme drought conditions and rising temperatures, which have made the land less able to absorb rainfall.
References
Texas Flash Floods Leave 119 Dead and 161 Missing as Search Efforts Intensify
