NEED TO KNOW
- More than 40 people have died and search and rescue operations are still underway following the devastating flash flooding that struck central Texas
- Kerr County Sheriff Larry Leitha said that as of 5:30 p.m. local time on Saturday, July 5, the death toll in Kerr County is 43, including 28 adults and 15 children
- CNN previously reported that the flooded region experienced “more than an entire summer’s worth of rain” in a matter of hours
More than 40 people have died and search and rescue operations are still underway following the devastating flash flooding that struck central Texas and caused the Guadalupe River to overflow, according to officials.
According to a statement from Kerr County Sheriff Larry Leitha, shared on Saturday, July 5, the bodies of 43 people have been recovered.
“We continue to have hundreds of first responders on the ground, air and water in the process of search and rescue,” the sheriff’s office wrote in a statement. “As of 5:30 p.m. [local time], we have recovered 43 deceased in Kerr County, including 28 adults and 15 children. Twelve adults are pending identification, and 5 children are also pending identification.”
Other reports, including from CBS News and NBC News, state that the death toll had risen to 47 as of Saturday afternoon, and that the number is expected to increase as more people are found.
According to the sheriff’s office, Leitha met with several political figures earlier on Saturday, including Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security Kristi Noem, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, Texas Rep. Chip Roy and Texas Sen. John Cornyn.
“We appreciate the assistance we are receiving from all levels of government, from local agencies to state and federal emergency responders,” the office added in its statement. “The work continues, and will continue, until everyone is found.”
Flooding in the Guadalupe River caused it to reach its second-highest height ever, ABC affiliate Eyewitness News reported. The area received at least 10 inches of rain, per San Antonio outlet KSAT.
Kerr County, which is approximately 50 miles northwest of San Antonio, has been hit especially hard by the floods. The city of Kerrville declared a state of emergency due to the floods, while Hunt (also in Kerr County) experienced more than six inches of rain in three hours on Friday, which is a “1-in-100-year event” in the region, according to CNN.
CNN reported that the flooded region experienced “more than an entire summer’s worth of rain” in a matter of hours.
“This may be a once-in-a-lifetime flood,” Clint Morris, a Kerr County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson, told KSAT. He added that it was “an extremely active scene, countywide.”
Many people remain missing, including a group of college-aged friends who were staying in a cabin along the river — Ella Cahill, Aidan Heartfield, Joyce Badon and Reese Manchaca, according to the Beaumont Enterprise.
Speaking with CNN on Saturday, Joyce’s father, Ty Badon, said that all four families are still holding out hope that their children will be found.
“It’s been four o’clock yesterday morning that we were told that they were on the phone with Aidan’s dad, who they own the house where they were,” he said, adding that the house “is no longer there.”
“Aidan said, ‘Hey I’ve got to go, I’ve got to help Ella and Reese … they just got washed away,’ and then a few seconds later the phone just went dead, and that’s all we know,” the 21-year-old’s father said, recalling his last contact with the group.
“We pray that all four of them are still alive,” Ty said, holding back tears. “All four are missing. They’re still missing.”
Amid the flooding, there was an overnight evacuation of Camp Mystic — an all-girls, Christian summer camp where multiple girls have gone missing, KSAT previously reported.
Directors at the Kerr County camp reportedly asked for help, according to the San Antonio Express-News. The directors also said that the camp cabins were flooded and may have been washed away.
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said 23 of Camp Mystic’s 750 campers are unaccounted for, according to ABC affiliate Eyewitness News.
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PEOPLE previously reached out to the Kerr County Sheriff’s Office (KCSO) for an update on the missing girls.
In a statement on July 4, Gov. Abbott said the state “is providing all necessary resources to Kerrville, Ingram, Hunt and the entire Texas Hill Country dealing with these devastating floods.”
“The State of Texas today has mobilized additional resources in addition to the resources sent in preparation for the storms,” he continued. “I urge Texans to heed guidance from state and local officials and monitor local forecasts to avoid driving into flooded areas.”
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