Catastrophic flooding leaves at least 80 dead, dozens missing in central Texas

Flood watches and warnings remain active for Central Texas, as the Guadalupe River rises 20 feet in multiple locations.

Search and rescue operations continue in the wake of the Texas flooding disaster, and coverage continues by clicking here.

KERRVILLE, Texas – The death toll from catastrophic flooding that decimated several communities across Texas’ Hill Country has now risen to at least 80, with dozens missing, including several girls who were attending a summer camp.

The disaster struck along Texas’ Guadalupe River after a “deadly flood wave” sent a 20-foot wall of water several miles downstream on the Fourth of July.

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Sadly, officials fear the death toll will continue to climb as heroic first responders continue their around-the-clock search and rescue operations in hard-hit Kerr County. On Sunday, the Texas National Guard expanded the search area beyond Kerrville to include Sun Saba and Burnet.

Parents, students, school faculty and community members come together at Sinclair Elementary for a vigil in honor of the missing student Greta Toranzo, who attended Camp Mystic and is among the missing after catastrophic flooding, on Saturday, July 5, 2025 in Houston.

(Raquel Natalicchio/Houston Chronicle via Getty Images / Getty Images)

More than 500 people have been rescued or evacuated since the flooding began on Friday, with most of those rescues happening by air.

Kerr County Sheriff Larry Leitha said Sunday there are 68 dead in Kerry County, including 40 adults and 28 children. There are 18 adults and 10 children who still haven’t been identified.

From Camp Mystic, there are 10 girls and one camp counselor still missing. Camp Mystic Director Richard “Dick” Eastland was confirmed among the dead, according to family. He and his wife, Leslie “Tweety” Eastland, have owned the camp since 1974, according to the Camp Mystic website.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott toured the devastation at the camp, saying it was “nothing short of horrific to see what those young children went through.”

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Abbott said there are 41 missing across the entire flooding areas in central Texas, which has led to deaths in at least six counties, including Kerr, Burnet, Travis, Kendall, Williamson and Tom Green.

Not all the victims have been identified. Family members of the missing are being asked to submit DNA, which is being flown to a laboratory for testing.

Texas Department of Public Safety Col. Freeman Martin said a Burnet County fire chief and a 17-year-old girl are among the missing.

PHOTOS, VIDEOS REVEAL DISASTROUS DAMAGE ACROSS KERR COUNTY, TEXAS, AFTER DEADLY FLASH FLOOD

Footage shot along the Guadalupe River in Kerrville and Ingram, Texas, shows downed trees and debris from the deadly flood event that occurred on Friday.

Kerrville Mayor Joe Herring said he was reminded of Fred Rogers, more commonly known as Mr. Rogers, who once said during a time of crisis to “look for the helpers.”

“In Kerrville, those helpers are the city staff, county personnel, state agencies and federal agencies,” he said. “The entire Kerrville City Council is on site today. We’re doing everything we can.”

He went on to say that the goal is to “rescue those in peril and find those who are lost.”

Kerrville floods leave behind a trail of devastation in Texas, where at least 27 people are dead and many more still unaccounted for as of Saturday afternoon.

Abbott made a disaster declaration for more than a dozen counties in the Texas Hill Country.

“This is a time when we, as a state, need God more than ever,” Abbott said. “The one thing I hear the most are the prayers that are being sent for those in harm’s way. There is an extraordinary collaboration to make sure that we address everybody’s concerns as quickly as possible.”

The disaster declaration, which is in effect for 15 counties, allows communities “access to every tool, strategy, and personnel that the State of Texas can provide to them, which will be limitless.”

In addition, Pres. Donald Trump signed a major disaster declaration for Kerr County to “ensure that our Brave First Responders immediately have the resources they need.”

‘Just absolutely catastrophic damage over here’

The death toll from catastrophic and historic flooding in Texas continues to rise as first responders continue search and rescue operations in several counties. FOX weather Meteorologist Bayne Froney was in Kerr County with the latest on July 6, 2025.

FOX Weather Meteorologist Bayne Forney has been on the ground in Kerrville and described the scene as “catastrophic.”

“I mean, it’s just devastating,” she said on Sunday. “We have tons of trees blocking roadways, in the river, completely uprooted. You can see just an unimaginable amount of debris tangled in the branches. It’s hard to tell what everything is just because of how mangled it is. Just absolutely catastrophic damage over here.”

Eleven girls from Camp Mystic and one counselor remain missing, and the heroic efforts of first responders continue with the hope that more victims will be found alive.

Within the community, the main focus is not giving up hope and praying for a good outcome.

“Kids wait all year to go to their safe place, which is camp,” Sara Kendrick said. “No kids should lose a friend, and we’ve lost a couple.”

And for those little girls who were at the camp or lost friends, it’s been devastating.

“I’ve been scrolling through videos and pictures on my mom’s phone, and watching it over and over again,” Kendrick’s daughter said. “Her dancing when she’s excited. She was so nice. I just miss her so much.”

Flood damage at Camp Mystic in Hunt, Texas, where campers remain missing.

(RONALDO SCHEMIDT/AFP)

Tim Tompkins told FOX Weather he didn’t have any idea of the impending disaster.

“Nothing – the power was out, that’s all I thought was wrong. I didn’t know anything until I saw (neighbor) Larry outside, and they were all staring in the wrong direction,” Tompkins said. “I looked, and the water was right up to my house. And the devastation, you could hear it.”

Jesse Tompkins said he heard from them and raced to the scene.

“It was a complete shock. (Tim) texted me and I woke up,” Jesse said. “I jumped out of bed, threw on the first pair of jeans and shirt that I had. And I came driving down here as fast as I could. And turning that corner, it was just crazy to look down here, to see all the houses missing. It’s just the foundations left. And I’ve never seen anything like it.”

Those searching for family members and trying to reunite with loved ones are encouraged to call 830-258-1111.

‘Water Wall almost 30 feet high’

Those along the river had little indication of the upcoming destruction or much time to act. A cluster of thunderstorms sat parked over the region Thursday night into early Friday morning, dumping 12-15 inches of rain in just hours around San Angelo and triggering a Flash Flood Emergency. Mason reported 15.60 inches while San Angelo registered 12.72 inches.

Torrential rains caused the Guadalupe River in Kerrville, Texas, to surge on Friday morning, carrying away cars and other debris downstream.

Heavy rains crawled to the south and east, eventually pouring 5-8 inches of rain across the Guadalupe River basin, sending torrents of water downstream.

“Automated rain gauges indicate a large and deadly flood wave is moving down the Guadalupe River,” the National Weather Service (NWS) warned in issuing their Flash Flood Emergency Friday morning. “Flash flooding is already occurring. This is a Flash Flood Emergency for the Guadalupe River from Center Point to Sisterdale. This is a particularly dangerous situation. Seek higher ground now!”

WHAT FLOOD WATCHES, FLOOD WARNINGS AND FLASH FLOOD EMERGENCIES MEAN

Heavy rainfall produced a “deadly flood wave” along the Guadalupe River in Kerrville, Texas, according to the National Weather Service. The surging river carried away cars and wiped out entire homes.

River gauges showed incredible rises in water levels along the Guadalupe. The surge measured 20 feet in just an hour at Kerrville and nearly 27 feet in Comfort, Texas, in just 45 minutes, taking the river from normal levels to historic levels not seen in nearly a century before many had time to react.

While Abbott said many received the National Weather Service’s warning of a Flash Flooding Emergency, the scale was something else.

“Flash flooding means one thing,” Abbott said. “There is no expectation of a water wall almost 30 feet high.”

The torrential rains led to damaging flooding in other nearby counties. San Angelo in Tom Green County reported a 2-mile-wide area of town that had been “greatly affected” by catastrophic flooding. Their emergency dispatchers received over 100 calls for help and water rescues in just an hour early Friday morning. The town of Brady in McCulloch County also reported numerous water rescues.

“Surreal is the best word that I could put to it,” Jesse Tompkins said. “You know, it was so normal the day before, and then just gone the next day.”

Worst flooding in the region in 38 years

The latest catastrophic event is similar to flash flooding that impacted the region more than 35 years ago.

Slow-moving thunderstorms in mid-July 1987 caused significant flooding along the Guadalupe River, which resulted in the deaths of around a dozen people, with dozens of others injured.

The crests of the Guadalupe River exceeded those levels on Friday.