Texas, USA: The devastating floods that swept through Central Texas over the Fourth of July weekend have claimed more than 100 lives, with search and rescue teams continuing to look for those still missing. Among the dead are at least 27 girls and counselors who were at Camp Mystic, a century-old all-girls Christian summer camp on the Guadalupe River.
Triggered by intense rainfall from a mesoscale convective complex fueled by remnants of Tropical Storm Barry, the floods caused river levels to rise at an alarming rate—by as much as 22 feet in just two hours. Some regions recorded 5 to 11 inches (130-280 mm) of rain in a very short span. Forecasters warn more rain could fall on already saturated ground, hampering recovery operations that involve helicopters, boats, K-9 units, and nearly 1,750 personnel.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott said the toll will likely rise, especially in Kerr County, the hardest hit, where at least 84 fatalities have been confirmed, including 28 children. Other affected counties include Travis, Kendall, Burnet, Williamson, and Tom Green. More than 160 people are still unaccounted for—three times higher than earlier estimates—after authorities opened a hotline for families to report missing loved ones. Many of those missing were holiday visitors to the Hill Country who hadn’t formally registered at camps or hotels.
Teams using heavy machinery, airboats, helicopters, and even horses, alongside hundreds of volunteers, are carrying out one of Texas’ largest search efforts. The disaster is now the deadliest inland flooding event in the U.S. since Colorado’s Big Thompson Canyon flood of 1976.
Meanwhile, officials face growing scrutiny over preparedness and warning systems. Asked who was responsible, Governor Abbott, after surveying the devastation by helicopter, bluntly replied, “That’s the word choice of losers.
