The Texas Hill Country is reeling from one of the most devastating flood events in the state’s history, as torrential rains from July 4-7, triggered deadly flash flooding that has claimed at least 120 lives and left hundreds missing across multiple counties.
(3+ hours of raw video of scenes from across Central Texas)
Areas Most Severely Impacted
Kerr County – The Epicenter of Devastation
Kerr County has borne the brunt of this natural disaster, with the hardest-hit communities including:
- Hunt, Texas: An unincorporated community in western Kerr County where the Guadalupe River reached approximately 26 feet during the early morning hours of July 4th
- Ingram, Texas: The Bumble Hills subdivision suffered extensive damage
- Comfort, Texas: Located along the widespread flooding zone of the Guadalupe River
- Camp Mystic: A summer camp on the banks of the Guadalupe River that became a focal point of the tragedy
As of the latest reports, Kerr County has confirmed at least 95 deaths, including 59 adults and 36 children. More than 160 people remain missing in the county alone, according to local officials.
Other Affected Counties
The flooding extended beyond Kerr County, with confirmed deaths reported in six Texas counties:
- Travis County: Including the state capital of Austin (7 fatalities, 10 missing)
- Burnet County: Part of the Texas Hill Country region (5 fatalities, 1 missing)
- Kendall County: Adjacent to Kerr County (8 fatalities, 0 missing)
- Williamson County: North of Austin (3 fatalities, 1 missing)
- Tom Green County: Located in west-central Texas (1 fatality, 0 missing)
Additionally, disaster declarations have been issued for 14 counties in total: Bandera, Comal, Concho, Gillespie, Kendall, Kerr, Kimball, Llano, Mason, McCullough, Menard, Reeves, San Saba, and Tom Green counties.
In Travis County, a community near Leander, the destruction of Big Sandy Bridge due to flooding has isolated residents of the Sandy Creek neighborhood, forcing them to walk across the damaged structure as it’s closed to vehicles.
In the Austin area, 12 people are still missing and 16 are known to have perished after torrential rains swept away trailers and prefabricated homes along rivers and creeks.
Williamson County officials have not yet released the name of the third person killed in the county during the July 5 flood, as they are still notifying relatives, County Judge Steven Snell said during a press conference Wednesday. (Austin American-Statesman)
As of Wednesday, county officials had determined that 43 buildings were damaged in Williamson County, including 11 that were destroyed and 15 that sustained major damage, Of the total, 17 buildings had minor damage. In addition, four county bridges, seven county buildings, and one water utility were damaged by the flood. — Austin American-Statesman
Dive crews from the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office have been searching for a missing 74-year-old man since Sunday, focusing on his home and surrounding area.
The Burnet County sheriff’s office on Wednesday released the names of four people who died in Saturday’s floods:
- Malaya Grace Hammond, age 17
- William Govaniavic Venus, age 57
- Preston Prince, age 22
- Walter Reed, age 79
A fifth person has not yet been identified.
Officials in San Angelo, in Tom Greem County, are limiting access to some damaged areas.
Search and Rescue Operations
Massive search and rescue efforts are ongoing, with airborne rescue crews working around the clock since July 4th. Helicopters have been deployed to scour the Hill Country, while ground teams with search dogs comb through debris along the riverbanks and in affected communities.
The search for missing Camp Mystic campers continues today.
The scope of the search operation reflects the magnitude of the disaster, with at least 150 people still missing in Kerr County alone and dozens more unaccounted for in other parts of the state.
Weather and Warning Systems
The National Weather Service office in San Antonio issued a flood watch for Kerr County and surrounding areas at 1:18 PM CDT on July 3, warning of 1-3 inches of rain with isolated areas potentially seeing 5-7 inches. However, the actual rainfall far exceeded these predictions.
Questions have emerged about the effectiveness of warning systems and emergency preparedness. Records show that Kerr County officials had previously considered installing flood warning sirens, but the plan never came to fruition. While the National Weather Service issued multiple alerts before the storm, concerns have been raised about the agency’s staffing and ability to reach residents during the disaster.
“We’re not going to hide from anything.” — Kerr County Sheriff Larry Leitha
Kerrville’s mayor said he was unaware of any help sent by the state to his community ahead of the flood, a day after Gov. Greg Abbott said the state had “assets, resources and personnel” in place two days before a flood tore through the Hill Country, claiming 120 lives as of Wednesday evening. (Texas Tribune)
While the NWS issued warnings as early as 1:14 a.m. on July 4, the CodeRED emergency alert system in Kerr County failed to promptly issue a warning as dispatchers awaited supervisor authorization despite early requests from volunteer firefighters.
State Response
Governor Greg Abbott has declared a state of disaster for the affected counties, ensuring access to all available state resources for emergency response and recovery efforts. The governor has personally toured the destruction in Kerr County and continues to provide updates on the ongoing search and rescue operations.
Governor Abbott issued a proclamation Wednesday that identified 18 agenda items for the upcoming Special Session. The session begins at 12 p.m. on Monday, July 21. (CBS Austin)
The Path Forward
As search and rescue efforts continue, the focus remains on finding survivors and accounting for the missing.
For those involved in the search and rescue…fatigue is becoming a factor.
The disaster has highlighted the vulnerability of the Texas Hill Country to flash flooding, an area known as part of “Flash Flood Alley” due to its geographical characteristics that make it particularly susceptible to rapid water rise.
A home in the Bumble Bee Hills subdivision of Ingram, Texas. (Kerr County)
The flooding represents one of the deadliest natural disasters in Texas history.
State transportation officials say all but one of the damaged roads TxDOT manages in the Austin area have been opened.
A suspect charged in a fatal hit-and-run crash in Austin on May 6 has died in a separate incident. Travis County prosecutors confirmed that the individual died two months later in a crash on Interstate 35 in Round Rock. (KVUE-TV)
Chipmaker Intel is laying off people across the country, according to various news reports, including 150 here in Austin. (Austin Business Journal)
Oak View Group CEO Tim Leiweke was indicted on a federal criminal conspiracy charge related to allegedly rigging a bid to develop, manage, and operate Moody Center, the University of Texas‘ basketball and entertainment arena here in Austin, the Department of Justice said Wednesday.
Score one for Elon.
On Wednesday evening, the West Lake Hills City Council voted to allow Elon Musk to keep most of the fencing and gates he has built at his home in the Austin area — as long as he makes changes to bring them into compliance with local rules. (KUT 90.5)
WEATHER
5-DAY FORECAST / AUSTIN, TEXAS
The Texas Department of Public Safety issued a Blue Alert on Wednesday for 32-year-old Benjamin Hanil Song, who is wanted in connection with a July 4 ambush that left a police officer wounded outside an ICE detention facility in Alvarado.
Governor Greg Abbott on Wednesday revealed a comprehensive agenda for the upcoming special legislative session. He’s called on lawmakers to focus on redrawing Texas’ congressional maps and tackle several unfinished conservative priorities from earlier this year.
As the governor controls the agenda for these overtime sessions, he’s also included four items directly addressing the deadly Hill Country floods that occurred over the Fourth of July weekend. These directives include examining flood warning systems, improving emergency communications, enhancing natural disaster preparation, and securing relief funding for the affected areas. (Texas Tribune)
(Episode from July 8, 2025)
SPORTS
MLB: The Houston Astros have now lost three straight while the Texas Rangers can’t get any momentum going heading into the All-Star break.
Both teams notched losses Wednesday night.
ON THE SCHEDULE
The Rangers continue play in Anaheim while the Astros have the day off.
AL WEST STANDINGS
COLLEGE FOOTBALL: The Texas Longhorns miss out on adding to their 2026 recruiting class after a four-star linebacker commits to the Tennessee Volunteers. (Sports Illustrated)
A postcard from Texas, courtesy of Texas Parks & Wildlife.
Scenes from the salt marshes of J.D. Murphree Wildlife Management Area in Port Arthur.
