The death toll from the flash floods that swept through Kerr County, Texas, rose to 79 on Sunday evening, local officials said, making the disaster one of the deadliest weather events in the state in recent years. The floods struck before dawn on Friday when torrential rain sent the Guadalupe River surging more than 26 feet in about 90 minutes, inundating low-lying communities and several youth camps.
Authorities reported 41 people still unaccounted for across Central Texas, including 10 children and one counselor from Camp Mystic, a summer camp on the riverbank. Sheriff Larry Leitha said more than 1,300 state personnel—supported by Coast Guard aircraft equipped with thermal imaging—are searching by air, boat and ground, and asked civilians to keep personal drones away from the area to avoid hampering rescue flights.
Governor Greg Abbott said rescue teams have pulled approximately 850 people to safety over the past 36 hours and that emergency shelters have been opened at Schreiner University and local churches. The governor expanded a disaster declaration to additional counties, while President Donald Trump approved a federal disaster request to free up further resources.
Raging water damaged bridges and roads and left about 1,800 customers without electricity. Officials urged families seeking loved ones to call a county information line or the American Red Cross. Investigators have begun reviewing why some camps were not evacuated despite weather warnings, but Abbott stressed that the immediate priority remains finding the missing.
BREAKING: In the latest update from Central Texas, the confirmed death count is now at 79. There are 41 people still missing, including one counselor and 10 campers from Camp Mystic.
