Texas Mourns as Flood Death Toll Climbs

Search efforts continue for the missing after devastating flash floods.

Communities across central Texas are in mourning after torrential rains led to catastrophic flash flooding, leaving at least 69 dead and many still missing. As the Guadalupe River receded, what began as rescue operations shifted to the grim task of recovering victims.

Rising Waters, Mounting Losses

The disaster struck with brutal speed after intense pre-dawn rainfall north of San Antonio caused the Guadalupe River to surge. According to reports, the river rose an astounding 26 feet in only 45 minutes. The devastation is widespread, with fatalities reported in multiple counties.

Search teams are desperately seeking eleven girls and one counselor still missing from a summer camp situated along the river. Dalton Rice, Kerrville city manager, told reporters that “We are seeing bodies recovered all over up and down.”

Authorities have rescued approximately 850 individuals, with over 1,700 personnel participating in the massive search and rescue efforts. Water levels had subsided considerably by Sunday morning, but further rain has complicated search efforts.

Political Scrutiny and Emergency Response

Greg Abbott, the Texas governor, has pledged unwavering support, stating that responders will remain until every missing person is found. He has instructed them to presume all those missing are still alive.

Kristi Noem, US homeland security secretary, visited Texas as Donald Trump prepared to sign a federal emergency declaration to unlock additional resources. Yet, questions persist about whether actions by the Trump administration exacerbated the disaster.

Budget cuts affecting the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) left weather forecasting offices, including the Austin-San Antonio office of the National Weather Service (NWS), understaffed. Officials have defended the NWS, asserting that flash flood warnings were issued. However, some residents, and Dan Patrick, Texas’s lieutenant governor, claim they did not receive these alerts. The initial NWS forecast predicted only 3-6 inches of rain—far less than the deluge that occurred.

Republican Texas congressman Chip Roy acknowledged the looming scrutiny. “There’s going to be a lot of finger-pointing, a lot of second-guessing,” he stated. “There’s a lot of people saying ‘why’ and ‘how,’ and I understand that.”

Accusations and Defenses

Nim Kidd, chief of the Texas division of emergency management, noted that early NWS forecasts underestimated the rainfall. AccuWeather defended its warnings, stating they “should have provided officials with ample time to evacuate camps such as Camp Mystic and get people to safety.”

According to Tom Fahy, legislative director for the NWS employees organization, Texas offices had “adequate staffing and resources.” However, he also noted that the Austin-San Antonio office lacked a warning coordination meteorologist—a critical link to emergency managers.

A NOAA official revealed that the vacant position, along with other key roles, resulted from early retirement incentives offered after Trump’s second term began.

Camp Mystic Tragedy

Abbott visited Camp Mystic, a Christian summer camp, which was overwhelmed by the floodwaters. Of more than 700 girls present, 27 were initially reported missing. The number of missing from the camp had decreased to 11 by Sunday, though the overall death toll continued to rise.

Among the identified victims are **Sarah Marsh**, an eight-year-old from Alabama, and **Jane Ragsdale**, director of Heart O’the Hills camp. Abbott described the camp’s devastation as unlike anything he’d witnessed: “The height the rushing water reached to the top of cabins was shocking. We won’t stop until we find every girl who was in those cabins.”

Faces of the Victims

More victims have been identified, with survivors sharing harrowing accounts of their experiences. **Blair Harber**, 13, and her sister **Brooke Harber**, 11, from Dallas, were among those confirmed dead. They were staying with their grandparents, who remain missing. Their father, **RJ Harber**, described **Blair** as “a gifted student and had a generous kind heart” and **Brooke** as “like a light in any room, people gravitated to her and she made them laugh and enjoy the moment.”

**Reece Zunker**, a high school soccer coach, and his wife, **Tina**, were also among the victims, with their two children still missing. Teacher **Jeff Wilson** was also identified among the dead; his wife, **Amber**, and son, **Shiloh**, are unaccounted for.

A local fire department chief was among three fatalities in Burnet County, according to officials.

As the community grapples with this immense loss, the road to recovery will be long and arduous. According to FEMA, as of 2023, Texas has experienced 137 major disaster declarations, the highest number of any state in the U.S. (FEMA 2023)