Because the Guadalupe River overflowed in Kerr County on the Fourth of July, officers with a neighborhood company charged with “managing water high quality and water amount” within the Texas Hill Nation appeared perplexed by the extent of the unfolding disaster and their position in addressing it, based on emails and textual content messages obtained by ABC Information.
“Wow!! It is a wonderful factor!” an official initially wrote to an Higher Guadalupe River Authority (UGRA) group chat at 7:09 a.m. — together with a screenshot of a graph displaying an enormous enhance in streamflow ranges alongside the river in Kerrville — following drought situations that Kerr County had confronted previous to the flooding.
As others within the group chat shared the more and more regarding stories they had been listening to, it rapidly turned clear that there was trigger for alarm.
“So I do know I mentioned it is a wonderful factor earlier,” the official wrote at 7:38 a.m. “I had simply woken up and hadn’t appeared on the gages but. It is horrible.”
By that point, components of Kerr County had already been inundated with floodwaters for a number of hours, flood alerts had been issued, and the Kerrville Police Division had obtained requires a number of water rescues.
“When all of it settles again down, will probably be a very totally different river,” a person recognized as upkeep technician Kevin Molenaar wrote.
‘Any phrase on Camp Mystic?’
The staggering toll of the flooding wouldn’t turn into obvious for days. Greater than 130 deaths had been finally reported throughout the area, with most of the fatalities occurring at Camp Mystic.
On July 4, one official texted Dick Eastland, the camp’s president, “You might be in my prayers.”
There was no response.
Eastland, who additionally served because the treasurer for the UGRA’s Board of Administrators, died through the storm alongside a number of younger campers and counselors.
“The poor youngsters on the camps and their mother and father,” an official wrote in a gaggle chat. “And so many individuals right here in RVs for the 4th.”
Flood waters left particles together with autos and tools scattered in Louise Hays Park on July 5, 2025, in Kerrville, Texas.
Eric Vryn/Getty Pictures
The communications had been launched in response to a request filed by ABC Information beneath Texas regulation.
They paint an image of confusion and concern all through Independence Day, with some textual content messages stating that water gages in Hunt and Kerrville had stopped studying. In different messages, UGRA representatives posted what they’d discovered from information retailers or on social media.
“There are lacking folks and presumably lacking youngsters from mystic however that’s not confirmed,” an official posted at 9:47 a.m.
Lower than two hours later, the official typed, “They’re saying now all camp mystic accounted for. Reward the lord.”
A person recognized as pure sources supervisor Shelby Taber responded, “Glad to listen to camp mystic is all secure!”
However by mid-afternoon, the UGRA’s senior management appeared to understand the state of affairs at Camp Mystic was extra dire — although they didn’t know particular particulars.
“Any phrase on Camp Mystic?” UGRA board president William Rector emailed basic supervisor Tara Bushnoe at 2:41 p.m. “I guess we could discover some monetary help for establishing our Ground Warning System!”
Bushnoe responded at 3:12 p.m. that she solely knew what she had seen on a neighborhood information web site indicating “there are some women lacking” and that the camp had issued an announcement that aired on a neighborhood newscast.
“I do not know if a flood warning system would have made sufficient distinction,” Bushnoe wrote. “I feel it might have made some, however this occurred so rapidly. We should watch out with our messaging to be respectful of the devastation.”
“Very true.” Rector wrote again. “I feel working behind the scenes goes to be essentially the most acceptable motion right now. We, nevertheless, must be involved that the county doesn’t attempt to sieze [sic] management.”
Contacted by ABC Information concerning the messages, officers with the UGRA didn’t reply to a request for remark.
‘Susceptible to flash floods’
ABC Information beforehand requested the UGRA for any flood after-action stories it could have created over the past 25 years following different storms alongside the Guadalupe River, however a regulation agency representing the authority mentioned that they “don’t have any responsive info.”
Paperwork launched over the past month present that issues over the dangers posed by the Guadalupe River in Kerr County had been extensively recognized forward of the Fourth of July floods, with the UGRA being notably cognizant.
As ABC Information beforehand reported, the authority submitted an utility final yr to state officers in search of a $1 million grant from the Texas Flood Infrastructure Fund for a mission known as the “Kerr County Flood Warning System” that might have included “excessive water detection programs at 10 low water crossings.”
“Since 1932, roughly 35 lives have been misplaced in floods in Kerr County. A lot of these misplaced had been in autos trying to cross flooded roads,” the appliance famous alongside a timeline of deaths between 1987 and 2016.
Nevertheless, in October 2024 the UGRA declined to proceed making use of for funding from the Infrastructure Fund, with Bushnoe writing in a letter on the time that though Kerr County was “weak to flash meals,” the mission would have been “solely eligible for a 5% grant.”
“We are going to proceed to discover choices to implement a Kerr County flood warning system and monetary help alternatives,” Bushnoe’s letter mentioned.
The letter didn’t word who determined that the mission would have solely been eligible for a 5% grant.
The UGRA later reached an settlement with an organization known as Kisters to develop a distinct flood warning system that might have consisted of a “centralized dashboard to assist native flood monitoring and emergency response.”
The settlement, which was signed precisely one month earlier than the July 4 floods, indicated that the mission was anticipated to value greater than $70,000.
A kick-off assembly was scheduled for mid-July, however the plans had been placed on maintain after the floods. It stays unclear what occurred to the plan crafted in 2024 for the $1 million flood warning system.
Kisters didn’t reply to ABC Information’ request for remark following the floods.
‘We’ll be getting plenty of calls’
July 4 was speculated to be a day of celebration in Kerr County, with a significant Independence Day fireworks occasion known as “Fourth on the River” scheduled to happen only a stone’s throw from the Guadalupe River.
As a substitute, it turned some of the tragic days in Central Texas historical past, with scores of individuals unaccounted for after sundown.
On the Higher Guadalupe River Authority, some employees members mentioned the importance of the disaster amongst one another.
“I’m hopeful they discover extra survivors tonight, however I assume the worst for the lacking,” pure sources specialist Travis Linscomb texted one other staffer at 11:48 p.m.
“Hopefully it will push the early flood warning matter to the forefront and we get extra executed this time round,” Linscomb added. “Sadly it looks as if it takes main lack of life to get the ball actually rolling on it like Blanco 2015 did,” an obvious reference to a different flood a decade in the past.
Because the calendar turned to July 5, the UGRA staff grappled with the right way to clarify their position as inquiries got here in, based on the communications.
“I’ve a sense we’ll be getting plenty of calls from very indignant folks asking why we let this occur as a result of they need somebody accountable and I will do not know what to inform them,” one official wrote at 7:21 a.m.
The shortage of an efficient flood warning system in Kerr County would turn into prime of thoughts within the hours, days and weeks after the banks of the Guadalupe overflowed. A committee of Texas legislators is now investigating the circumstances surrounding the July 4th floods.
“A few of the feedback I am seeing are saying issues alongside the traces of ‘how is there now [sic] flood warning system in 2025?'” an worker wrote to Linscomb early within the morning on July 5. “I need so badly to inform them that there’s soooooo far more to it than simply snapping your fingers and making it occur. Pink tape, cash, tools that will not even survive a flood (like we noticed right this moment), and so forth.”
“I can not think about simply being asleep then waking as much as your rv floating away with you and your loved ones in it and there’s completely nothing you are able to do,” the worker mentioned. “The concern and helplessness folks should have felt is gutwrenching.”
