Texas officers have revised the variety of folks lacking within the catastrophic floods in Kerr County, Texas, from 97 folks down to 3 on Saturday.
“By means of intensive follow-up work amongst state and native companies, many people who had been initially reported as lacking have been verified as protected and faraway from the record,” the Metropolis of Kerrville mentioned in a information launch.
The historic flooding occasion killed no less than 135 folks within the state over the July 4 weekend and kicked off a large search by means of mud and particles for these unaccounted for alongside the Guadalupe River in central Texas.
Authorities mentioned that following the floods, a whole bunch had been reported lacking and that by means of efforts with the Texas Division of Public Security, that quantity has now been revised down.
“Whereas the up to date determine gives some reduction, searchers stay centered on reuniting the three people who’re nonetheless unaccounted for with their households,” Kerrville Police Division public data officer Jonathan Lamb mentioned in a information launch Sunday.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott had mentioned Monday that the flooding left 101 folks lacking statewide, together with 97 folks in Kerr County. Authorities would proceed to seek for these lacking and determine the victims, Abbott mentioned, advising it could possibly take a couple of days and suggesting that quantity may very well be revised down.
Officers mentioned Saturday restoration operations will proceed all through the Guadalupe River watershed for these nonetheless lacking.
“We’re profoundly grateful to the greater than 1,000 native, state, and federal authorities who’ve labored tirelessly within the wake of the devastating flood that struck our neighborhood,” Kerrville Metropolis Supervisor Dalton Rice mentioned. “Due to their extraordinary efforts, the variety of people beforehand listed as lacking has dropped from over 160 to 3.”
One individual stays lacking about 150 miles away in Travis County and one other is lacking in Burnet County, officers advised CNN Saturday.
The up to date depend in Kerr County comes about two weeks after torrential downpours within the in a single day hours of July 4 remodeled the Guadalupe River right into a roaring flood, sweeping away houses, autos, roads and bushes. Not less than 107 folks in Kerr County alone died, together with 37 youngsters, and no less than 161 others within the county had been initially reported lacking.
The catastrophe has led to severe questions on how native officers ready for the potential for flooding within the months and years beforehand, how they acted because the Guadalupe River swelled from 3 ft to 30 ft in simply 45 minutes on July 4, and the way officers have responded in its harmful aftermath.
At a Kerr County commissioners assembly Monday, Sheriff Larry Leitha mentioned his workplace’s search and restoration efforts will “go sturdy for an additional month or two,” and will last as long as six months. The sheriff’s workplace mentioned 2,200 folks from a number of companies have been deployed to help within the restoration efforts.
The search included 60 miles of river, murky waters, thick mud and seemingly insurmountable piles of particles. A small military of searchers from throughout the US and even Mexico have labored by means of perilous terrain – aided by helicopters, drones and boats, in addition to canine and mules.
Greater than 1,000 first responders and 1000’s of volunteers had been concerned within the response, Kerr County Emergency Operations Middle Unified Command mentioned Saturday.
The individuals who had been listed as lacking should not campers or native residents, however vacationers who got here in for the vacation – and officers didn’t know what number of had been misplaced, County Choose Rob Kelly mentioned earlier this week.
Kerr County is predicted to host a gathering Tuesday for these within the space impacted by the flood.
What occurred July Fourth weekend
Neighborhood residents pay their respects at a memorial on July 10, 2025, in Kerrville, Texas. – Brandon Bell/Getty Pictures
Months’ price of torrential rain fell within the span of simply hours, sending river ranges surging and triggering lethal flash flooding in western and central Texas on July Fourth weekend.
For a lot of households, the gravest warnings in regards to the lethal climate in Texas Hill Nation arrived too late. Some had been asleep, whereas others — used to excessive climate within the area — remained awake, listening to heavy downpours and thunder that rattled their houses.
At Camp Mystic, an all-girls Christian camp, 27 campers and counselors had been killed by the raging waters.
The camp is situated alongside the Guadalupe River’s floodplain – which rose greater than 20 ft in lower than two hours in a single day into the July Fourth vacation.
Abbott has emphasised the unprecedented scale of the flooding and highlighted the coordinated response between state, native and federal companies in ongoing restoration and reduction efforts.
“I believe it’s the biggest flood within the historical past of Texas, and extra folks misplaced their lives in Kerrville than those that misplaced their lives in Hurricane Harvey simply to know the magnitude of it,” Abbott mentioned at a Thursday information convention.
Now that the storm has handed, Abbott mentioned, housing has turn out to be a serious concern and the catastrophe restoration middle is working to deal with these wants.
“That’s one other factor that we’ll speak about in the midst of the particular session that’s upcoming,” Abbott added.
The governor issued a proclamation for the July 21 Texas particular legislative session to deal with flood warning techniques, emergency communications and reduction funding for victims.
A number of the particular session agenda objects embody laws aimed toward strengthening communications — particularly in flood-prone areas throughout the state — in addition to “laws to guage and streamline guidelines and laws to hurry preparedness for and restoration from pure disasters,” in accordance with the assertion.
This story has been up to date with extra data.
CNN’s Leigh Waldman, Eric Levenson and Rebekah Riess contributed to this report.
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