The death toll from the catastrophic flash floods that swept across Central Texas has climbed to at least 120, with 173 people still unaccounted for, according to Texas Governor Greg Abbott. In Kerr County, the hardest-hit region, 96 fatalities have been confirmed, including 36 children, and 161 people remain missing.
Rescue and recovery efforts continued on Wednesday as families across the region grappled with unimaginable loss and uncertainty. The floods — now among the deadliest flash flooding events in U.S. history — have triggered scrutiny of state and local disaster preparedness and emergency communication systems.
Search and Rescue efforts
In a press conference held Wednesday, Kerr County officials offered a detailed account of the rescue operations conducted since the flooding began on July 4, emphasizing the scale of the emergency.
“They rescued people out of vehicles. They rescued people out of homes that were already flooded, pulling them out of windows,” said Officer Jonathan Lamb of the Kerrville Police Department, the county’s largest city. “I know that this tragedy, as horrific as it is, could have been so much worse.”
The Coast Guard’s aerial teams, National Guard units, and local emergency crews worked around the clock. One of the most widely recognized efforts came at Camp Mystic, where Coast Guard rescue swimmer Scott Ruskin helped evacuate dozens of trapped campers and staff.
However, the timeline of warnings issued before the floods remains under scrutiny. Sheriff Larry Leitha acknowledged concerns but requested more time to assess the situation fully. “I believe those questions need to be answered,” he stated. “We’re going to get that answer. We’re not running. We’re not going to hide.”
Governor Abbott Orders Special Legislative Session
Responding to criticism of the state’s disaster readiness, Governor Abbott has called a special session of the Texas Legislature, beginning Monday. The agenda includes four flood-related items: enhancing early warning systems, strengthening emergency communications, improving flood preparedness infrastructure, and securing relief funding for affected communities.
“There is more work to be done, particularly in the aftermath of the devastating floods in the Texas Hill Country,” Abbott said Wednesday. “We must ensure better preparation for such events in the future.”
Still, the governor dismissed earlier inquiries about potential failures in the response effort, saying Tuesday that “only losing teams focused on their failures,” referring to such questions as the “words of losers.”
Families Mourn, Await Word on Missing Loved Ones
As authorities worked through the mud-soaked wreckage of cabins and homes, heartbroken families began receiving confirmation of their worst fears. Hailey Chavarria, who lost five family members in the floods, confirmed that her mother and stepfather’s bodies had been found.
“To have her as a mother was a treasure I will forever cherish,” Chavarria wrote of her mother, Michelle Crossland, on Facebook. “I’m sorry it’s not the update anyone wanted.”
In Travis County, Jermaine “J.J.” Jarmon is still searching for his 16-year-old daughter, Felicity, after losing his partner, Alissa Martin, and son, Braxton Jarmon, 15, in the floodwaters. “They could have gone up and down the street with sirens on,” he said, lamenting the absence of official warnings. “That’s all I can do,” Jarmon added. “For the rest of my life.”
Camp Mystic Tragedy: One of the Deadliest Disasters for Children in Decades
The floods hit during the height of the summer season in Texas Hill Country, an area filled with vacationing families and camps. Camp Mystic, a Christian summer camp for girls located along the Guadalupe River, suffered 27 confirmed fatalities among its campers and staff. Five girls and one counselor remain missing as of Wednesday.
In addition to the 96 deaths in Kerr County, fatalities were reported in:
- Travis County: 7 dead, 10 missing
- Kendall County: 8 dead
- Burnet County: 5 dead, 1 missing
- Williamson County: 3 dead, 1 missing
- Tom Green County: 1 fatality
NASA Deploys High-Tech Aircraft for Damage Assessment
To support the ongoing emergency response, NASA announced the deployment of two WB-57 high-altitude aircraft equipped with DyNAMITE sensors for real-time damage assessment and situational awareness.
“These flights will provide high-resolution imagery critical to assessing damage and supporting coordination of ground-based recovery efforts,” NASA said. The Uninhabited Aerial Vehicle Synthetic Aperture Radar (UAVSAR) was also deployed, capable of penetrating dense vegetation and identifying otherwise undetectable floodwaters.
Cloud cover has hindered satellite assessments, but NASA said aerial operations will continue to help emergency services map affected areas and guide their next steps.
Flash Flood Alley: A Call for Long-Term Mitigation
Known as “Flash Flood Alley” due to its geography, the Texas Hill Country has long been vulnerable to rapid inundation. Despite prior warnings and proposals, lawmakers this year cut property taxes by $51 billion while allocating limited funds to flood mitigation projects, which have an estimated $54 billion backlog statewide.
The tragedy has renewed calls for comprehensive infrastructure investment and disaster readiness planning across Texas.
“The hearts of our fellow Texans are breaking every single day because of what people in this community and the surrounding area are going through,” Abbott said Wednesday, ordering flags to fly at half-mast until Monday.