Texas flash floods kill 82; Trump calls it '100-year catastrophe'
What's the story
Devastating flash floods in Texas have claimed at least 82 lives and left many missing, including girls attending a summer camp. The disaster struck during the Fourth of July holiday, catching many off guard. President Donald Trump has termed it a "100-year catastrophe" and plans to visit the affected areas, possibly on Friday. The worst-hit area is Kerr County in Texas Hill Country, where flash floods along the Guadalupe River have killed at least 68 people, including 28 children.
Ongoing search
Rescue operations are on in Kerr County
Rescue operations are on in Kerr County, where officials are racing against time to find dozens of missing people. Texas public safety chief Freeman Martin warned that the death toll could rise further. "You will see the death toll rise today," he said. Governor Greg Abbott confirmed there are 41 known missing across the state due to the floods.
Sudden disaster
Floods struck during holiday weekend
The flash floods struck at the peak of the long holiday weekend, catching many people as they slept. The Texas Hill Country is particularly prone to flash flooding due to its dry, compacted soil, which causes rainwater to run off instead of soaking in. A powerful overnight storm dumped nearly 12 inches (30 cm) of rain early Friday morning, leading to widespread destruction.
Twitter Post
Rains caused rivers to rise 29ft in an hour
🚨 Texas Flash Floods Tragedy — July 4–6
— GlobeUpdate (@Globupdate) July 6, 2025
Torrential rains caused rivers to rise 29 ft in under an hour, triggering catastrophic flash floods across Central Texas
-50+ dead, incl. 15 children
-27 girls still missing from Camp Mystic
-850+ rescued, 80K evacuated#TexasFlooding pic.twitter.com/OUIBKsJPs0
Warning issued
What led to the floods?
Authorities had issued a flood watch on Thursday, but by 4:00am Friday (local time), the National Weather Service upgraded it to a flash flood emergency. Residents of Kerrville City saw water levels rise dramatically as runoff from hills sent torrents into the Guadalupe River. The river rose an astonishing 26 feet (8 meters) in just 45 minutes, overwhelming the region.
Criticism
Survivors describe floods as 'pitch black wall of death'
Officials are now facing criticism for not alerting residents and youth summer camps along the river sooner. Survivors have described the floods as a "pitch-black wall of death," adding they received no emergency warnings. Kerr County Judge Rob Kelly said, "Nobody saw this coming." "We had no reason to believe that this was gonna be any, anything like what's happened here. None whatsoever," Kelly told CBS Evening News.