Closing summary
This concludes our live coverage of the deadly flash flooding in the Hill Country region of Texas, with the death toll in Kerr county now at 43, including 15 children, and at least 27 girls from a summer camp still missing. As the rescue and recovery effort continues, we will update our main news report on the disaster. Here are the day’s developments:
At least 43 people have died in the floods in Texas, according to the Kerr county officials. The dead include 28 adults and 15 children, according to the latest numbers from Saturday evening. There are still 27 girls missing from a Christian summer camp. Of the bodies recovered so far, 12 adults and five children were still unidentified as of 5.30pm local time.
The director of a popular Texas summer camp, located north-west of San Antonio, was among those killed in Friday’s floods, the camp said in a post on Facebook. Jane Ragsdale, the longtime director of the Heart O’ the Hills camp, was on site when the flood hit.
A young woman was dramatically rescued after she was carried 12 miles down the Guadalupe River by raging flood waters, and later pictured clinging to branches of a tree. The woman – who has not been identified publicly – was rescued, News 4 San Antonio reported.
Donald Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform: “Melania and I are praying for all of the families impacted by this horrible tragedy. Our Brave First Responders are on site doing what they do best. GOD BLESS THE FAMILIES, AND GOD BLESS TEXAS!”
One 13-year-old girl who was evacuated by helicopter after being woken in the middle of the night said the “camp was completely destroyed”.
Officials have said the floods were not predicted by forecasts and that the river rose by 26ft (8 meters) in just 45 minutes. A local weather forecaster disputed that and said that warnings were issued hours before the disaster.
Pictures from the ground show widespread destruction to homes, vehicles and trees as well as showing ongoing rescue efforts.
Updated
Death toll from flooding rises to 43, including 15 children
The death toll from the flooding in Kerr county has risen to 43, including 15 children, the sheriff Larry Leitha said at a briefing. As of 5.30pm local time, he added, officials were still working to identify 12 of the recovered adults and five of the children.
Dalton Rice, the Kerrville city manager, said that 27 girls from Camp Mystic, a Christian summer camp along the Guadalupe River, are still missing. Other people who were in the area but not at the camp could also be missing, Rice added.
Updated
Updated
A summary of today's developments
At least 32 people have died in the floods in Texas, according to the Kerr county sheriff. Eighteen adults and 14 children are among the deceased, according to the latest numbers from Saturday afternoon. There are still 27 people missing. Of the bodies recovered so far, five adults and three children are still unidentified.
The director of a popular Texas summer camp, located north-west of San Antonio, was among those killed in Friday’s floods, the camp said in a post on Facebook. Jane Ragsdale, the longtime director of the Heart O’ the Hills camp, was on site when the flood hit.
A young woman was dramatically rescued after she was carried 12 miles down the Guadalupe River by raging flood waters, and later pictured clinging to branches of a tree. The woman – who has not been identified publicly – was rescued, News 4 San Antonio reported.
Donald Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform: “Melania and I are praying for all of the families impacted by this horrible tragedy. Our Brave First Responders are on site doing what they do best. GOD BLESS THE FAMILIES, AND GOD BLESS TEXAS!”
One 13-year-old girl who was evacuated by helicopter after being woken in the middle of the night said the “camp was completely destroyed”.
Officials have said the floods were not predicted by forecasts and that the river rose by 26ft (8 meters) in just 45 minutes.
JD Vance called the deaths an “incomprehensible tragedy”, while the first lady Melania Trump said she was sending her “prayers for strength, comfort, and resilience” for those affected.
Pictures from the ground show widespread destruction to homes, vehicles and trees as well as showing ongoing rescue efforts.
Updated
A flash flood warning for various cities in Texas is continuing until at least 7pm Central time.
The National Weather Service said in two separate posts on X that a flash flood warning was in effect for the cities of Burnet, Bertram, Watson, Marble Falls, Granite Shoals and Liberty Hill.
Updated
Officials praise Trump as viewers express frustration during press conference
Before taking any questions, Texas’s governor Greg Abbott, the homeland security secretary Kristi Noem, the Texas senator John Cornyn and the representative Chip Roy opened today’s press conference with long statements of self-congratulation and praise for the response from local, state and federal officials. They also repeatedly thanked Donald Trump in effusive terms.
It was not until reporters pressed for numbers, towards the end of the press conference, that officials began to share the valuable information sought out by the public.
Commenters watching the live feed expressed frustration at the lack of information in the first 25 minutes of the event.
“Quit talking about yourselves relentlessly,” one commenter said.
“Most useless conference!!!” another commenter said.
“Get to the point that matters to us the people of texas,” another said.
Much of the statements from Abbott, Noem, Cornyn and Roy focused on praising their own efforts, thanking Trump and the White House and encouraging people to pray.
“Prayer matters,” Abbott said. Prayers “could have been the reason why water stopped rising”.
Later during the press conference, in response to questions from the press, the local sheriff confirmed the number of dead had risen to 32, including 18 adults and 14 children.
Updated
32 dead in Texas floods, including 18 adults and 14 children
The number of dead from the Texas flood has increased, according to the Kerr county sheriff.
Thirty-two people have died in the floods. Eighteen adults and 14 children are among the deceased, according to the latest numbers from Saturday afternoon.
There are still 27 people missing from the flooding event. Of the bodies recovered so far, five adults and three children are still unidentified.
The emergency management chief says they’re “looking for live people right now”, but Texas’s governor Greg Abbott instructed responders to assume every missing person is still alive.
Updated
The flash flood warning for Austin has been extended through 6pm Central time, according to CBS Austin’s meteorologist, from a post on X.
“We’ve avoided anything significant in the city thus far, but that could change with heavy rain parked over Travis County,” he said.
Updated
Following two long statements from the Texas governor and US homeland security secretary praising their own response efforts, the senator John Cornyn took the mic at the press briefing and began: “My thanks to President Trump.”
Next to speak is representative Chip Roy, who opened with a joke, saying: “Before I was crazy enough to run for Congress” he spent a lot of time in this area. He goes on to praise the governor and the homeland security secretary.
Updated
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) secretary Kristi Noem said the flooding in Texas is “unprecedented”, adding that the federal government would be providing further resources.
Noem confirmed that various DHS agencies were actively working with partners including the Coast Guard, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (Fema).
She added that the border patrol’s tactical unit named Bortac, a special operations group, is also on the ground assisting.
Updated
Texas’s governor Greg Abbott has signed an expanded disaster declaration, adding the following counties to the declaration: Bexar, Burnet, Caldwell, Guadalupe, Travis and Williamson counties.
He also signed a request to the White House for an additional federal disaster declaration.
Updated
Kristi Noem, the secretary of the Department of Homeland Security and, Texas’s governor, Greg Abbott, are co-hosting a press conference in Kerrville, Texas.
“We will be relentless” when searching for people missing, Abbott said, adding that it would be a “24/7 operation, day and night”.
“We will find every one of them,” Abbott said.
Updated
Texas’s governor, Greg Abbott, will host a press conference alongside Kristi Noem, the secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, in Kerrville this afternoon.
The live press conference will begin at 2.45pm central time.
Updated
Director of popular Texas summer camp killed in floods
The director of a popular Texas summer camp, located north-west of San Antonio, was killed in Friday’s floods, the camp said in a post on Facebook.
Jane Ragsdale, the longtime director of the Heart O’ the Hills camp, did not survive the flooding.
The camp was not in session but Ragsdale was on site when the flood hit.
The Heart O’ the Hills camp is located about 2 miles from Camp Mystic, the Dallas Morning News reported. Camp Mystic is where a search is ongoing for 27 girls who are still missing.
“We are mourning the loss of a woman who influenced countless lives and was the definition of strong and powerful,” the camp said.
Updated
The city of Seguin in Texas, east of San Antonio, announced they have opened a temporary shelter for those in need during the flooding event.
The shelter is now open at the Utilities Operation Center, 3027 N Austin Street, in the city of Seguin.
Updated
The San Antonio archdiocese will be hosting a special mass prayer service tomorrow, Sunday, 6 July, at 11am at the Notre Dame church in Kerrville, according to a post on the archdiocese’s Facebook account.
The mass will be for people to “pray for those who have lost their lives and person that are missing”, the archdiocese said. “Prayers will also be offered for the emergency responders and those who have begun the work of providing for the needs of the impacted in these communities in their recovery efforts; that they may be kept from harm as they seek to bring relief, comfort, and healing.”
Updated
A Kerrville city official said during this morning’s press conference that there will be two more briefings today, to update the public about the flood and rescue efforts.
The next press briefing will be at 2pm Central time and the following will be at 6pm Central time.
Updated
The National Weather Service issued a flash flood emergency for River Road along the Guadalupe River, between the towns of Sattler and Gruene in Comal county. They are urging residents to evacuate immediately.
Flash flood emergencies remain in effect for various locations around central Texas, including: Burnet county, western Williamson county, north-west Travis county, and the Guadalupe River in Colam county, between Sattler/Gruene, the National Weather Service said.
Updated
Authorities say more than 1,000 rescuers are on the ground in Texas, searching for missing people as rains continue to fall outside of San Antonio, the Associated Press reports. Flash flood warnings remain in effect.
Twenty-seven girls from Camp Mystic remain missing, officials say, as authorities have rescued more than 850 people during operations so far.
Updated
Reports are beginning to emerge of extraordinary stories of survival from the Texas Hill Country floods, even as the official death toll continues mounting, reaching at least 24 on Saturday.
A young woman was dramatically rescued after she was carried 12 miles down the Guadalupe River by raging flood waters, and later pictured clinging to branches of a tree. The woman, who has not been identified publicly, was rescued, News 4 San Antonio reported.
Erin Burgess told the outlet that the rain on Thursday night and into Friday was “pretty heavy, but no big deal”. She was woken by the storm at 3.30am, and waters around her home in the Bumble Bee Hills neighborhood in Kerr county started to rise.
Updated
A drone video shows the scale of devastation left by the flash floods along the Guadalupe River in Texas on Friday.
Twenty-seven children missing from camp
City manager Dalton Rice acknowledged the number of those missing is likely to change throughout the day, saying:
“The 27 missing are the children from Camp Mystic. As for unknown other missing, we do not have an accurate count, and we do not want to begin to estimate at this time.”
The news conference has now ended with further updates expected at around 2pm and 6pm local time.
Updated
Sheriff Larry Leitha told a news conference: “I want to tell you and assure y’all that we will not stop till every single person is found.
“We’ve got all the resources we need. We’re here for the long haul. As I said, numbers will be changing rapidly.”
A shelter has been set up for the general public who need assistance.
Representative Chip Roy said there are one thousand “boots on the ground” with 160 air rescues having taken place already.
Twenty-seven people confirmed dead in Texas
Twenty seven people are confirmed dead after flooding in Texas.
Eighteen are adults and nine are children, an official from Kerr County said.
“We are working hard to locate anyone who is still missing and ensure they are safe,” Kerr County Sheriff Larry Leitha said.
Some 850 people have been rescued so far.
Updated
In the last few minutes, the US president Donald Trump has posted this on his Truth Social platform: “The Trump Administration is working with State and Local Officials on the ground in Texas in response to the tragic flooding that took place yesterday. Our Secretary of Homeland Security, Kristi Noem, will be there shortly.
“Melania and I are praying for all of the families impacted by this horrible tragedy. Our Brave First Responders are on site doing what they do best. GOD BLESS THE FAMILIES, AND GOD BLESS TEXAS!”
Updated
What we know so far
If you’re just joining us, here’s a quick summary of all the latest from the devastating floods in Texas.
At least 24 people are known to have died in flash flooding after the Guadalupe River burst its banks early on Friday
Up to 25 girls who had been attending a Christian summer camp near the town of Kerrville, north-west of San Antonio, are still missing
One 13-year-old girl who was evacuated by helicopter after being woken in the middle of the night said the “camp was completely destroyed”
Officials have said the floods were not predicted by forecasts and that the river rose by 26ft (8m) in just 45 minutes
Vice President JD Vance has called the deaths an “incomprehensible tragedy”, while First Lady Melania Trump said she was sending her “prayers for strength, comfort, and resilience” for those affected
Pictures from the ground show widespread destruction to homes, vehicles, and trees as well as ongoing rescue efforts
Warnings for flash flooding around the region remain in place
More rain has been forecast for Saturday and Sunday, with Texas Lt-Gov Dan saying the forecast for potential heavy rain and flooding covered a large area
Multiple flash flood warnings have been announced in the region around the Guadalupe River.
The National Weather Service for Austin and San Antonio said warnings were in place in the areas around the town of McSweeney and the city of Lockhart, both of which sit to the northeast of San Antonio.
It issued a further warning for the city of Georgetown, which sits to the north of Austin.
Deaths an 'incomprehensible tragedy', says VP
US Vice President JD Vance has described the deaths caused by the flooding in Texas as an “incomprehensible tragedy”.
At least 24 people are known to have died after the Guadalupe River burst its banks early on Friday, while more than 20 others are still missing.
“Our nation’s heart breaks for the victims in Texas and their families,” Vance wrote in a statement on social media. “Just an incomprehensible tragedy.
“I hope everyone affected knows they’re in the prayers of my family, and of millions of Americans.”
He also shared a prayer: “Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord,
“and let perpetual light shine upon them.
“May the souls of all the faithful departed,
“through the mercy of God, rest in peace.”
Updated
Austin Dickson, CEO of the Community Foundation of the Texas Hill Country, which is collecting donations to help nonprofits responding to the disaster, said the area affected is known as “flash flood alley” because of the hills’ thin layer of soil.
“When it rains, water doesn’t soak into the soil,” Dickson told the Associated Press. “It rushes down the hill.”
River tourism industry is a key part of the Hill Country economy. Well-known, century-old summer camps bring in children from all over the country, Dickson said.
“It’s generally a very tranquil river with really beautiful clear blue water that people have been attracted to for generations,” he added.
More rain expected on Saturday and Sunday - forecasters
More rain has been forecast for Saturday and Sunday, forecasters said.
A flood watch had been upgraded to a warning overnight on Friday for at least 30,000 people, the Associated Press reports.
Texas Lt-Gov Dan Patrick said the potential for heavy rain and flooding covered a large area.
“Everything was done to give them a heads up that you could have heavy rain, and we’re not exactly sure where it’s going to land,” Patrick said.
“Obviously as it got dark last night, we got into the wee morning of the hours, that’s when the storm started to zero in.”
Kerr county judge Rob Kelly, the county’s chief elected official, said: “We do not have a warning system.”
When pushed on why more precautions weren’t taken, Kelly said no one knew this kind of flood was coming.
The slow-moving storm stuck over central Texas is expected to bring more rain on Saturday, with the potential for pockets of heavy downpours and more flooding, said Jason Runyen, of the National Weather Service.
The threat could linger overnight and into Sunday morning, he said.
Here is some drone footage which shows the extent of flooding in Texas.
Melania Trump offers sympathy to parents of children affected by floods
Melania Trump has expressed sympathy for the parents of the children affected by the floods in Texas.
In the post on X she wrote:
My heart goes out to the parents in Texas during this difficult time. I am holding you in my thoughts and sending prayers for strength, comfort, and resilience.
Pictures from Kerr County, Texas show some of the destruction caused by flooding in areas along the Guadalupe River.
Updated
'Life-threatening' flooding continues - officials
Dangerous and life-threatening flooding as well as heavy rains continue in parts of Texas, the National Weather Service for Austin and San Antonio has said.
In a statement on social media, the service said the worst affected counties were Burnet, western Williamson, and northwestern Travis, which all sit in the region to the northeast of the Guadeloupe River.
“A flash flood emergency remains in effect for these areas,” the statement said. “Seek higher ground if near a flooded creek or stream.”
What caused the floods?
The floods came after the Guadeloupe River, which runs across an area of southern Texas, burst its banks following heavy rains.
Officials said the river rose 26ft (8m) in just 45 minutes.
Dalton Rice, city manager for nearby Kerrville, told reporters that flooding struck before dawn and “over a very short period of time, that could not be predicted”
“This happened within less than a two-hour span,” he said.
W. Nim Kidd, director of the Texas Division of Emergency Management, said weather forecasts “did not predict the amount of rain that we saw”.
Here is a map showing the location of the floods.
In footage carried by the BBC, the mayor of Kerrville Joe Herring said earlier:
We will rescue those in peril and we will find those who are missing.
I’d also ask, please pray for our community.
This is a hard day and there will be hard days to come.
Here are some more images coming to us over the wires.
CNN is reporting on residents of Kerrville, Texas, who had to flee for their lives during the flash floods.
“We had to drive over live power lines to get out of here because the only other way we could go was underwater,” Candice Taylor told CNN affiliate KENS.
Zerick Baldwin told KENS: “If I would’ve slept in my truck or something, I would have been gone…The waters came so quickly. If I had stayed, I wouldn’t have even known what hit.”
Key event
Here is some footage of the floods in Texas.
We have more from the Associated Press on Camp Mystic, the all-girls Christian summer camp from which up to 25 people are missing.
Chloe Crane, a teacher and former Camp Mystic counsellor, said her heart broke when a fellow teacher shared an email from the camp about the missing girls.
“To be quite honest, I cried because Mystic is such a special place, and I just couldn’t imagine the terror that I would feel as a counsellor to experience that for myself and for 15 little girls that I’m taking care of,” she said. “And it’s also just sadness, like the camp has been there forever and cabins literally got washed away.”
Crane said the camp, which was established in 1926, is a haven for young girls looking to gain confidence and independence. She recalled happy memories teaching her campers about journalism, making crafts and competing in a camp-wide canoe race at the end of each summer.
Now for many campers and counsellors, their happy place has turned into a horror story, she said.
Updated
What we know so far
It’s 5am in Texas and the search for survivors is ongoing. Here is what we know so far:
At least 24 people have died and up to 25 people are missing after torrential rain caused flash floods along the Guadalupe River in Texas on Friday.
Rescue teams are searching for the people who were attending the Christian all-girls Camp Mystic summer camp just outside the town of Kerrville 104km (64 miles) north-west of San Antonio.
As of Friday night, emergency personnel had rescued or evacuated 237 people, including 167 by helicopter, Reuters reports.
The Texas Division of Emergency Management had 14 helicopters and hundreds of emergency workers, as well as drones, involved in search-and-rescue operations.
A month’s worth of heavy rain fell in a matter of hours. In less than an hour the river rose 26 feet (7.9m) in what Kerr county sheriff’s office called “catastrophic flooding”.
The flooding swept away mobile homes, vehicles and holiday cabins where people were spending the 4 July weekend, the BBC said.
A state of emergency has been declared in several counties.
Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One on Friday, US President Donald Trump said, “We’ll take care of them,” when asked about federal aid for the disaster.
Kerr County Judge Rob Kelly, the top local elected official, said a disaster of such magnitude was unforeseen. “We had no reason to believe this was going to be anything like what’s happened here,” he said. “None whatsoever.”
More rain is expected in the state, including around Waco, and flooding is anticipated downriver from Kerr county.
Updated
Camp Mystic was 'completely destroyed', says 13-year-old survivor
The Associated Press reports on the rescue operation by Texas Game Wardens at Camp Mystic on Friday afternoon and evacuated campers who had sheltered on higher ground.
Elinor Lester, 13, said she was evacuated with her cabinmates by helicopter after wading through floodwaters. She recalled startling awake around 1.30 am as thunder crackled and water pelted the cabin windows.
Lester was among the older girls housed on elevated ground known as Senior Hill. Cabins housing the younger campers, who can start attending at age eight, are situated along the riverbanks and were the first to flood, she said.
Campers in lower cabins sought shelter up the hill. By morning, they had no food, power or running water, she said. When rescuers arrived, Lester said they tied a rope for the girls to hold as they walked across a bridge with floodwaters whipping up around their calves and knees.
“The camp was completely destroyed,” she said. “It was really scary. Everyone I know personally is accounted for, but there are people missing that I know of and we don’t know where they are.”
Her mother, Elizabeth Lester, said her son was nearby at Camp La Junta and also escaped. A counsellor there woke up to find water rising in the cabin, opened a window and helped the boys swim out. Camp La Junta and another camp on the river, Camp Waldemar, said in Instagram posts that all campers and staff there were safe.
Elizabeth Lester sobbed when she finally saw her daughter, who was clutching a small teddy bear and a book.
“My kids are safe, but knowing others are still missing is just eating me alive,” she said.
Updated
Kerr County Judge Rob Kelly, the top local elected official, said at a news briefing on the disaster hours earlier:
Everybody is doing everything in their power to get these kids out.
Kelly said a number of scattered residential subdivisions, recreational vehicle parks and campgrounds were hit hard, Reuters reports.
Pressed by reporters why more precautions were not taken with stormy weather in the forecast, Kelly insisted a disaster of such magnitude was unforeseen.
“We have floods all the time. This is the most dangerous river valley in the United States,” Kelly said.
“We had no reason to believe this was going to be anything like what’s happened here. None whatsoever.”
Teams have conducted dozens of rescues as the emergency response continued.
The state senator Pete Flores said: “We are in search-and-rescue mode, and we know that these first 24 hours are very important.”
As of Friday night, emergency personnel had rescued or evacuated 237 people, including 167 by helicopter, Reuters reports.
More rain is expected in the state, including around Waco, and flooding is anticipated downriver from Kerr county.
People have posted on Facebook asking for any information about their children, nieces and nephews attending one of the many camps in the area, or family members who had gone camping during the holiday weekend.
The Ingram fire department posted a photo of a statement from Camp Mystic, saying the camp experienced “catastrophic level floods”.
“We are working with search and rescue currently,” the camp said in its communication. “The highway has washed away so we are struggling to get more help. Please continue to pray and send any help if you have contacts to do so.”
Here are some images coming to us over the wires:
Dalton Rice, city manager for Kerrville, the county seat, told reporters the extreme flooding struck with little to no advance warning, precluding authorities from issuing any evacuation orders.
“This happened very quickly, over a very short period of time, that could not be predicted, even with the radar,” Rice said. “This happened within less than a two-hour span.”
23 people from all-girls summer camp among those missing
At a news conference on Friday afternoon, Texas lieutenant governor Dan Patrick said 23 children from Camp Mystic, a private Christian summer camp for girls, were unaccounted for of 750 who were staying there at the time.
He asked people to stay away from the area, saying the Texas division of emergency management had 14 helicopters and hundreds of emergency workers involved in search-and-rescue operations.”
Patrick said Donald Trump had been informed of the situation and responded: “Whatever we need, we can have.”
A hundred troopers would also take part in the search and rescue, a Texas official said.
Updated
Desperate search for survivors after dozens killed by Texas flooding
At least 24 people have died after torrential rains unleashed flash floods along the Guadalupe River in Texas on Friday as rescue teams scrambled to save dozens of victims trapped by high water or reported missing in the disaster, local officials said.
Among the missing were 23 to 25 people listed as unaccounted for at an all-girls Christian summer camp located on the banks of the rain-engorged Guadalupe, 65 miles (105 km) north-west of San Antonio, authorities said.
The region was beset by death and disaster on Friday after months’ worth of heavy rain fell in a matter of hours. In less than an hour, the river rose 26 feet (7.9m).
The flooding swept away mobile homes, vehicles and holiday cabins where people were spending the 4 July weekend, the BBC said.
Search teams are conducting boat and helicopter rescues in the fast-moving water that overtook riverfront communities and children’s summer camps. But the search has been hampered by limited access to the area. Phones are down, which has also made communication with people difficult.
The US National Weather Service declared a flash flood emergency for parts of Kerr county, located in south-central Texas Hill Country, following the heavy downpours.
Kerr county sheriff Larry Leitha said at least 24 fatalities have been confirmed from what his office called the “catastrophic flooding”.
A state of emergency has been declared in several counties and the White House has offered additional help.
Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One at the end of a day of public events on Friday, Trump said “we’ll take care of them,” when asked about federal aid for the disaster.
We’ll bring you the latest updates on this developing story.
Updated
