Live

In Pictures

Catastrophic Texas floods leave over 160 missing, death toll rises to 109

Hundreds of rescuers searched for people swept away by catastrophic Texas floods that killed over 100.

A traffic sign reading "road may flood" lies on the ground near the Guadalupe River in Hunt, Texas. [Ronaldo Schemidt/AFP]
By News Agencies
Published On 9 Jul 2025

More than 160 people remain unaccounted for after devastating floods in Texas, Governor Greg Abbott announced, marking a dramatic increase in the number of missing from a disaster that has already killed 109 people.

Four days after flash floods ravaged several Texas counties, some striking while residents slept, hopes of finding survivors by Tuesday have dwindled – and Abbott warned that the number of missing people could still rise further.

“Just in the Kerr County area alone, there are 161 people who are known to be missing,” he told reporters on Tuesday as the grim search continued.

“There very likely could be more added to that list,” he added, explaining that the figure comes from individuals reported missing by friends, relatives and neighbours.

Kerr County, located in central Texas’s “Flash Flood Alley,” suffered the most catastrophic impact, with at least 94 confirmed deaths.

This toll includes at least 27 girls and counsellors who were staying at a youth summer camp along the Guadalupe River when it overflowed early on Friday morning as the Fourth of July holiday began.

Powerful floodwaters surged through the camp, demolishing cabins while hundreds slept.

As of Tuesday evening, five campers and one counsellor remained missing, according to Abbott, along with another child not associated with the camp.

“There’s nothing more important in our hearts and minds than the people of this community, especially those who are still lost,” Abbott said.

Throughout the rest of the state, at least 15 additional deaths have been recorded, the governor added.

Ben Baker with the Texas game wardens explained that search and rescue operations using helicopters, drones and dogs face tremendous obstacles due to water and mud.

“When we’re trying to make these recoveries, these large piles can be very obstructive, and to get in deep into these piles, it’s very hazardous,” Baker said.

“It’s extremely treacherous, time-consuming. It’s dirty work, the water is still there.”

A search and rescue team looks for people along the Guadalupe River near a damaged building at Camp Mystic in Hunt. [Ronaldo Schemidt/AFP]
Debris lays along the Guadalupe River after it was swept up in the flash flooding on July 8, 2025 in Ingram, Texas. [Jim Vondruska/Getty Images/AFP]
A painted broken heart is seen near Camp Mystic along the Guadalupe River. [Ronaldo Schemidt/AFP]
Relatives and friends of Alicia Olvera, a woman still missing after her husband was found dead, conduct a search to locate her near the Guadalupe River. [Ronaldo Schemidt/AFP]
The catastrophic floods over the Fourth of July weekend have left more than 100 people dead, including more than two dozen girls and counsellors at a riverside summer camp, with rescuers racing to search for dozens of people still missing. [Ronaldo Schemidt/AFP]
A woman sorts through clothing and campers' belongings outside cabins at Camp Mystic along the Guadalupe River. [Ronaldo Schemidt/AFP]
A man searches for missing people by a crushed car near the Guadalupe River in Hunt. [Ronaldo Schemidt/AFP]
The search is continuing for more than 160 people believed to be missing in Texas, days after a destructive wall of water killed at least 100 people. [Ronaldo Schemidt/AFP]
Water runs through the Guadalupe River in Kerrville, Texas, after a flash flood swept through the area. [Ashley Landis/AP Photo]