MRT (free): 104 Confirmed Dead from Texas Floods // Could Cost $18B? // Ways to Help // Trump Likely to Visit Friday // Focus on Disaster Warning Systems in Special Session
Here's What You Need to Know in Texas Today.
MustReadTexas.com – @MustReadTexas
BY: @MattMackowiak
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CENTRAL TEXAS FLOODING
“104 confirmed dead from Texas floods as searches - and grief - continue,” Dallas Morning News' Philip Jankowski, Maria Salette Ontiveros, Tamia Cobb and Carol Taylor — “The Texas floods over Fourth of July weekend have killed more than 100 people, local officials said Monday afternoon, as search and rescue efforts continued.
In Kerr County, searchers have found the bodies of 84 people: 56 adults and 28 children, according to the Kerr County sheriff’s office. Twenty-two adults and 10 children have yet to be identified, the sheriff’s office posted on Facebook.
“At present, 10 Camp Mystic campers and one counselor remain unaccounted for,” the post read. “We share our deepest condolences with all affected by this tragedy.”
Twenty other deaths have been reported in other parts of Texas: One in Tom Green County, two in Williamson County, four in Burnet County, six in Kendall County and seven in Travis County. The death toll stands at 104 people as of Monday evening.
Texas Hill Country is home to several summer camps, including Camp Mystic, which grieved “the loss of 27 campers and counselors.”
Local first responders and government officials said they expect the number of confirmed dead to grow in the coming days as search and rescue teams and volunteers comb the banks of the Guadalupe River.
With additional rain on the way, more flooding still threatened in saturated parts of Central Texas.
“I need to tell my community and those families who are waiting, this will be a rough week,” Kerrville Mayor Joe Herring Jr. said at a news briefing Monday. “Primary search continues, and we remain hopeful. Every foot, every mile, every bend of the river, our work continues.”
Kerr County Sheriff Larry L. Leitha said at the news briefing that of the dead, 27 were children. Nine children and 15 adults remain unidentified, he said.
Texas Rangers are collecting DNA from victims and family members.
The unidentified remains are being flown to the University of North Texas’ Center for Human Identification in Fort Worth for rapid analysis, with officials promising answers “in hours, not days.”
“We continue to offer our condolences to those affected,” Leitha said. “Reuniting the families remains our top priority here on this operation.”
The flood killed at least 27 children and counselors at the Camp Mystic summer camp. Ten children and one counselor remain unaccounted for, Leitha said.
Camp Mystic said on its website Monday it “is grieving the loss of 27 campers and counselors.”
The statement did not say all those missing from the camp had been found, but it seemed to concede that it was unlikely they would be found alive.
“We have been in communication with local and state authorities who are tirelessly deploying extensive resources to search for our missing girls,” the statement said.
The all-girls Christian camp in the Texas Hill Country thanked everyone for the outpouring of support, as well as the local and state authorities who have worked extensively to locate those who are missing.
“Our hearts are broken alongside our families that are enduring this unimaginable tragedy. We are praying for them constantly,” the statement said.
Kerrville City Manager Dalton Rice on Monday described the massive effort from first responders and volunteers to search a 100-kilometer stretch of the Guadalupe River, which was the epicenter of major floods in the early hours of July 4.
Officials have said the river rose 26 feet in 45 minutes.
Rice said officials have first responders working in 2-to-3 kilometer grids across the massive flood zone. Personnel, boats, dogs, drones and helicopters are all aiding the search, and each grid can take one to three hours to search thoroughly.
“They’re running into a lot of technical challenges with terrain, with water, even potentially, you know, with weather,” he said.
Rice and Herring asked for potential volunteers to contact the Kerrville Salvation Army at 830-465-4797 or to come to the organization’s social services office at 855 Hays St, Kerrville, TX, 78028." DMN ($)
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TOP NEWS
“2 girls from Austin among victims in flash floods at Camp Mystic,” KVUE’s Tony Plohetski, Jeff Bell and Johann Castro — “Two girls from Austin are among those confirmed dead after devastating flash floods hit Camp Mystic in Kerr County on July 4.
Linnie McCown, 8, was a student at Casis Elementary, according to her father, Michael McCown.
A family spokesman for 8-year-old Mary Stevens confirmed her death. Mary was a student at Highland Park Elementary.
The girls were campers at the Christian all-girls summer camp in the Hill Country when floodwaters swept through the Guadalupe River area. More than 750 girls were staying at Camp Mystic when the floods hit.
A candlelight vigil for the two girls was held Sunday night at Casis Elementary.
Dozens remain unaccounted for after catastrophic flooding overwhelmed Kerrville, Hunt and surrounding Kerr County communities early on Friday.
Kerr County authorities, alongside state and federal officials, said Sunday morning that search-and-rescue teams had recovered at least 59 bodies so far, including 21 children. We're beginning to learn more about them here.
The Texas Department of Public Safety, Texas National Guard and U.S. Coast Guard are among the entities that have responded to the crisis, amounting to hundreds of personnel and vehicles participating in search efforts. Officials said more than 850 people have been rescued from the flooding, with many grabbing on to trees and waiting hours for rescue.
"We will not stop until every single person is found," Kerr County Sheriff Larry Leitha said. "It's going to take a while."
On Saturday, Austin ISD Superintendent Matias Segura shared a statement that the floods had "impacted some of our Austin ISD families."
"We know that some of our families and staff may be facing loss or uncertainty and we are coordinating with our crisis and counseling team to provide support and any needed services to our families and staff in the days ahead," Segura said.
The district also provided a guidance on how to support children experiencing shock, uncertainty and loss, and a form for anyone who wants to request individualized services from AISD's counseling and mental health team.” KVUE
“Austin area flooding: At least 10 dead, search efforts continue,” Fox 7 Austin’s Adam Fullerton, Adaleigh Rowe and Katie Pratt — “Flash flood watches are in effect for most of the Austin-area on Sunday, while crews work to try to find those who went missing in this weekend's flooding.
As of Sunday evening, five people were reported dead in Travis County, three deaths were reported in Burnet County, and two deaths were confirmed in Williamson County. Others are still missing. That includes a teenager and a fire official who were swept away.
Travis County officials say at least four people are dead and 13 are missing after major flooding. The worst of it was along Sandy Creek and Cow Creek.
In the last 48 hours, some parts of Central Texas have seen 15 inches of rain.
Off and on rain in the area on Sunday will make things difficult as crews attempt to work.” Fox 7 Austin
» Related: “How to talk to kids about Texas floods and other natural disasters“ AAS ($)
“Central Texas flooding death toll rises to at least 90 as search continues for survivors,” Texas Tribune’s Berenice Garcia, Jessica Shuran Yu, Carlos Nogeuras Ramos – “About two dozen people were still missing. Many more people could still be unaccounted for, officials warned, noting that visitors to the area for the July 4th weekend make it difficult to assess an exact number.
Search and rescue efforts continued Monday for 10 missing girls and one counselor from Camp Mystic, a Christian camp for young girls at the center of the catastrophic floods that swept the Texas Hill Country, local officials said.
At least 75 people were killed by the flooding in Kerr County, officials said Monday. At least 15 additional deaths were confirmed in surrounding counties, pushing the storm's overall toll to at least 90. That surpassed the estimated 68 deaths directly caused by Hurricane Harvey in southeast Texas in 2017.
More than 400 first responders from over 20 agencies were on the ground combing the area Sunday, Sheriff Larry Leitha said.
Among the dead in Kerr County were at least 27 children and 48 adults as of Monday morning.
"We have increased our number of personnel who are navigating the really challenging shores along the bank line, but we're continuing to make progress," said Dalton Rice, city manager of Kerrville.
Friends and families posted desperate messages online seeking help locating the missing campers. Many more people could still be unaccounted for, officials warned, noting that visitors to the area for the July 4th weekend make it difficult to assess an exact number.
"We will be relentless in going after and assuring that we locate every single person who's been a victim of this flooding event," Gov. Greg Abbott said during a news conference with state and federal officials.
At a press conference Sunday afternoon, Abbott said he visited Camp Mystic the previous day and saw the aftermath of the flood's devastation.
"It was nothing short of horrific to see what those young children went through," he said. "We know that parents and families, they want information, they want closure, and we want them to know that we are working as swiftly as possible to get them accurate information that will provide that closure."
Colonel Freeman Martin, director of the Texas Department of Public Safety, said officials expect the death toll to rise between Sunday and Monday.
Abbott expanded the disaster declaration he issued Friday night to include Bexar, Burnet, Caldwell, Guadalupe, Travis and Williamson counties given continued rain and ongoing flooding. And on Sunday, President Donald Trump approved Abbott's request for a federal disaster declaration, making Kerr County eligible for federal aid. The move opens up grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses and other programs to help individuals recover from the effects of the disaster.
U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem on Saturday said that the U.S. Coast Guard and U.S. Border Patrol had already been involved in rescue efforts while U.S. Customs and Border Protection were assisting with coordination.
In the span of 36 hours, first responders have rescued more than 850 people, some clinging to trees to stay safe amid the rising water, Abbott said.
In response to criticisms of the warning provided by National Weather Service ahead of the flood, Noem said upgrading their technology was among the reforms Trump sought to make at the department.” Texas Tribune
“Texas flooding: How you can help people in Kerrville,” Fox 7 Austin’s Adam Fullerton – “Dozens of people have died, and several people had to be rescued after flooding in Central Texas.
Many people across the state and around the country are seeking ways to help.
On Friday night, officials asked people not to come to the area, because they could get in the way of first responders.
Kerr County Flood Relief Fund
The Community Foundation, a nonprofit group in the area, launched the Kerr County Flood Relief Fund to help support local response, relief and recovery efforts.
All donations will go right to the organizations helping with the emergency.
Those looking to donate can click here.
Salvation Army
The City of Kerrville says the Salvation Army is taking donations for those affected by the flooding.
They are in need of non-perishables, hygiene items, bleach, brooms, shovels, trash bags, diapers, socks, baby wipes and trash bags.
The group asks any donations to be dropped off at 855 Hays Street.
Red Cross
The Red Cross has opened three shelters in Kerrville.
First United Methodist Church, 321 Thompson Drive, Kerrville, TX 78028
Calvary Temple Church, 3000 TX-534 Loop, Kerrville, TX 78028
Comfort High School, 143 US-87 North, Comfort, TX 78013
You can donate to the Red Cross by visiting redcross.org.
GoFundMe
The website GoFundMe is looking to help those in need of assistance.
The site has several verified fundraisers from people in need of assistance.
You can see the list here: gofundme.com/c/act/flood-relief#section-2
Southern Baptist of Texas Convention
The Southern Baptist of Texas Convention is helping with efforts. You can make donations here.
Texans on Mission
The group Texans on Mission is looking for donations and volunteers. You can read more about them here.
Austin Pets Alive!
The nonprofit is in Kerrville providing medical care and will be transporting animals. They are working to bring pets from the Kerr County shelter to APA!
To donate, click here.
Tiff's Treats
Tiff's Treats is making a donation to the Community Foundation of the Texas Hill Country Flood Relief Fund.
If you would like to support, you can use the code TEXAS when you purchase between now and the end of the day on Monday, July 7.
All the sales from your orders will be donated to the fund.
Comedor Run Club
An Austin running club is collecting essential supplies for those impacted by the recent flooding in the Hill Country.
You can drop off items needed at the Comedor Run Club on Monday, July 7, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at 501 Colorado St. in Austin.
Items needed:
Non-perishable food
Batteries (AA, AAA, C, D)
Animal feed
Diapers + wipes
Bathing essentials
The run club said they will not be accepting cash, checks, or bottled water.
They are also accepting donations via Venmo: @Comedor-RunClub
Hai Hospitality
Portion of sales from all Texas-based Uchi, Uchiba and Uchiko locations are being donated to the nonprofit Mercy Chefs.
People can also round up check at Loro location to donate directly.
Hopdoddy
100% of profits on July 9 will be donated to Texas Search & Rescue.
Nova Hospitality
Matching donations of up to $5,000 to Community Foundation of the Texas Hill Country.
Email receipt to info@novahospitalitygroup.com so the organization can match dollar for dollar.
Commodore Perry Estate
In partnership with Kerr County, Commodore Perry Estate is serving as a drop-off location for relief donations.
Donations can be dropped off between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. daily.
Upon arrival, the valet team will direct you to the entrance of the chapel where items can be placed on their donation storage shelf.
Urgent supplies needed:
Canned food
Bottled water
Clothing (all sizes)
Hygiene products
Trash bags
Brooms and shovels
Basic emergency and cleaning supplies
UFCU
All UFCU locations in the Greater Austin area will begin accepting flood-related relief supplies on Monday morning. UFCU locations can be found here.
The following items are needed the most by those affected by this weekend’s floods:
Food and water: non-perishable food items, including canned goods, energy bars and dried fruit.
First Aid & Hygiene: first-aid kits, medications, hand sanitizer, soap, toilet paper, and other personal hygiene items.
Baby Supplies: baby food, formula, bottles, diapers and wipes.
Pet Supplies: food water, bowls, leashes.
Clothing & Bedding: clean socks, underwear and changes of clothes.
Lighting & Communications: flashlights, extra batteries, battery-powered or hand-crank radios.
Cleaning Supplies: mops, rags, buckets, cleaning solutions and garbage bags.
Other: manual can openers, face masks and plastic tarps.
Texas Children's Central Texas Flood Hope Fund
Texas Children's has established the Texas Children’s Central Texas Flood Hope Fund. All funds raised will go directly to support the flood victims.
Texas Children’s – Austin has also launched a donation drive to assist families across Kerr County and the surrounding Hill Country.
Community members can drop off non-perishable food, bottled water, diapers, wipes, formula, new toys, books, new blankets and new socks and undergarments of all sizes.
Drop off at Texas Children’s Hospital Main Entrance, 9835 North Lake Creek Parkway, Austin
All donations will be delivered to those in need.
Teladoc Health Disaster Hotline
Texans displaced or impacted by the severe flooding can receive non-emergency medical care at no cost through Teladoc Health’s Natural Disaster Hotline.
Adult and pediatric conditions can be effectively diagnosed and treated as part of Teladoc Health’s general medical no-cost offering, including:
Cold and flu symptoms
Sinus problems
Respiratory infections
Allergies
Urinary tract infections
Other non-emergency illnesses
When medically necessary, Teladoc Health can also prescribe medication and refills.
This service is available free of charge to any individual impacted during the emergency, and is not tied to current Teladoc Health membership, client, or health plan accounts.
Current Teladoc members must use the hotline to receive their services free of charge. If they contact Teladoc Health through their normal channels or group set-up, they will be charged the standard visit fee based on their eligibility.
Individuals can access the Teladoc Health Natural Disaster Hotline at 855-225-5032. Individuals with an emergency should call 911.
Williamson County Regional Animal Shelter
WCRAS is urgently in need of fosters for:
Dogs
Cats and kittens with special needs
Bottle baby kittens or kittens too young for adoption
Those who can help are urged to come to the shelter as soon as they are able and fill out a brief registration form.
Other ways to help:
Donate to WCRAS's General Fund at wilcopets.org
Donate dog and cat food, crates, cleaning supplies, and nitrile gloves outside the Services Center
Volunteer onsite with tasks like cleaning, dishes, laundry or organizing received donations
If you have lost or found a pet, post a photo of the pet to petcolovelost.org.” Fox 7 Austin
“Austin Pets Alive! takes in roughly 100 animals after Central Texas flooding,” CBS Austin’s Isabella Bass – “Central Texas and Hill Country flooding rescue and recovery continued for animals Sunday. Since Friday, Austin Pets Alive! (APA!) stated that they had taken in approximately 100 animals from nearby shelters.
These shelters included the Williamson County Regional Animal Shelter and Kerrville Pets Alive!. Additionally, another transport from Hill Country Humane arrived at APA! Sunday afternoon with approximately 30 animals.
APA! stated that they are expecting more animals Sunday from the Williamson County Regional Animal Shelter, including about at least 10 cats and another dozen cats and kittens from Kerrville.
In Kerrville, APA! set up a MASH-style veterinary hospital aimed at treating animals impacted by the floods.
The organization has also mobilized Search & Rescue teams with groups of 20–30 volunteers at a time to scan riverbanks for lost or injured pets.
The APA! Town Lake Animal Center in Austin is currently accepting and redistributing supply donations to Kerrville, Burnet, and Williamson County. Medical teams are also reportedly doing onsite vaccinations and intake procedures for incoming animals.
APA! is asking people to come in and host dogs on a sleepover or foster them due to the overwhelming community response to the floods. Fosters are needed especially for cats, specifically ringworm cats. No experience is required, and anyone interested can come into the shelter any day from 12 p.m. until 6 p.m.
Anyone interested in donating to help Austin Pets Alive! can do so at this link.” CBS Austin
“Austin Wildlife Rescue seeks donations after flood brings in 70 displaced animals,” CBS Austin’s Tara Brolley – “Austin Wildlife Rescue is requesting donations after taking in approximately 70 animals over two days due to the devastating floods that swept through the state.
The organization received about 50 animals yesterday and an additional 20 this morning, with the majority affected by recent storms, the rescue said on Facebook.
"Wildlife adapt to handle life out in the wild, however unusual weather really impacts our native creatures," the organization said. "Right now it's baby season for many wild species."
Ground-nesting animals and those living in dens have been particularly affected by the flooding. The rescue has taken in numerous baby skunks, rabbits and opossums that were separated from their mothers, many arriving with injuries including scrapes, bruises and fractured legs.
A waterlogged killdeer arrived completely exhausted but relatively unharmed and spent the day recovering in an incubator. Tree-dwelling animals also suffered as heavy rains knocked baby squirrels and birds from their nests.
Rising water levels have even confused aquatic wildlife. The rescue took in a large common snapping turtle that was displaced by floodwaters. The turtle has an injured eye and limp but X-rays showed no fractures. The animal is resting while staff continue their assessment.
Austin Wildlife Rescue is asking residents to watch for wildlife that may be lost or displaced by the recent flooding. Those unsure whether a wild animal needs assistance are encouraged to call the organization for guidance.
The rescue has posted an Amazon wishlist for donations.“ CBS Austin
“Science shows cloud seeding isn't capable of causing Texas Hill Country flooding,” Houston Chronicle’s Roberto Villalpando and Ryan Nickerson – “In the aftermath of the Texas Hill Country flooding, social media conspiracy theorists — and even a Georgia congressional candidate — are alleging that humans have manipulated the weather.
Kandiss Taylor, who is running for Georgia’s District 1 seat in the U.S. House, posted on X early Saturday: “Fake weather. Fake hurricanes. Fake flooding. Fake. Fake. Fake.” In another post that day she wrote: “This isn’t just ‘climate change.’ It’s cloud seeding, geoengineering, & manipulation,” she added. '"Fake weather causes real tragedy, that’s murder. Pray. Prepare. Question the narrative.”
Last October, in the aftermath of flooding caused by the remnants of Hurricane Helene, another Georgia congressional candidate, incumbent Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., raised similar accusations. Greene alleged that the federal government, then under President Joe Biden, steered hurricanes into Republican-leaning states in the Deep South.
Meteorologists at the time immediately pointed out that hurricanes possess such extraordinary amounts of energy — about 200 times the total electrical generating capacity of all humans on the planet — that it can’t even be reproduced by humans, much less be put under their control.
As Houston broadcast meteorologist Travis Herzog posted on Facebook Sunday, “cloud seeding cannot create a storm of this magnitude or size.”
“In fact, cloud seeding cannot even create a single cloud,” Herzog wrote. “All it can do is take an existing cloud and enhance the rainfall by up to 20%. Most estimates have the rainfall enhancement in a much lower range.”
Even if any cloud seeding occurred, “it is physically impossible for that to have created this weather system,” he said.
“This is a matter of scale. If I blow out a candle with my breath, does that mean I can then go blow out a raging wildfire? It is the same with cloud-seeding,” Herzog concluded.
What is cloud seeding?
Although human-engineered hurricanes are impossible, real weather modification projects like cloud seeding, have been underway for decades in Texas and beyond. However, even the results of these efforts are fairly limited, like fractions of inches of rain per year.
The Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, the state agency that administers the 1967 Texas Weather Modification Act to regulate the use of cloud seeding, says on its website that "there is no evidence that seeding causes clouds to grow substantially taller and produce unwanted effects (such as damaging winds, hail, and flash floods)."
How does cloud seeding work? To get rain, you need more than just moisture in the air: The microscopic water droplets in a cloud also need to attach to something else to condense into a raindrop and fall to the ground. Typically in nature, the water attaches to dust or salt particles, called cloud condensation nuclei, that are floating through the atmosphere.
Cloud seeding helps stimulate rainfall by injecting cumulus clouds — the most capable of generating heavy rainfall — with other materials to enhance precipitation, such as silver iodide or calcium chloride particles.
Bria DeCarlo, a former project meteorologist for the South Texas Weather Modification Association, told the Houston Chronicle last year that cloud seeding can seem unfamiliar or intimidating but “weather modification is a long-term water management strategy that has been proven to be effective for the drought-stricken areas across the United States and Texas,” DeCarlo said.
In Uvalde County in 2022, for instance, the South Texas Weather Modification Association found only an 0.89-inch increase in rain from cloud seeding. That may not seem like a lot, but it’s close to success for DeCarlo.
“Some years, we may only produce about half an inch increase or less,” DeCarlo said. “Hitting that inch increase is the benchmark for success. It’s really good. But any precipitation increase is good, especially down here.”.”” Hou Chron ($)
“Houston Mayor Whitmire permanently removes food insecurity board member after Camp Mystic comments,” Houston Chronicle’s Abby Church – “Houston Mayor John Whitmire is taking steps to permanently remove a member of the city’s food insecurity board following racial comments she made on social media about the devastating flooding in the Hill Country that decimated Camp Mystic, a private summer camp for girls.
Sade Perkins was appointed to the Houston Food Insecurity Board in October 2023 by the late former Mayor Sylvester Turner. The board is tasked with making recommendations to the mayor and Houston City Council on food security issues throughout the city.
Perkins’ term on the board expired in January 2025, according to the city’s website.
In a video posted to TikTok on Saturday, Perkins told her audience there was context that “needs to be said” regarding Camp Mystic.
“I know I’m probably going to get cancelled for this, but Camp Mystic is a whites-only, girls’ Christian camp,” Perkins said in the video. “They don’t even have a token Asian, they don’t have a token Black person. It is an all-white, white-only, conservative Christian camp. If you ain’t white, you ain’t right, you ain’t getting in, you ain’t going. Period.”
Perkins said in the video it wasn’t that she didn’t want the girls who went missing to not be found. She made reference to the area’s demographics, and said that in “today’s political climate,” a group of Hispanic girls who went missing wouldn’t get the same attention.
“If this were a group of Hispanic girls out there, this would not be getting this type of coverage that they’re getting. No one would give a f---,” Perkins said. “And all these white people, the parents of these little girls, would be saying things like, ‘They need to be deported, they shouldn’t have been here in the first place.’”
Perkins continued in her video that the children’s parents had chosen to go to the camp to carve out “an all-white, whites only enclave” for their white children.
“Yeah, I have a problem with that,” Perkins said. “I have a big problem with that.”
The video Perkins posted has been viewed more than 165,000 times as of Sunday morning and received 2,414 comments. Perkins has since set her TikTok account to private.
Perkins, who confirmed the video was hers in an interview with the Houston Chronicle on Sunday, said that she wasn’t saying the victims deserved what happened to them or that they shouldn’t be found. She added she has received racist comments on her video." Hou Chron ($)
#TXLEGE
“Texas lawmakers failed to pass a bill to improve local disaster warning systems this year,” Texas Tribune's Terri Langford and Carlos Nogueras Ramos – "For the last three days, state Rep. Wes Virdell has been out with first responders in Kerr County as they searched for victims and survivors from the devastating floods that swept through Central Texas early Friday morning.
“All the focus right now is let’s save all the lives we can,” Virdell, who was still on the scene in Kerrville, told The Texas Tribune on Sunday.
Virdell’s closeup view of the havoc wreaked on his district has made a lasting impression, he said, and left him reconsidering a vote he made just a few months ago against a bill that would have established a statewide plan to improve Texas’ disaster response, including better alert systems, along with a grant program for counties to buy new emergency communication equipment and build new infrastructure like radio towers.
“I can tell you in hindsight, watching what it takes to deal with a disaster like this, my vote would probably be different now,” said Virdell, a freshman GOP lawmaker from Brady.
The measure, House Bill 13, would have created a new government council to establish the emergency response plan and administer the grant program, both of which would have been aimed at facilitating better communication between first responders. The bill also called for the plan to include “the use of outdoor warning sirens,” like those used in tornado-prone Texas counties, and develop new “emergency alert systems.”
Authored by Rep. Ken King, R-Canadian, the legislation was inspired by last year’s devastating wildfires in the Panhandle, where more than 1 million acres burned — including part of King’s property — and three people died. The bill failed in the Texas Senate, prompting newfound questions about whether lawmakers should have done more to help rural, cash-strapped counties stave off the deadly effects of future natural disasters.
As of Monday morning, at least 90 people had died in the floods. Of those, 75 were in Kerr County, many of them camping or attending a private summer camp along the Guadalupe River.
Virdell, a Hill Country native who lives about 100 miles away, made his way to Kerrville early Friday after seeing news that rains raised the Guadalupe more than two feet, swamping its banks in Hunt and other river communities that host thousands of holiday vacationers.
He stressed an alarm system may not have helped much in this instance because the floodwaters came so quickly. Between 2 and 7 a.m., the Guadalupe River in Kerrville rose from 1 to more than 34 feet in height, according to a flood gauge in the area.
“I don't think there was enough evidence to even suspect something like this was going to happen,” he said. ”I think even if you had a warning system there, this came in so fast and early in the morning it's very unlikely the warning system would have had much effect.”
Virdell said he doesn’t recall the specifics of the bill or why he opposed it, though he guessed ”it had to do with how much funding” was tied to the measure.
Even if it had passed, it would not have gone into effect until Sept. 1, after the Hill Country flooding.
The bill’s initial $500 million cost drew heavy criticism from fellow Republicans including state Rep. Tony Tinderholt, R-Arlington.
“This shouldn't be about anything other than the fact that it's a half a billion dollars,” Tinderholt, a hardline conservative and budget hawk, said during the April 1 House floor debate. “This is probably one of the most simple votes we should be able to take today. It's that this interoperability council is going to spend money to try and get these departments to be able to talk together.”
Steven Aranyi, a spokesperson for Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, noted that lawmakers — including the Texas Senate, which Patrick oversees — made several “unprecedented” investments in disaster response during this year’s legislative session, totaling $547 million. That included:
> $257 million for disaster response aircraft
> $135 million for regional operation facilities
> $90 million to provide ambulances to rural counties
> $65 million for emergency response drone technology
The flaw with HB 13, Aranyi said, was that it proposed rolling out the local grant money over an estimated timeline of up to 10 years.
“By the time any system was developed, it would be outdated due to advances in technology,” Aranyi said. “The grants in the bill were limited to planning purposes only; they did not support disaster response.”" Texas Tribune
STATE GOVERNMENT
“AccuWeather estimates Texas floods will cost at least $18 billion,” Dallas Morning News' Trevor Bach – "The floods that devastated Texas’ Hill Country over the weekend will also result in a hefty economic toll, according to new data released Monday.
The natural disaster that killed at least 75 in Kerr County represents a total projected economic cost between $18 billion and $22 billion, a preliminary estimate from AccuWeather shows.
Along with immediate damage to homes and businesses, the cost of search and rescue operations is also likely to mount, the private forecasting company noted, while the disaster will also likely negatively impact everything from the area’s tourism industry to regional supply chains.
The estimate also includes predicted insurance claims and long-term physical and mental health costs for survivors, among other factors.
“This is the latest disaster in an area with a long and tragic history of deadly and destructive flash floods,” Jonathan Porter, AccuWeather’s chief meteorologist, said in a statement.
He added that damage “will have long-lasting economic impacts in the Hill Country region.”
The $18 billion forecast comes as analysts have also pointed to Texas’ unique susceptibility to the ravages of extreme weather. The Lone Star State leads the nation in property damage linked to natural disasters, according to an analysis by Rainbow Restoration.
Another 2022 study, by Value Penguin, found that weather-related property damage cost Texas over $121 billion between 2017 and 2021, with flash floods as the biggest culprit.
An economic cost in AccuWeather’s range would place the weekend’s flood disaster among the most expensive natural disasters in recent Texas history.
Hurricane Harvey, which devastated East Texas in 2017, cost the state tens of billions, according to NOAA, while Hurricane Beryl, which made landfall last July, produced an estimated cost of $7 billion." DMN ($)
LOCAL GOVERNMENT
“Kerr County asked Texas to help pay for a flood warning system for 8 years. Can it happen now?” Houston Chronicle's Neena Satija and Keri Blakinger – "Nearly a decade before catastrophic flash flooding killed at least 75 people in Kerr County, including 27 children, several local officials were hard at work convincing their peers to buy into a new early flood warning system.
The once “state of the art” program installed along the Guadalupe River back in the 1980s was in desperate need of an upgrade, they argued. It wasn’t good enough for Kerr County, which sits at the heart of “flash flood alley,” a portion of the Texas Hill Country whose climate and terrain make it uniquely susceptible to sudden and catastrophic floods.
“I’m not trying to put a dollar on a life or a flood, but the fact of the matter [is] floods do happen, and we need to be prepared for them,” then-Kerr County Commissioner Bob Reeves noted during a series of public meetings that began in 2016. And, his former colleague Tom Moser pointed out, “We also have more summer camps than anybody else along the Guadalupe River.”
The wide-ranging discussions back then — captured in transcripts archived online — proved to be a chilling precursor to the disaster that unfolded early on July 4. That’s when a slow-moving, massive rainstorm caused the Guadalupe River to rise by 22 feet in just three hours, catching those living and camping on its banks off-guard in the middle of the night.
But the new warning system never became reality. Though local officials agreed to spend $50,000 on an engineering study, which made specific recommendations for such a project in 2016, they never secured the $1 million they estimated would be needed to implement it – despite asking for help from state officials at least three separate times.
“We never were successful in getting that funding, or putting the matching funding with it to do anything,” said Moser, who retired in 2021, in a phone interview. He said he hopes the county can “go back to the drawing board on this, and hopefully it’ll be a model that could be used all over the United States.”
In 2017, Kerr County and the Upper Guadalupe River Authority asked the state to give them federal disaster relief dollars, but their application was denied. They tried a second time after Hurricane Harvey, when more federal funds became available and Gov. Greg Abbott encouraged local entities to submit applications. They were rejected again.
Both applications would have been handled by the Texas Department of Emergency Management, whose spokesman, Wes Rapaport, said the agency could not immediately respond to specific questions because “we are in the middle of ongoing response operations.”
The governor’s office did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment. Abbott said in a news conference that flood response will be handled during the state’s upcoming legislative session, which starts on Monday, July 21." Hou Chron ($)
“Austin fire chief faces no confidence vote over delayed Kerr County flood response,” Austin American-Statesman's Austin Sanders – "The Austin firefighters union plans to hold a no confidence vote against Fire Chief Joel Baker for allegedly waiting to send local firefighters to Kerr County to help with flood response.
“We are disgusted with our fire chief,” the Austin Firefighters Association said in a Monday post on its Facebook page. “He needs to be held accountable and fired for his disgraceful dereliction of duty.”
Association President Bob Nicks told the American-Statesman the Fire Department denied an informal request for help from the state on July 2 before flooding began. Another request on July 3 also was denied, he said.
After learning the Fire Department had denied the requests, Nicks said he text messaged Baker throughout the weekend in an attempt to persuade the chief to deploy local firefighters to the Kerrville area but received no response.
“I didn’t want to air our dirty laundry out in public, but the public has to know about what was happening,” Nicks said in an interview, referencing the social media post. “We could have had boots on the ground 48 hours in advance, before floodwaters were even rising.”
Reached by phone, Baker declined to comment immediately.
An internal June 6 email obtained by the Statesman shows the Fire Department suspended emergency deployments through the Texas Intrastate Fire Mutual Aid System (TIFMAS) as a cost-savings measure.
“The City is facing a budget crisis, and there is currently something like $800,000 in outstanding reimbursements owed to [the Fire Department] by the State of Texas,” the email reads.
The email states that the city did not want to deploy resources that would not be reimbursed by the state before the end of the fiscal year on Sept. 30.
Nicks said the suspension of mutual aid deployments likely contributed to the Fire Department’s delayed Kerr County response.
He noted that the Fire Department deployed three rescue swimmers to the disaster area on July 4 after rescue operations were already underway.
“Lives were very likely lost because of Chief Baker’s decision,” the union's Facebook post read." AAS ($)
“San Antonio International Airport lands $13.3 million federal grant for new terminal,” San Antonio Express-News' Megan Rodriguez -- “San Antonio International Airport landed a $13.3 million grant from the Federal Aviation Administration for its under-construction Terminal C.
The airport broke ground on its $1.7 billion terminal in December. The facility will be larger than the two existing terminals combined when it opens in the second quarter of 2028.
It's the cornerstone of a 20-year, $2.5 billion expansion plan meant to help the airport keep up with the region's population growth and increase in travel demand.
Terminal C is being built adjacent to Terminal B. It will 832,000 square feet and include up to 17 gates, bringing the total at the airport to 40. It will have eight security lanes, and the city plans to bump that up to a dozen eventually. There also will be more room for restaurants, shops and other concessions and larger waiting areas for passengers.
The federal grants comes as the airport prepares to start mass excavation, drill piers and design the terminal's mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems, along with a new baggage handling system.
Construction at the airport is largely paid for with revenue generated by the facility, but the city has also been seeking federal dollars. Before this latest funding boost, the project had received $18 million in federal grants.
Southwest Airlines is suing the airport and director Jesus Saenz because it is not slated to receive gates in the new terminal. Southwest also called on the FAA to strip San Antonio of government grants over its frustrations with how gates were divvied out.
Southwest is claiming that Saenz promised the carrier space in the new facility when he actually intended to leave it in the old, cramped Terminal A. The airline also alleges that the city used impermissible criteria to relegate the airline to the terminal and claims the city failed to conduct reasonable consultations with carriers when planning the new terminal. Airport officials have denied all of the airline's allegations.
Last year was the busiest in the airport’s history, with more than 11 million travelers passing through the facility. Though passenger counts are down slightly this year, the airport is still seeing far more people than it did before the pandemic — and it's feeling the strain.
Parking is often tight at the airport.
The airport's expansion plan also includes a Ground Transportation Center that will open in 2027. It will include more than 2,000 parking spaces and lanes for VIA Metropolitan Transit buses, hotel shuttles, taxis and ride-hailing services.
There also will be space on the roof for flying taxis to land in the future." SAEN ($)
“Mayor John Whitmire announces 30-day pilot program to fix problems at Houston’s permitting center,” Houston Chronicle's Abby Church -- “Houston’s permitting center has been struggling for years, and Mayor John Whitmire is hoping a 30-day pilot program that he unveiled Monday will turn it around.
Under the initiative, the city will partner with selected single-family residential projects for a streamlined, three-cycle review process to try to get permits approved within 30 days.
The goal is to eliminate delays that once meant only 3% of residential permits were reviewed within 10 days, far short of the department’s 90% target.
Whitmire said Monday that issues with permitting were constantly mentioned on his campaign trail for mayor.
“It was a high concern of the public,” Whitmire said. “It affects quality of life issues in the city of Houston, it affects affordability and it definitely impacts economic development. I've had numerous home builders tell me in meetings that they will not work inside the city of Houston. That’s pretty profound.”
Council Member Sallie Alcorn’s office has done substantial work to improve the permitting process, and said Monday that the new process will save money and increase revenue.
“This is an all-around great thing,” Alcorn said.
City officials plan to start the program with the single-family residential permitting process before applying it to other permitting processes. Randy Macchi, the director of Houston Public Works, said an engineer advised him to stop telling residents the city would make the fixes in 30 days because they didn’t think it was possible.
“We're excited about this because we know it can be done,” Macchi said." Hou Chron ($)
TRUMP ADMINISTRATION
“President Trump to tour Texas this week after deadly flooding. Here’s when,” via AP -- “White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said President Donald Trump will be visiting the devastating flooding in Texas “later this week.”
She called what happened a “once in a generation national disaster” and urged “everyone in the area to remain vigilant, listen to all warnings and respond accordingly.”
Leavitt said the visit would likely come Friday, but that no final decision had been made." AP
“White House defends national forecasting agency amid questions about warnings, response to Texas floods,” Texas Tribune's Alejandro Serrano -- “The White House defended its national forecast agency on Monday ahead of an expected visit from President Donald Trump to Central Texas and as questions have emerged about the response to weather warnings ahead of the deadly flooding that killed at least 90 people in the region.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Monday the National Weather Service offices were adequately staffed and "executed timely and precise forecasts and warnings."
"To any person who has deliberately lied about these facts surrounding this catastrophic event, you should be deeply ashamed at this time," Leavitt said, blasting media members and Democrats like Sen. Chuck Schumer who have criticized Trump after the floods. "The administration's focus will be on giving the victims in their communities the support they deserve during these recovery efforts in this tragic time."
Schumer, the Senate Minority Leader, sent a letter to the Commerce Department’s acting Inspector General calling for an investigation into whether staffing shortages at NWS contributed to the scope of the devastation.
Schumer specifically asked if the NWS’ San Antonio office is adequately equipped to handle future extreme weather events after recent nationwide staffing cuts. He also asked if restored staffing could improve the agency’s forecasting and coordination abilities.
Emergency officials on Monday continued searching for people who remain missing. Trump is expected to visit the region later in the week, Leavitt said.
In the aftermath of the floods, local and state officials were quick to point to weather forecasts that did not accurately predict the intensity of the rainfall. Meanwhile, some forecasters suggested that local officials and camp leadership should have activated more given the threats that were apparent.
The National Weather Service issued a flood watch Thursday afternoon, predicting up to seven inches of isolated rainfall early Friday morning. At 1:14 a.m. Friday, the NWS issued the first flash flood warning. At 4:03 a.m., the NWS issued a flash flood emergency, warning of an “extremely dangerous and life-threatening situation.”
The flooding came amid concerns about staffing levels at the NWS, after the Trump administration fired hundreds of meteorologists this year as part of Elon Musk’s DOGE cuts. The NWS Austin/San Antonio office’s warning coordination meteorologist announced in April that he was retiring early due to the funding cuts, leading to speculation that vacancies could have impacted forecasters’ response.
The NWS forecasting offices were operating normally at the time of the disaster, Greg Waller, service coordination hydrologist with the NWS West Gulf River Forecast Center in Fort Worth, said this weekend.
“We had adequate staffing. We had adequate technology,” Waller said. “This was us doing our job to the best of our abilities.”
During a press conference Monday, U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz said, "There will naturally be a period of retrospection" after the search and rescue process.
“It should not happen in a bitter and partisan sense. It should happen in a reasonable sense to say, what can we learn?” he said." Texas Tribune
TEXANS IN DC
“Ted Cruz was vacationing in Greece when the deadly Texas floods broke out. His office says he took the first flight home,” Texas Tribune's Owen Dahlkamp and Gabby Birenbaum -- “As Texans woke up July 4 to the news that flooding in the Hill Country had turned deadly, Sen. Ted Cruz was on a pre-planned vacation in Greece with his family.
The senator arrived back in Texas late Sunday night — the soonest he was able to return, according to a spokesperson for his office.
Cruz was spotted Saturday morning — evening, in Greece — visiting the Parthenon in Athens.
“The Senator was already in the middle of preplanned family vacation travel overseas when the flooding occurred on July 4,” the spokesperson said, noting Cruz spoke with federal and state officials within hours of the flood to coordinate federal resources for the search-and-rescue effort. Cruz and his team also “worked closely with local officials and with families of missing girls throughout that time,” the spokesperson said.
Cruz’s office declined to say when he purchased his flight home. His spokesperson also declined to say when Cruz boarded his return flight or arrived in Texas, specifying only that he left Greece “early Sunday” Central time and landed in San Antonio “late Sunday.”
His flight took off about a day and a half after local officials announced the death toll had reached 24 with many still missing.
Cruz made his first on-site appearance Monday morning, hours before a critical media report detailed the senator’s Athens visit and set off social media backlash, with some invoking Cruz’s 2021 trip to Cancún in the midst of Winter Storm Uri.
During that episode, the senator left Texas after the storm had hit and as many residents lacked power and water, which he admitted was “obviously a mistake.”
From Greece, Cruz helped coordinate the federal response, speaking Friday afternoon Central time with President Donald Trump, Gov. Greg Abbott and Texas Division of Emergency Management Chief Nim Kidd, according to his office.
Meanwhile in Texas, Sen. John Cornyn and Rep. Chip Roy, R-Austin, joined emergency officials in Kerrville on Saturday for an on-the-ground briefing and to provide updates alongside Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and state officials.
While in Kerrville, Cruz surveyed the damage, attended a press conference and appeared on Fox News. He noted that his daughters had long attended a summer camp near Camp Mystic — and that he had been in the area last week to pick one of them up." Texas Tribune
NEWS FROM AROUND THE STATE
> DMN: "Trump signs disaster declaration, activates federal aid to Kerr County" DMN
> KXAN: "Abbott: Special session may address warnings after deadly Texas floods" KXAN
> HOU CHRON: "'I'll call ICE': Undocumented Houston construction workers face rising risks" HOU CHRON
> KXAN: "Gold, silver become legal tender in Texas under new law" KXAN
> FWST: "What can Texas do about floods? Plenty. Lessons ignored from 1987 bus disaster | Opinion" FWST
> FWST: "Texas Gov. Greg Abbott gives update on deadly floods" FWST
> SA REPORT: "Texas allocates $3M to Bexar County for helicopter to support anti-gang operations" SA REPORT
> HOU CHRON: "Texas flooding: Kerr County deaths rise to 68, including 28 children" HOU CHRON
> HOU CHRON: "Sisters found dead with their 'hands locked together' after Hill Country floods" HOU CHRON
> DMN: "Search for survivors continues following deadly Central Texas flooding" DMN
> HOU CHRON: "'Beloved' Humble ISD teacher confirmed dead in Hill Country floods; wife and son still missing" HOU CHRON
> HOU CHRON: "Who are the Camp Mystic girls missing, lost after devastating floods in Texas?" HOU CHRON
> SAEN: "'Last act of kindness': Camp Mystic owner died trying to save campers" SAEN
> AAS: "Texas flooding deaths hit at least 70: Here's how you can help" AAS
> TX TRIB: "As the floodwaters recede, Kerrville confronts the devastation" TX TRIB
> MRT: "What to know about the flash floods in Texas that killed more than 80 people" MRT
> FWST: "Flood watch affecting Johnson and Hill counties until Sunday evening caused by heavy rain" FWST
> FWST: "UPDATE: Flash flood warning in place for Johnson and Tarrant counties Sunday afternoon" FWST
> HOU CHRON: "Video: League City woman rescued from flood after clinging to tree for 5 hours" HOU CHRON
> MRT: "Alert: Texas sheriff says deaths from flooding rise to 27 people, including 9 children, as search efforts continue" MRT
> FWST: "UPDATE: Flood advisory affecting Johnson and Tarrant counties until Sunday afternoon" FWST
> MRT: "Texas officials face scrutiny over response to deadly flooding" MRT
> DMN: "Dallas Cowboys pledge donation for victims of flooding in Texas Hill Country" DMN
> MRT: "The places where deadly Texas floodwaters have killed more than 80 people" MRT
> FWST: "Misfire at illegal fireworks show on street kills 8-year-old, California cops say" FWST
> DMN: "Did Texas officials do enough to prevent flood devastation?" DMN
> FWST: "1 person fatally shot in domestic dispute at south Fort Worth home, police say" FWST
> MRT: "Death toll in central Texas flash floods rises to 82 as sheriff says 10 campers remain missing" MRT
> COMMUNITY IMPACT: "1 dead, 2 missing in Williamson County after July 5 floods" COMMUNITY IMPACT
> SA REPORT: "Hill Country flooding death toll rises to at least 70 as search continues for missing girls, other survivors" SA REPORT
EXTRA POINTS
Recent Texas sports schedule:
Fri
> MLB: San Diego 3, Texas 2
> MLS: Minnesota 2, Dallas 1
> MLB: Houston 18, LA 1
Sat
> MLB: Houston 6, LA 4
> MLS: LA FC at Austin (PPD)
> MLB: Texas 7, San Diego 4
> MLS: Houston 4, San Diego 3
Sun
> MLB: Houston 5, LA 1
> MLB: San Diego 4, Texas 1
Tonight's Texas sports schedule:
> 7:10pm: MLB: Cleveland at Houston
> 8:38pm: MLB: Texas at Los Angeles (Angels)
> 9pm: WNBA: Dallas at Phoenix
Tomorrow's Texas sports schedule:
> 7:10pm: MLB: Cleveland at Houston
> 8:38pm: MLB: Texas at Los Angeles (Angels)
HOUSTON ASTROS: "Another day, another unheralded star as Houston Astros keep rolling: 'The standard is winning'" Hou Chron ($)
HOUSTON ASTROS: “Astros first baseman Christian Walker is on paternity leave; Kenedy Corona recalled" AP
TEXAS RANGERS: “All-Star Tatis leads the Padres to a 4-1 win against the Rangers" AP
HOUSTON ROCKETS: "GM Stone thrilled to add Kevin Durant to Rockets despite tough decision to move on from Jalen Green" AP
BIG 12 FOOTBALL: "Arizona State QB Leavitt and Texas Tech LB Rodriguez are preseason Big 12 players of year" AP
DALLAS WINGS: "Wings-Fever returning to AAC, setting up Caitlin Clark vs. Paige Bueckers in Dallas" DMN ($)