The number of people missing in a Texas county hit hard by the July 4 flooding along the Guadalupe River has gone down to three. The City of Kerrville said on Facebook that the Kerr County Flood Disaster Joint Information Center was able to confirm this through “extensive follow-up work among state and local agencies.”
Right after the flooding, officials said there were more than 160 people in the area who couldn’t be accounted for. But now, “many individuals who were initially reported as missing have been verified as safe and removed from the list” of missing people in Kerr County, according to a statement posted on Facebook on Saturday, July 19.
“We are profoundly grateful to the more than 1,000 local, state and federal authorities who have worked tirelessly in the wake of the devastating flood that struck our community,” Kerrville City Manager Dalton Rice said in a statement. “This remarkable progress reflects countless hours of coordinated search and rescue operations, careful investigative work, and an unwavering commitment to bringing clarity and hope to families during an unimaginably difficult time.”
Floods kill at least 135 statewide
Recovery operations by local, state, national and international search teams are ongoing. In a Saturday, July 19, update, the Kerr County Sheriff’s Office said more than 1,000 first responders, as well as thousands of volunteers, are helping the Kerr County community.
“Our thoughts remain with the families still awaiting news, and we will continue to stand with them as efforts persist,” Kerrville Mayor Joe Herring, Jr. said.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said on Thursday, July 17, that at least 135 people in the state died in the floods. Most of the deaths were in Kerr County. At least 27 campers and counselors from an all-girls Christian summer camp in Hunt called Camp Mystic are among the dead.
Texas legislature to address flooding
On Monday, July 21, the Texas Legislature will begin a special session. Abbott said on X lawmakers will address “key issues for Texans, including flood preparedness and recovery.”
The Associated Press reported that this special session was originally convened for other reasons, including Abbott’s veto of a bill that banned edible hemp products with THC in them. However, Abbott said on July 9 that flood-related items had been added to the legislative agenda.
One of these items is legislation to improve early flood warning systems and other preparedness infrastructure in “flood-prone areas.” Some have questioned whether residents were alerted about the devastating flooding early enough, especially as there were forecasts of heavy rain in the days before it started. Some local officials, and even President Donald Trump, have criticized people’s focus on this, as they say it should be on the search operations.
Also on the agenda for Texas legislators are bills to strengthen flood emergency communications and response infrastructure; relief funding and local match funding for Federal Emergency Management Agency assistance; and legislation to evaluate and streamline natural disaster preparation and recovery.
Newly-created Texas House and Senate special committees on disaster preparedness and flooding are set to have a joint hearing at the state Capitol on Wednesday, July 23. Members of the committees are set to visit Kerrville for another hearing as well.
“The creation of both the House and Senate’s Select Committees on Disaster Preparedness and Flooding is just the beginning of the Legislature looking at every aspect of this tragic event,” Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said in a statement. “Right now, we must focus on the recovery of those still missing, then rebuilding communities in flooded areas. In the coming year, and into the next regular legislative session, we will gather all the facts and answer the many questions to which the public demands answers.”
