Floods Devastate Central Texas, Killing 81 People
Over the July 4th holiday weekend, strong floods hit central Texas, killing at least 81 people and leaving many others missing. The Guadalupe River, which runs through several communities and is popular for activities such as tubing and fishing, rose more than 30 feet in under two hours. This sudden surge occurred after a week of heavy rainfall that had already saturated the ground, making conditions easy for flash flooding. The most damage happened in Kerr County, northwest of San Antonio. Roads, homes, and summer camps were quickly overwhelmed by the fast-moving water.
The floods began after many days of heavy rain. The National Weather Service released early warnings on Thursday, but by Friday morning, water levels were rising rapidly. An alert was sent around 4 a.m. asking people to move to higher ground. However, by that time, the river had already begun to flood many areas, including residential neighborhoods, local roads, campgrounds, and low-lying parts of nearby towns.
A lot of national attention has been placed on Camp Mystic, a summer camp for girls located right next to the river. The camp hosted more than 750 campers during the time of the floods. Many of the people who died were young girls, some as young as 8 years old. The camp’s director, Dick Eastland, also died. The public says he was trying to save the campers when the strong floodwaters swept him away.
As of Monday, July 7, 2025, 10 girls from the camp were still missing. Rescue workers have helped save more than 850 people across the county overallflooded areas. They used helicopters, boats, horses, and trucks to reach each person trapped by the water. One Coast Guard swimmer is being called a hero for saving 165 campers at Camp Mystic. “We will not stop until every missing person is found,” said Governor Greg Abbott during a press meeting on July 6.
On Sunday, President Trump signed a disaster declaration to send help to Texas. This will bring in federal aid to help with cleanup, road repairs, power restoration, and support for families who lost homes or loved ones.
Some people are now asking: Why did the warning come so late? Experts say that staff shortages at the National Weather Service may have slowed down the alerts, partly due to years of underfunding, unfilled positions, and increased workload from more frequent extreme weather events. In addition, Also, years ago, Kerr County leaders had planned to install a local flood warning system years ago, but it was canceled because of high–budget costs. As a result, there were no sirens or early alerts, and many people did not get enough time to escape.
Central Texas is called “Flash Flood Alley” because of frequent floodings happen often there. The Guadalupe River Basin is one of the most dangerous places in the U.S. for flash floods. They say that climate change is making heavy rain and strong storms more common, which causes more dangerous flooding.
Now, families are mourning their loved ones and waiting for news about the missing. Some of the deceased individuals have been named. One of them was Jeff Wilson, a teacher from Houston; Tanya Burwick, 62, who was driving to work; and Blair and Brooke Harber, two young sisters staying in a cabin that was washed away by the water. Many are now asking what can be done to stop a tragedy like this from happening again.
