Extreme July 4th floods hit Texas

On the July 4th holiday weekend, cataclysmic floods struck areas in Central Texas. Areas such as the Guadalupe River in Kerr County rose more than 10 feet of water per hour,

From early Thursday afternoon, directly preceding the holidays, flood watches for South-Central Texas were sent out, and these warnings would only grow in urgency as the magnitude of the

impending disaster became clear. The Guadalupe River swelled from 3 feet to 34 feet roughly

90 minutes after this alert. The ill time of events was another factor in why alerts were not as

effective, due to many being asleep at the time.

The deluge killed at least 104 people, including the director of Camp Mystic, and at least 11 people remain missing to date. Said fatalities include 28 children, and a majority of 84 people are in the aforementioned Kerr County. Officials say they were unable to identify 22 adults and 10 children at the moment. Officials are retrieving DNA samples from family members and the deceased for analysis at the University of North Texas.

Emergency responders rescued more than 850 people, with some individuals credited with single-handedly saving hundreds of lives. One Coast Guard rescue swimmer has been attributed with saving 165 people at Camp Mystic. President Trump has issued disaster declarations funneling federal assistance to the area. It is claimed by the White House press secretary that he is possibly scheduled to travel to Texas on Friday, and that the White House is coordinating with local officials to ensure his inability to disrupt recovery efforts.

The flooding in the Texas Hill county took place in a region that’s known as a “flash flood alley,” a

region prone to flooding. Experts have claimed that the flash flooding was extreme, but not historically unexpected, given a documented record of flooding of such magnitude in the area existing over several centuries. Additional fallout has occurred in the form of thunderstorms, further flooding that has hindered roadway travel.

Reference:

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2025/07/07/texas-flooding-live-updates-monday/84488932007/

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/07/us/texas-floods-kerr-county.html

https://www.campmystic.com/