- The central Texas floods have caused at least 90 deaths, with the majority in Kerr County.
- Sen. Ted Cruz held a press conference with Kerr County leaders.
- Texas' governor called for a state day of prayer on Sunday.
Devastating floods followed heavy rains in central Texas over the Fourth of July weekend. Dozens of people were killed in the flooding and others are still missing.
Here is a look at what we know about the floods so far and what national and state leaders are saying about it.
What is the latest update on the Texas floods?
What is the death toll?
The death toll from flooding in central Texas is now at least 90. Here’s a breakdown of numbers reported by local officials in each of the affected counties, per USA Today.
- Kerr County — 75 deaths
- Travis County — seven deaths
- Burnet County — three deaths
- Kendall County — two deaths
- Williamson County — two deaths
- Tom Green County — one death
The Kerr County death toll includes 27 children, with 10 campers and one counselor from all-girls summer camp Camp Mystic still unaccounted for, according to CNN. Search crews are going through the area by land, with the Texas Air National Guard using military drones typically used for surveillance to comb through the area.
Heavy rains expected to cause more floods in the area
Heavy rains are expected to last into Tuesday, potentially producing more dangerous floods, especially in places already affected.
According to CNN, in Llano County, parts of the Llano River are expected to rise later on Monday as heavy rain in the area reaches the waterways. It is not expected to reach the same extreme level as on Friday, but any rise is potentially dangerous for rescue and cleanup efforts.
In parts of central Texas, the risk level for flooding rain has been raised from a level 2-of-4 to a level 3-of-4. These areas include portions of Kerr counties and parts of the Guadalupe and Llano river basins.
“The risk level was upgraded because of the vulnerability of already hard-hit areas, and the high-end flash flood potential of the slow-moving, intense storms, despite lingering uncertainty over exactly where they will set up,” per CNN.
The region is extremely vulnerable right now, so any storms could quickly cause flash flooding.
Other counties have also been warned of coming flash floods. These areas include parts of Brown, McCulloch, San Saba and Burnet counties, which have all been warned of the potential of “considerable damage,” reported CNN.
How one man saved a family by screaming
As the flooding has affected multiple counties in Texas, there have been many stories of tragedy, but there have also been stories of heroics.
On Saturday, Matthew Crowder got to work at Texas Paintball around 4 a.m. and the floodwaters were already beginning to rise. He soon noticed the water was encircling a home nearby; he then called 911 and later began to scream, per USA Today.
Inside the home, Chrissy Eliashar’s son woke her up and she quickly gathered her four young children and her four dogs before heading to the porch. From the porch, the family watched their car float away. They then attempted to go through the backyard, but it had “already become a lake.”
Crowder had the family make their way to him. The family waded through knee-deep water and reached a nearby pickup truck, where Crowder pulled them to safety.
“I’m so grateful that he screamed and was able to wake us up and be that guide to safety for us,” Eliashar said, according to USA Today. “He really saved us.”
How are leaders responding to Texas floods?
Sen. Ted Cruz speaks to the media about the devastating floods
On Monday, Kerr County officials held a news conference with Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas.
Kerrville’s city manager Dalton Rice said that search and rescue operations are facing complications from the terrain, water and continuing bad weather, per BBC.
Throughout Kerrville, there are around 40 power lines down, Rice told reporters. He could not say when the power is expected to be back on. Other infrastructure in the area is also damaged.
When Cruz was asked about whether there was an adequate flood warning system in place, he said there will be a period of retrospection. “This is not a time for partisan finger pointing,” Cruz added, according to BBC.
The senator said that Texas is “grieving” and shared that President Donald Trump told him that anything Texas needs, “the answer is yes.”
Cruz said “nothing will fill the voids in these moms and dads’ hearts,” adding that now is the time “to reach out, support each other.”
“Texas will come through,” he said to end the conference, per BBC.
The pope offers prayers for flooding victims
At the end of noon blessing on Sunday in Rome, Pope Leo XIV offered special prayers for those affected by the disaster, per the Austin American Statesman.
He also shared his condolences in a post on X.
“I would like to express sincere condolences to all the families who have lost loved ones, in particular their daughters who were in summer camp, in the disaster caused by the flooding of the Guadalupe River in Texas in the United States. We pray for them,” he wrote.
Gov. Cox responds to Texas Gov. Abbott’s call for prayers
Over the weekend, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott declared Sunday, July 6, a Day of Prayer in his state.
“Declared this Sunday, July 6th, as a Day of Prayer in Texas in response to the floods in the Hill Country. I invite Texans to join me in prayer for the communities affected by this disaster,” Abbott wrote on X.
In response to that post, Utah Gov. Spencer Cox also posted on X about the flooding.
“Utah stands with Texas during this heartbreaking time. We join you in prayer, Governor Abbott, for the victims, their families, and all those impacted by this tragedy,” Cox wrote.
Trump plans to visit Texas later this week
On Sunday, Trump signed a major disaster declaration to help provide relief for the hard-hit Kerr County. This unlocked federal funding for first responders and FEMA assistance for flooding victims, per USA Today.
The president also told reporters that he plans to visit Texas later in the week.
“Probably on Friday,” Trump said, per USA Today. “We wanted to leave a little time. I would’ve done it today, but we’d just be in their way.”