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The July 4 deadly floods along the Guadalupe River in central Texas have killed at least 43 people and left more than 27 children missing from a Christian girls camp, according to Saturday evening media reports.
FOX News reported Saturday evening that the bodies of three girls from Camp Mystic in Kerr County have been recovered. According to the New York Post, of those confirmed dead, 28 are adults and 15 are children. ABC News reported that 850 people have been rescued, according to Texas Gov. Greg Abbott.
CatholicVote previously reported that Abbott sent the Texas National Guard to aid in search and rescue missions and evacuations, while US Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem activated the US Coast Guard and the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Noem and Abbott, along with other officials, held a press conference Saturday afternoon to discuss the disaster.
According to the New York Post, Noem criticized the National Weather Service (NWS), which officials said underestimated the risks of the heavy rainfall and left communities along the river unprepared. When asked why weather alerts were “delayed,” Noem acknowledged that the weather is “extremely difficult to predict,” but added that at times, the NWS has lacked “more time and more warning and more notification.”
“We needed to renew this ancient system that has been left in place with the federal government for many, many years and that is the reforms that are ongoing there,” she said.
The New York Post reported that the NWS said it gave warnings of “moderate” storms the afternoon of July 3, issuing flash flood warnings that night and the morning of July 4.
Abbott provided more updates on Texas’ response to the floods during the conference, commending state residents for coming together to face the floods’ impact.
“When Texans face a challenge, we come together, we unite, and that’s exactly what’s happened over the past twenty-four to forty-eight hours in this community,” he stated. “We will be relentless in going after and ensuring that we locate every single person who’s been a victim of this flooding event. We’re not going to stop today or tomorrow. This is a 24/7 operation, looking for Texans and Americans. They are our top priority and we will find every one of them.”
President Donald Trump said Friday that those affected by the floods would receive help from the federal government and provided more information the following day in a Truth Social post.
“The Trump Administration is working with State and Local Officials on the ground in Texas in response to the tragic flooding that took place yesterday,” he posted Saturday morning. “Our Secretary of Homeland Security, Kristi Noem, will be there shortly. Melania and I are praying for all of the families impacted by this horrible tragedy. Our Brave First Responders are on site doing what they do best. GOD BLESS THE FAMILIES, AND GOD BLESS TEXAS!”
The Archdiocese of San Antonio, in which Kerr County is located, issued a statement Friday calling for prayers for those affected by the floods, adding that the Catholic Charities mobile relief unit was sent to Kerrville, which has experienced significant amounts of damage.
The archdiocese stated Saturday that it will hold a special Mass in Kerrville July 6 for those who are missing or were killed by the floods and their families, with Archbishop Gustavo García-Siller offering an additional Mass the same day in San Antonio for the flood victims.
