Deadly flooding in central Texas leaves at least 130 dead, 160 missing

Flooding across central Texas has resulted in at least 51 fatalities and left dozens missing, including 27 individuals from Camp Mystic, as of July 6.

Kerr County reported 43 fatalities, the highest among affected areas, as the Guadalupe River rose to historic levels on July 4. Four deaths were reported in Travis County, three in Burnet County, and one in Kendall County.

The fatalities include at least 15 children and five girls from Camp Mystic. The five fatalities at the camp were confirmed by the families of the victims to different agencies.

While initial estimates suggested 23–25 camp members were missing, the latest reports indicate that 27 campers remain unaccounted for. Authorities have not released an overall estimate of the total number of missing individuals.

A volunteer going by David Real on social media who helped in the search for bodies and survivors in Kerville reported that 36 RVs and 11 tiny homes were swept away in minutes as the floodwaters swept through the region.

“I searched for bodies and survivors today in Kerville, Texas. The manager of this campground told me 36 occupied RVs and 11 tiny homes were swept away in minutes, people screaming for help but the water was too fast to save them. Very few got out” said David.

Austin-Travis County EMS responded to approximately two dozen water rescues during flooding in western Travis County on the morning of July 5.

In Burnet County, Michael Phillips, chief of the Marble Falls Area Volunteer Fire Department, has been missing since 04:30 local time on July 5 while responding to a water rescue along Cow Creek, according to Derek Machio, Burnet County Emergency Management coordinator.

The flooding has also raised water safety concerns, with several areas, including the city of Georgetown, issuing boil water notices.

According to the National Weather Service (NWS), the flooding was caused by heavy rainfall from the remnants of Tropical Storm Barry, which affected the region beginning July 3.

As of July 6, the remnants of Barry produced a recorded rainfall total of 516.3 mm (20.33 inches) approximately 6.4 km (4 miles) northwest of Streeter, Texas. This event marks the 20^th instance of a tropical cyclone or its remnants delivering more than 380 mm (15 inches) of rainfall to interior Texas.

Updates

09:37 UTC, July 14

As of July 14, the floods resulted in over 130 fatalities, including at least 106 in Kerr County. Among the dead were 27 individuals from Camp Mystic who were swept away by the floodwaters. Around 160 people remain missing in the areas affected by the flooding.

Within a few hours, rainfall equivalent to four months fell across the Texas Hill Country on July 4, with peak totals reaching 516 mm (20.33 inches). This was the deadliest inland flooding event in the United States since the 1976 Big Thompson River flood, exceeding the flooding caused by Hurricane Helene in 2024.

Rishav Kothari

I am an Assistant Editor and Severe Weather & Science Journalist at The Watchers, specializing in real-time severe weather coverage, geophysical event reporting, and research-driven scientific analysis. You can reach me at rishav(at)watchers(.)news.

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