Deadly flooding devastates Texas, with 131 confirmed dead and 97 missing in Kerrville after historic rainfall and overflowing rivers. Governor Greg Abbott declares a state of emergency across 21 counties, as officials prepare to drain reservoirs in an urgent rescue and recovery mission.
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* Texas flood death toll 2025 * Kerrville missing persons search * President Trump’s disaster response * Emergency alerts for Austin, San Antonio, and Texas Panhandle * Live rescue efforts and damage assessments
**Stay informed with breaking USA news covering Texas floods, evacuation orders, and storm forecasts.**
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00:00And we begin tonight with more flooding in parts of our area. This is video showing flooding at the Frio River. You can see the rushing waters. Thank you for joining us. I'm Mandy Noel. Tonight we have team coverage on the Frio River flooding. We have crews set up in Concan and Lakey and we also continue coverage in Kerr County also dealing with severe weather as crews try to continue search and recovery while dealing with severe weather. There are several camps and RV parks along the Frio River. Here's a look at just some of them.
00:30There are also some children's camps including the H.E. Butt Foundation camp. We know those camps are safe tonight. We begin team coverage in Lakey. That's where we find Newsport San Antonio's Jordan Elder. She's live with the latest there. Hey Jordan.
00:44Mandy, we have been all over the viewing area today getting a look at flooding and I can tell you this is the highest that we've seen it. We are just south of Lakey, Texas. This is the Frio River. We're at the River Bluffs cabins and so we're up on a hill.
00:58We are safe just like all of the campers here. But as you can see, this river is still rushing down. Now we got to talk to the owner, Doug Shoemaker. He says this rain is going to be helpful for the Frio River community.
01:11This is a medium flood based on what he has seen over the years.
01:14Our thoughts and prayers continue to be with the people in Guadalupe and the surrounding areas.
01:18The Frio River is a different river system than the Guadalupe. This was actually an answer to prayers. We've been praying for seven years for some big rains. We need this kind of rain here. It helps the aquifers. It helps the springs.
01:34We also checked in on Garner State Park. County officials were able to get everyone notified early so people staying right along the river were able to get to higher ground. We're told even though the water is muddy right now, this rain is actually going to lead to better conditions next week. Water you'll be able to see straight through, especially after what happened along the Guadalupe River.
01:56Park officials say communication was extra important this morning.
02:0025 years ago, we didn't have the cell phones. And so we didn't have the opportunity to sit there and look at the radar and go, this is where it's going. This is what's happening.
02:07So the technology today, it's only going to improve from here on out to be able to sit there and call and text a group of people that's in the area and say and talk to the sheriff's deputies and let them know and post pictures so they can see what's coming down and gives the idea of what's coming. It's a game changer in our area.
02:23We also stopped by Uvalde Memorial Park, where the sidewalk turned into kind of a waterfall because the Leona River rose today. We also got another view of the Frio River downstream in Canipa. Now, the water levels are still ebbing and flowing out here, but this is not record breaking right now. I want to show you. Mr. Shoemaker told us the most water he has seen in this river. It went halfway up this blue sign that says river rules. So obviously nowhere close to that right now. But he said it's definitely something
02:53something that they're still watching. And he told us all about the communication system that property owners along the Frio River use to help notify each other in these situations. We're going to tell you more about those coming up at six.
03:07Jordan, thank you. Another one of the big camps in that area is Neal's Lodges. We continue our team coverage with News 4 San Antonio's Taylor Whartonby, who's in Con Can and joins us with the latest.
03:17Here in Con Can in this small hill country community, they are experiencing floods from the Frio River that you can see right behind me. Now, the population is about 300 people, but the area brings in a lot of tourists who go on vacation to nearby camps. Neal's Lodges, a family-owned vacation spot on the Frio River is one of them. When water started to overflow, surging through roads, they made sure to evacuate certain cabins.
03:45It's ones who were closest to the river for safety.
03:49We're thinking maybe a 12-foot raise here at Neal's, which, you know, it's dissipated when it gets here. So it's really, really needed, really prayed for. And like I said before, I say that with grace because we are so, so devastated by what happened in Kerrville.
04:05But for us, this is prayed for. We've had a drought for seven-something years. I think it's probably seven years, really, if you get down to it. And we needed this really bad.
04:15Parts of Highway 127 near Neal's Lodges has been closed off just in case the water came up over the bridge.
04:22We spoke to Assistant Fire Chief Rodney Jeffries for the CONCAN Volunteer Fire and EMS Department. He says the water has come up to a high level.
04:32No one is allowed to cross the bridge across the Frio River, and Jeffries says they are taking extra precautions.
04:39They're all gun-shy after the deal in Kerrville, and I don't blame them.
04:42Absolutely. But we're making sure everything's good here. Anything that people should know if they're traveling through this area?
04:49If you can, don't come down here.
04:50After years of drought, many people in the area are welcoming the water.
04:55But officials are saying, stay away until the water goes down.
04:59I'm Taylor Wartonby reporting.
05:01Right now, everyone is still on high alert in Kerr County.
05:05This is the latest on the Hill Country flooding disaster.
05:07There are now at least 131 confirmed deaths across Texas, 106 in Kerr County.
05:13Among them are 70 adults and 36 children.
05:16Right now, there are still about 97 people missing in Kerr County, according to Governor Abbott.
05:22Today, the Kerr County Sheriff's Office asked all volunteers helping with rescue and recovery efforts to move to higher ground because of the incoming weather.
05:30Tonight, News 4 San Antonio's Ethan Trejo is live in Ingram with the latest.
05:34Ethan, what do you see in there?
05:35Well, Mandy, as you can see, I'm here along the Guadalupe River where flood warnings and heavy rainfall ended up stopping search and rescue operations for the second straight day.
05:48Here in Ingram, first responders were called off by another round of storms that made its way to the area, raising the water a few feet higher along the Guadalupe River.
05:56Operation managers at Ingram Volunteer Fire Department say this extra round of river flow could be either helpful or detrimental for search and rescue efforts moving forward.
06:06We'll get back on the areas that we know that needs more work and then we'll go from there.
06:14They also told me that setbacks are a frustrating scenario for first responders who are anxious to get out and help.
06:23Recon teams are still stationed along the river to watch for any significant changes in those water levels.
06:29Until then, we're told that search and rescue operations are expected to continue tomorrow at around 8 a.m.
06:36From Ingram, I'm Ethan Trejo.
06:38Governor Abbott gave another update today on the flooding that has devastated our area and other parts of Central Texas.
06:45He talked in more detail, too, about the number of people still missing in the Kerrville area, which he said was 97.
06:51He says he's hopeful that some of the people considered missing are eventually found to have survived.
06:56Even though we are reporting 97 people missing, there's no certainty that all 97 of those people were swept away by the storm.
07:05The governor also says the goal is to find every single person who passed away so their families can have closure.
07:12Tonight, new details on how the flooding and evacuation unfolded at Camp Mystic.
07:17Camp spokesperson tells The Washington Post Executive Director Dick Eastland did receive the urgent alert from the National Weather Service,
07:24but evacuations did not begin until about an hour later.
07:2727 campers and counselors died when the camp was overtaken by floodwaters on July 4th.
07:33As the Guadalupe Rivers rose to historic heights.
07:36At Mystic, the problem was not just the rising Guadalupe River, but also a rising creek.
07:43Cypress Creek and the Guadalupe meet within the 725-acre camp.
07:48As the Post explains, the current from the creek was so fast, it likely reversed the flow of the Guadalupe River.
07:54This caused the floodwaters to widen and move uphill, reaching cabins both within and outside of areas in high-risk flood zones.
08:03It also created a swirl around Bubble Inn and the Twins' cabins.
08:08Jeff Carr, a spokesperson for the Eastland family, tells The Post,
08:11At 1.14 a.m., Dick Eastland received the urgent alert from the National Weather Service on his phone.
08:17At 1.35, other family members who run the camp were alerted and told to assess the situation.
08:23The historic rise of the river began roughly around 2 a.m.
08:26When the rain didn't let up, cabin evacuations began around 2.30 that morning.
08:31Dick Eastland died trying to evacuate Bubble Inn.
08:34No one from the cabin has been found alive.
08:37Dick's youngest son, Edward Eastland, evacuated the Twins' cabins.
08:42According to The Post, Edward was later found clinging to a tree with 10 to 12 campers.
08:47They all survived.
08:49Commissioners in Kerr County held their first official court hearing since the devastating floods.
08:53Tonight, there are still questions about whether the county was prepared.
08:56County officials say they'll investigate their emergency alert systems, flood warnings, and evacuation protocols.
09:02County officials say the search for people could last for months.
09:05I've been assured by the governor and the president, you know, we will have the resources to get the job done.
09:11You know, how long is it going to take?
09:12You know, who knows?
09:13You know, I think we'll still go strong for another month or two, up to maybe six months winding down as we move on.
09:21Commissioners also say they've been getting death threats over the tragedy.
09:24They're asking for more security as the response is being investigated.
09:27And don't forget, News 4 San Antonio is partnering with the Salvation Army for Sinclair Cares Texas Tragedy Relief.
09:34So far, we've raised over $170,000.
09:37Just scan the QR code to help provide meals for first responders and survivors who desperately need our help.
09:45Continuing our coverage tonight on the flooding along the Frio River, News 4 San Antonio's Emma Allen is live in Concan with the latest that we're seeing there.
09:54Well, we are just off of Highway 127, right outside of Concan, and you can see this is what we're seeing.
10:03The road is closed for obvious reasons.
10:04That is the Frio River that is running really high up over that road.
10:08I just spoke to some locals in the area who tell me that that is actually a bridge.
10:12So this water is that high, if you can see right there.
10:15We've seen some logs, some trees, a lot of debris in that area.
10:19You can see there's actually a tree that's stuck over there that looks to be getting pushed around by the water.
10:25We were just up the road a little bit ago looking at Brushy Creek that actually runs into this.
10:30But this road right here is seeing a lot higher water right now, and you can see that current is just massive.
10:38We are looking for more areas like this.
10:40We're actually trying to get deeper into Uvalde County so we can see more roads like this.
10:44But unfortunately, this road is blocked off.
10:47Reporting in Uvalde County, I'm Emma Allen.
10:50With so many questions surrounding the time it took to evacuate during the flooding,
10:54The Washington Post is reporting that the director of Camp Mystic did not begin evacuations
10:58until an hour after receiving an urgent alert on his phone.
11:0127 girls and counselors died at the camp, including Director Dick Eastland.
11:05The News 4i team's reporter, Jay Avila, is looking into that report and reaching out to the Eastland family.
11:11Tonight, a representative tells him the article was premature.
11:15Jay joins us now with the latest.
11:17Well, Mandy, the spokesman tells me the Washington Post article was based on a conversation
11:22with Eastland's son, Richard Jr., the day after the flood.
11:26And the family is still piecing together their own timeline from that chaotic morning.
11:31The Washington Post is reporting that at 1.14 a.m., Dick Eastland received an alert
11:38from the National Weather Service on his phone, warning of life-threatening flash flooding.
11:43And at 1.35, other families who helped run the camp were alerted with walkie-talkies.
11:49The historic rise of the river began around 2 a.m.
11:53When the rain did not let up, cabin evacuations began around 2.30 a.m.
11:58Dick Eastland died trying to evacuate girls from the cabin called Bubble Inn.
12:04No one from that cabin has been found alive.
12:07Jeff Carr, a spokesman for the Eastland family, tells News 4 Dick Eastland was outside assessing
12:13the flooding along with a night watchman shortly after the 1.14 a.m. National Weather Service
12:19alert and says it's logical he got the warning because Eastland typically received them on his phone.
12:26But Carr says it's too early to say when staff members began evacuating children because people
12:33weren't looking at their watches.
12:35He says the Eastland family wants to release a detailed timeline of their own with help from
12:41that night watchman.
12:42We're working on it, Carr said.
12:44The only audience they care about are the families of the victims.
12:48Camp Mystic passed a state inspection two days before the flood and according to inspection
12:54records, the camp had an emergency plan that included flood evacuations and that staff and
13:00volunteers were aware of the plan.
13:03We're continuing to investigate all angles of the flooding and we'll update any new information
13:08as we press for answers.
13:09For the News 4i team, I'm Jay Avila.
13:11We are taking another look at exclusive aerial video in Uvalde County from your South Texas
13:16dealer Sky 4.
13:17This is the Frio River near Concan and areas near Garner State Park.
13:22You can see the water in the river moving very quickly tonight and this is an aerial video
13:25that you only see here on News 4.
13:28Rising water once again cut off access to parts of Kerr County still reeling from the deadly
13:33July 4th floods.
13:34News 4, San Antonio's Yami Villargin is on one of the back roads into Hunt and she continues
13:39our team coverage.
13:42We were trying to get to Hunt to the area where the camps were flooded over.
13:48We took 1340, but this is as far as we could go.
13:52Benson's Crossing, where the water of the Guadalupe River is now stopping us from going further.
13:58FM 1340 is one of the main roads leading into the area near Camp Mystic.
14:04Where tragedy struck just 10 days ago.
14:08We took this road to see how the Guadalupe River was behaving, but like many others, we
14:14had to stop at Benson's Crossing.
14:17Flood water was at least two feet over the road, stopping everyone.
14:22People hoping to return home were forced to wait.
14:25Some told us even if they made it past this point, other crossings ahead were completely
14:32underwater.
14:33Curtis Wright had been sitting here for a couple of hours.
14:37He told us he ventured out for supplies only to find himself cut off.
14:44Went into town, did my errands, and of course it starts raining again.
14:49On the way out, I could tell that last night from yesterday's rains, the north work seemed
14:54to have flooded more.
14:55So I thought I would come around the back way.
14:58I'm just waiting to see if it will go down because hopefully the rain stopped and the
15:03river will drop and I can get home.
15:05I just have two crossings.
15:07While the wait is frustrating, many here told us they know they're the fortunate ones.
15:13Alive and able to go home eventually, even if not tonight.
15:19In Kerr County, Demi Virgen News for San Antonio.
