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Nearly 100 people who had still been listed as missing after deadly flash flooding swept across central Texas on July 4 have been found safe, with only three individuals still missing, Kerr County officials said Saturday.

The updated missing list comes as the search entered its third week, marking a sharp decline from the more than 160 people initially unaccounted for in Kerr County alone.

“This remarkable progress reflects countless hours of coordinated search and rescue operations, careful investigative work, and an unwavering commitment to bringing clarity and hope to families during an unimaginably difficult time,” Kerrville City Manager Dalton Rice said in a statement the city shared on social media Saturday night.

As of Sunday, the death toll in Kerr County stood at 107, including 70 adults and 37 children.

NOEM SAYS CRITICISM OF FEDERAL RESPONSE TO TEXAS FLOODING IS ‘ALL POLITICS’: ‘DISSERVICE TO OUR COUNTRY’

Across Texas, at least 135 people were killed when the gushing waters of the Guadalupe River rose 26 feet, washing away homes and vehicles. The fast-rising waters tore through the Hill Country, where vacation cabins and youth camps line the riverbanks and hills of Kerr County.

Camp Mystic, a century-old Christian summer camp for girls, lost at least 27 campers and counselors in the flood.

NEW QUESTIONS RAISED ABOUT WHETHER CAMP MYSTIC DIRECTOR SAW FLOOD WARNING ALERT

Recovery efforts continue, with more than 1,000 local, state, and federal personnel – alongside thousands of volunteers from across the country – combing the area on foot from the river’s headwaters to Canyon Lake.

“Our thoughts remain with the families still awaiting news, and we will continue to stand with them as efforts persist,” said Kerrville Mayor Joe Herring Jr.

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Kerr County is located about 60 miles northwest of San Antonio.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Search and rescue teams are reacting to the massive drop in people considered lost in the Texas Hill Country floods.

On Saturday night, officials released that the number of missing in Kerr County had dropped from 97 earlier this week to just three, with many of those people discovered alive and well.

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“From as high as it was to as low as it is now, first and foremost, that’s the work of God,” said John Taylor with Heroes for Humanity.

Taylor joined the search efforts in Kerr County just weeks after leaving the military, following the July 4 flooding of the Guadalupe River.

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He led a team as they worked through the wreckage searching for survivors and victims.

“Everybody took a great sense of pride knowing that we were directly assisting in returning these people back to their loved ones and family members,” said Taylor of the search efforts. “So that way they could have that closure that they need.”

Taylor said several groups deserved praise for contributing to the recovery mission, including GulfSAR, the Raccoon Platoon, FEMA Search and Rescue teams of out-of-state firefighters, firefighters and police from Mexico, and the Texas Hunt Lodge in Ingram.

Five days after the flooding hit, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott announced on July 9 that 161 people were considered missing in Kerr County.

As the death toll rose to 107, the number of missing remained at 97 from July 22 to 26. Initially, officials said that searching for those victims could take more than six months.

But Saturday night, a new announcement came: officials said the number of people missing in Kerr County had dropped to three, with the death toll not changing from 107.

“Through extensive follow-up work among state and local agencies, many individuals who were initially reported as missing have been verified as safe and removed from the list,” county leaders said in a statement.

“What happened here is Texans helping Texans come together and make things happen,” said Taylor. “All coming together collectively on a mission and making things happen.”

Search leaders said the update was a milestone in the Hill Country’s journey towards recovery.

However, their teams would not leave until the remaining missing victims were found.

“The momentum’s not stopping,” said Taylor. “It doesn’t matter if there’s three or if it was 30 that were left, our team is still going to be out there, day in, day out.”

How to help with Central Texas flood relief

Join NBC 5 and Telemundo 39 in our efforts to help those whose lives have been upended by recent storms and record flooding, as well as countless other crises. You can help by donating to the American Red Cross Disaster Relief. Your financial donation helps provide shelter, meals, relief supplies, emotional support, recovery planning and other assistance during disasters like the one in Texas.

In response to questions about what people can do to help the area recover from the deadly flood, Kerr County Sheriff Larry Leitha said the Community Foundation of the Texas Hill Country, a 501(c)(3) charity serving the Texas Hill Country, has established a relief fund to support vetted local response, relief and recovery efforts. Organizers said all donations go directly to organizations working on the front lines of the July 4 flooding emergency. All donations are tax-deductible, and you will receive a receipt for your gift. To learn more or donate, visit the Community Foundation of the Texas Hill Country here.

KERRVILLE, Texas (AP) — Just three people remain missing — down from nearly 100 at last count — since the Texas Hill Country was pounded by massive flooding on July 4, officials said Saturday.

Officials praised rescuers for the sharp reduction in the number of people on the missing list: Just days after the catastrophic flooding, more than 160 people were said to be unaccounted for in Kerr County alone.

WATCH: Inside rescue and recovery efforts after the deadly Texas floods

“This remarkable progress reflects countless hours of coordinated search and rescue operations, careful investigative work, and an unwavering commitment to bringing clarity and hope to families during an unimaginably difficult time,” Kerrville City Manager Dalton Rice said in a statement.

The death toll in Kerr County, 107, held steady for much of this week even as the intensive search continued.

The flash floods killed at least 135 people in Texas over the holiday weekend, with most deaths along the Guadalupe River in Kerr County, about 60 miles (100 kilometers) northwest of San Antonio.

Just before daybreak on July 4, the destructive, fast-moving waters rose 26 feet (8 meters) on the Guadalupe, washing away homes and vehicles.

The floods laid waste to the Hill Country, a popular tourist destination where campers seek out spots along the river amid the rolling landscape. It is naturally prone to flash flooding because its dry, dirt-packed soil cannot soak up heavy rain.

Vacation cabins, youth camps campgrounds fill the riverbanks and hills of Kerr County, including Camp Mystic, a century-old Christian summer camp for girls. Located in a low-lying area of a region known as “flash flood alley,” Camp Mystic lost at least 27 campers and counselors.

The flooding was far more severe than the 100-year event envisioned by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, experts said, and it moved so quickly in the middle of the night that it caught many off guard in a county that lacked a warning system.

WATCH: FEMA missed major flood risks at Camp Mystic in Texas, new analysis reveals

In Kerrville, about 100 miles (160 kilometers) west of Austin, local officials have come under scrutiny over whether residents were adequately warned about the rising waters.

President Donald Trump and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott have pushed back aggressively against questions about how well local authorities responded to forecasts of heavy rain and the first reports of flash flooding.

Crews have been searching for victims using helicopters, boats and drones. Earlier efforts were hampered by rain forecasts, leading some crews to hold off or stop because of worries about more flooding.

State lawmakers are expected to consider a variety of improvements this week.

Two weeks after flash floods tore through Texas Hill Country, a sobering set of questions lingers: What went wrong — and how can it be prevented from happening again? As the community grieves, scrutiny deepens and shifts from nature’s fury to human responsibility.

Governor Greg Abbott has called a special legislative session, set to begin Monday, to address shortcomings in Texas’s emergency response and flood mitigation systems. Topics expected on the table include public alert infrastructure, preemptive evacuation standards, and community-based response coordination.

At the federal level, FEMA — which is under scrutiny for failing to return thousands of calls from those affected by the flooding due to staff cuts — is still assessing long-term damage and recovery needs. The scale of the disaster, however, may reopen Congressional debate about proactive versus reactive disaster funding.

A spokesperson for the National Weather Service tells the New York Sun that their current focus is on “recovery efforts,” and that “conversations about steps forward will happen in the coming weeks.”

President Trump surveyed the area last week and acknowledged the unprecedented nature of the event, saying, “A thing like this has never happened,” and promised that state authorities would “figure something out.” Mr. Abbott added that officials are working to “devise a response” tailored to the community and are considering improvements to the alert system.

As recovery continues, residents and officials are left grappling with what might have been prevented — and what must change. Because in a region defined by its rivers, it’s no longer a question of if the next flood will come, but whether the warnings will arrive in time.

Dean’s Professor of Resilience and Director of the Resilience Studies Program at Northeastern University, Daniel Aldrich, tells the Sun that long-term reforms should include “updating outdated federal flood maps that misrepresented risk, installing automated river gauge systems with sirens, and establishing mandatory evacuation protocols for high-risk zones.”

He also emphasizes the need for better regional coordination between camps, RV parks, and emergency services, as well as rebuilding trust between residents and officials — trust that has been eroded by widespread misinformation about federal agencies.

President and co-owner of hazard and disaster management firm Early Alert, William Wagner, also emphasized the importance of state and local emergency management agencies implementing “robust public awareness campaigns to educate residents about all-hazard preparedness.”

“Partnering with local organizations, tribal authorities, and community leaders is essential to ensure alerts and preparedness information are shared through trusted, accessible channels,” Mr. Wagner tells the Sun. “Regular joint drills and tabletop simulations that mimic real flash flood scenarios can help reinforce a faster, more coordinated response when every second counts.”

Getting to the Bottom

Almost immediately after the flood, speculation turned to federal responsibility. Some critics pointed to long-term staffing shortages at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), including a vacancy in the warning coordination role at the New Braunfels office — an official responsible for liaising with local emergency managers.

Meteorologists, however, counter that despite that gap, the office increased staffing to five forecasters — more than double the usual amount.

The United Cajun Navy, one of the leading volunteer relief groups on the ground, stressed that budget cuts to NOAA did not impact the situation in Texas.

Mr. Trump, who has proposed slashing the NOAA’s budget by 27 percent in 2026, denied any connection between budget issues and the flood.

“This is a 100-year catastrophe,” he said, adding that he couldn’t blame the former president, Joe Biden, either.

Flash flooding is not new to the region, and past floods — in 1932 and 1987 — also struck summer camps. After the 1987 incident, alarms were installed in some areas, but Kerr County later declined to build a more comprehensive warning system after a $1 million federal grant application was denied.

The Texas Division of Emergency Management reportedly refused a 2017 request from Kerr County for a warning system as it failed to meet federal requirements. A proposal the following year was also rejected due to state officials prioritizing that spending for counties affected by Hurricane Harvey. This massive storm inundated large parts of Texas in August 2017.

“In 2016, Kerr County contracted for an engineering study on their current warning system and were told it was antiquated and inadequate,” explained Mr. Aldrich. “The county filed for federal assistance via a Hazard Mitigation Grant for $976,000 but was not selected for funding.

“Later, they had over $5 million in ARPA funds in their account, but residents opposed spending federal money from the Biden administration. That decision seems, unfortunately, to have been influenced by politics.”

He stressed that a less-than-a-million-dollar warning system must be weighed against the loss of so many lives and millions in damages.

“Early alerts create a multiplier effect by enabling timely evacuations and reducing search and rescue costs. In the long term, improved preparedness can also lead to lower flood insurance premiums,” Mr. Aldrich continued.

“Finally, we need to think about tourism protection: The area relies heavily on summer camps and tourism. Would you want to send children to an area that has flooded and taken lives in the past, knowing there are inadequate systems in place for their protection?”

In January, a bill that would have created a statewide emergency alert council and infrastructure grant program failed in the Texas Legislature. Lawmakers cited the estimated $500 million cost as prohibitive.

A Communication Breakdown

While some questioned whether federal budget constraints played a role, others point to missed opportunities and delayed decisions closer to home, at the county and state level, where the consequences proved fatal.

Experts increasingly point to breakdowns at the state and local levels — gaps in coordination, communication, and planning that may have made a deadly situation worse.

“Documents reveal that Kerr County officials took nearly six hours to heed calls to send emergency alerts, with the first CodeRED alert not going out until 90 minutes after the initial 4:22 am request, and some messages not arriving until after 10 am,” said Mr. Aldrich.

Importantly, experts point to fixing what many see as a flagrant communication problem between weather authorities and those on the ground.

“Communities should conduct an after-action review, ensure they have warning systems in place, test them and communicate with their communities as to what to do when there is a warning,” Adjunct Professor in Emergency and Disaster Management at Georgetown University, Attila Hertelendy, tells the Sun. “And how time critical it is to take action.”

Though the National Weather Service began warning of heavy rain as early as July 1, and issued flood watches and flash flood warnings on July 3 and into the early morning of July 4, some critics say the “Slight Risk” classification may have underestimated the scale of the disaster.

By the time a rare flash flood emergency was declared for parts of Kerr County around 4 a.m., the flooding was already underway, with local firefighters scrambling to warn nearby residents.

Communication proved problematic. Rural terrain and unreliable cell reception meant many Texans, especially those in remote areas, never received alerts. There were no sirens. No citywide alarms. For many, the first sign of trouble was water rushing through their door.

“The breakdown appears to have occurred not within the NWS itself, but in the failure of local officials to activate the Integrated Public Alert and Warning System and other alert channels quickly enough,” said Mr. Wagner.

“In Kerr County, for example, there was a significant delay in disseminating evacuation alerts — despite NWS warnings already being in effect.”

Among the hardest hit was Camp Mystic, a historic all-girls summer camp perched beside the Guadalupe River. At least 30 of the dead were campers and young counselors. Despite having recently updated emergency protocols, staff had little time to act before cabins were submerged.

Meanwhile, rescuers continue to move through shattered cabins and overturned vehicles. Children’s shoes lay scattered near riverbanks where the water had torn families apart overnight. The confirmed death toll in the Texas Hill Country flash floods has topped over 130, with three still missing — a number expected to rise as recovery teams continue their search.

Texas officials did not respond to requests for further comment.

Bill Blackburn has lived in Kerrville for 40 years, even serving as mayor from 2018 to 2022.

“Yes, we’ve seen floods on the Guadalupe River over the years,” he said. “But that level of flooding, that amount of water is just hard to believe.”

Blackburn said his daughter-in-law up and two granddaughters were staying just west of Camp Mystic when someone woke them up around 3 a.m. Friday as the Guadalupe River spilled over its banks faster than a longtime resident like Blackburn had ever seen.

The mother collected her daughters and what belongings she could and got in her car, driving toward Hunt. On the way they hit floodwaters that quickly climbed halfway up their car doors.

“[She] used very good judgment, was able to get the car to the higher ground and then she and the girls up on a hill, to wait out the storm,” he said.

Blackburn said she almost didn’t make it.

“When I think about their experience and what could have happened, of course … it just, it does you in,” he said.

While they survived, Blackburn acknowledged the many people who didn’t.

“I feel like there’s a blanket of grief and sadness just over this community,” he said. “When you think about the lives lost, the numbers missing, the structural damage and structures that are damaged and destroyed, the natural beauty.

“It is so hard. It is just almost too much.”