How to help after the Central Texas floods
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Diverging Reports Breakdown
Sulphur Springs couple among the missing in Hill Country flood – NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth
Loved ones of James and Cindy Rushing say reality is setting in. The couple traveled from Sulphur Springs to the Hill Country with their white and grey Aspen Trail camper. Jeff and Tanya Ramsey from Flower Mound are also on that list. The Community Foundation of the Texas Hill Country has established a relief fund to support vetted local response, relief and recovery efforts. All donations are tax-deductible, and you will receive a receipt for your gift in the form of a check or a check for $1, $2, $3, $5 or $10. For confidential support call the Samaritans on 08457 90 90 90 or visit a local Samaritans branch, see www.samaritans.org for details.
“It just escalated very quickly to, it wouldn’t happen to us. That’s not it. No. There’s no way… And then we got here and we saw how high the waters were and the debris and you’re like, there is a way, so we’re just trying to hold onto hope that there is no way it’s us,” said Tamra Blasius.
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Rushing Family photo Rushing Family photo
The couple traveled from Sulphur Springs to the Hill Country with their white and grey Aspen Trail camper pulled by a white Dodge Ram.
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Their daughters, Blasius and Sarah Jones, said the couple never mentioned where they were setting up camp, simply that it was along the Guadalupe River near Fredericksburg.
“It’s literally the definition of a needle in a haystack,” said Blasius.
Another family member later found the last known location of James’s cell phone at the HRT Texas Hill Country Campground.
With little information, the Rushings’ daughters say they’re checking every campsite and hospital. They say checking with funeral homes is a last resort.
“It’s been a very overwhelming experience and because you just want to find them. And like Tamra said, I’m praying to the good Lord above that he leads us to where they are and that they’re safe,” said Jones.
The Rushings are in their 50s and 60s.
James is described as about 6’4 with a tattoo on both his chest and arm.
Cindy is described as about 5’4.” Both have grey hair.
The couple are just two of an unknown number of people who remain missing.
FLOWER MOUND COUPLE ALSO MISSING
Ramsey family photo Ramsey family photo
Jeff and Tanya Ramsey from Flower Mound are also on that list.
The family said they first believed Jeff to be among the deceased.
Today, his brother told NBC DFW, it was a misidentification. Once again, his best friend is unaccounted for.
How to help with Central Texas flood relief
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.
Live Updates: 51 Dead in Texas Floods as Search for Missing Grows More Dire
The Guadalupe River in Central Texas has killed at least 51 people, including 15 children. Some two dozen girls from Camp Mystic, an all-girls’ Christian summer camp, are still missing. The death toll is expected to rise. Here’s what we know about those who were killed in the floodwaters. Sarah Marsh, an 8-year-old student at Cherokee Bend Elementary in Mountain Brook, Ala., was one of the campers at Camp Mystic in Hunt, Texas. Janie Hunt, 9, of Dallas, died in the flash flooding, her grandmother Margaret Hunt said in an interview. The mayor of Mountain Brook confirmed that Sarah was among those who died in a flood and said the city was heartbroken. The mother of two children who died said she was in Vermont when she got a call from her daughter, Lindsay, telling her she had been swept away in the flooding, along with six of her cousins, who were also attending Camp Mystic along with her parents. The father of two young children who were swept away said he was struck in the head by debris and lost track of his wife.
Rescuers have been searching the river Saturday, and the death toll is expected to rise. Here’s what we know about those who were killed.
Julian Ryan
Exhausted from a long night working as a dishwasher at a local restaurant, Julian Ryan, 27, was asleep in his trailer home in Ingram, Texas, when the nearby Guadalupe River reached his front door on Friday before dawn.
Image Julian Ryan Credit… Christinia Wilson
By the time he and his fiancée, Christinia Wilson, woke up, the water was up to their ankles. His mother, Marilyn Ryan, and his 6-year-old son had already rushed into the room for safety.
In what seemed like a blink, Ms. Wilson said, the water was up to their waists; their front door had burst open and the river had gushed into the house. Their mattress began to float, so they placed their 13-month-old son and the 6-year-old atop it. The bedroom door was stuck shut from the water pressure on the other side.
In a panic, Mr. Ryan tried to punch through a window so they could escape. But the sharp glass cut nearly through his arm, causing him to bleed profusely, Ms. Wilson and his mother said on Saturday in a phone interview.
They called 911 again and again, but no one came, both women said. With the water rising to their chins, the women shouted for help as Mr. Ryan started to lose consciousness, they said.
“He had lost so much blood and knew he wasn’t going to make it,” Ms. Wilson said. “He said, ‘I love you. I’m so sorry.’ In minutes, he was gone.”
Ms. Wilson said the trailer was torn in half by the force of the water, yet everyone in the family but Mr. Ryan survived.
“He was the best father, and was always such a happy person who was never above helping people, no matter what it cost,” she said. “He died trying to save us.”
Katheryn Eads
Katheryn Eads, 52, died after being swept away in the floodwaters, her husband Brian Eads said in a brief phone call on Saturday.
Image Katheryn Eads Credit… The Kerrville Daily Times
The couple were awakened by rushing water surrounding them inside their R.V., Mr. Eads said. They managed to get out, and a man driving another R.V. offered them a ride. They made it across the street when the vehicle they were in died, Mr. Eads said. The couple was swept out of the truck by water. Mr. Eads said he was struck in the head by debris and lost track of his wife. He survived by holding onto a tree until he reached dry land, he said.
Sarah Marsh
Sarah Marsh, an 8-year-old student at Cherokee Bend Elementary in Mountain Brook, Ala., was one of the campers at Camp Mystic in Hunt, Texas.
Image Sarah Marsh Credit… The Kerrville Daily Times
In a statement posted online, Stewart Welch, the mayor of Mountain Brook, a suburb of Birmingham, confirmed that Sarah was among those who died in the flood and said the city was heartbroken.
“This is an unimaginable loss for her family, her school and our entire community,” he wrote. “Sarah’s passing is a sorrow shared by all of us, and our hearts are with those who knew her and loved her.”
In a text message on Saturday, Sarah’s grandmother, Debbie Ford Marsh, said that Sarah’s parents were not able to talk and declined to comment on behalf of the family.
Earlier, on Facebook, she posted: “We will always feel blessed to have had this beautiful spunky ray of light in our lives. She will live on in our hearts forever!”
Janie Hunt
Janie Hunt, 9, of Dallas, died in the flash flooding, her grandmother Margaret Hunt said in an interview.
Image Janie Hunt Credit… The Kerrville Daily Times
Janie was also attending Camp Mystic. It was her first time there as a camper, and she attended along with six of her cousins, who were safe, Ms. Hunt said.
Ms. Hunt said she was in Vermont when she got a call from her daughter, Anne Lindsay Hunt, telling her about the flooding. Janie’s parents drove to Ingram Elementary, the reunification center, where they were told to visit a funeral home and identify their daughter. Janie, a great-granddaughter of the oil baron William Herbert Hunt, is the eldest of three children.
Bobby and Amanda Martin
Bobby Martin, 46, and his wife, Amanda Martin, 44, were among those killed,
Image Amanda and Bobby Martin Credit… The Kerrville Daily Times
Mr. Martin’s father, John Keith Martin, told The New York Times.
The couple, from Odessa, Texas, were reportedly camping by the Guadalupe River when their R.V. was swept away by the rising floodwaters. The elder Mr. Martin said one his grandchildren and that grandchild’s girlfriend were with the couple and were still missing.
“He was an adventurous man, adventurous and outgoing. He had many good friends, because he was a good friend,” John Keith Martin said of his son. “He’s just incredible.”
Jane Ragsdale
Jane Ragsdale, the director and co-owner of the Heart O’ the Hills summer camp in Kerr County, is among those confirmed dead in the flooding, according to a statement posted to the camp’s website. No campers were residing at the site when the floods hit.
Image Jane Ragsdale Credit… The Kerrville Daily Times
“We at the camp are stunned and deeply saddened by Jane’s death,” the statement said. “She embodied the spirit of Heart O’ the Hills and was exactly the type of strong, joyful woman that the camp aimed to develop with the girls entrusted to us each summer.”
Ms. Ragsdale, who became the camp director in 1988, started as a camper and later became a counselor.
Live updates: At least 48 dead in Texas floods, with dozens still missing from summer camp
Flooding has caused an average of more than 125 deaths per year in the United States over the past few decades. National Weather Service, and flash floods are the nation’s top storm-related killer. The effects of the storm are still being felt in New York City, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, New York, Boston, Chicago, Philadelphia, Atlanta, San Francisco, New Jersey, Los Angeles and Washington, DC. The effect of the storms can be seen in the city of New York and the state of New Jersey. It can also be felt in the town of New Orleans and the nation as a whole. The impact can be felt across the country and across the world. The storm is still felt in many of the cities in the U.S. and around the world in the past 25 years. It is also felt in some of the most deadly flooding nationwide in the current 25 years, and in the next few decades in the future. It has the potential to be felt for decades to come.
Here’s a look at some of the most deadly flooding nationwide in the past 25 years.
Authorities are still assessing the deadly effects of heavy rains that caused devastating flash floods in Texas Hill Country, leaving at least 27 people dead and many others missing as frantic parents sought word about their daughters at a girls camp near the Guadalupe River.
Searchers used helicopters, boats and drones to look for victims and to rescue stranded people in trees and from camps isolated by washed-out roads.
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Hurricane Helene, 2024
Hurricane Helene struck Florida, Georgia, the Carolinas, Tennessee and Virginia in September 2024. The storm caused about 250 deaths, according to the National Weather Service.
Many of those who died in Helene fell victim to massive inland flooding, rather than high winds. Helene was the deadliest hurricane to hit the mainland U.S. since Hurricane Katrina in 2005.
The storm decimated remote towns throughout the Appalachians and left millions without power, cellular service and supplies. In North Carolina alone, Helene was responsible for 108 deaths, according to the state’s Department of Health and Human Services.
Kentucky, 2022
Raging floodwaters in eastern Kentucky in late July of 2022 led to 45 deaths, AccuWeather senior meteorologist Tyler Roys said Saturday.
The floods destroyed homes and businesses and caused significant damage to schools, roads, bridges and water systems. The disaster robbed thousands of families of all their possessions.
Tennessee, 2021
Twenty people were killed when creeks near the small Middle Tennessee town of Waverly overflowed after more than more than 17 inches (43 centimeters) of rain fell in the area in less than 24 hours in August 2021.
Homes were washed off their foundations, cars were wrecked and businesses were demolished. The dead included twin babies who were swept from their father’s arms.
Hurricane Harvey, 2017
Hurricane Harvey barreled into Texas in August 2017 as a powerful Category 4 storm. Harvey hovered for days as it trudged inland, dumping several feet of rain on many Gulf Coast communities and the Houston area.
Harvey killed at least 68 people, according to a National Hurricane Center report. All but three of the Harvey deaths were directly attributed to freshwater flooding, which damaged more than 300,000 structures and caused an estimated $125 billion in damage.
West Virginia, June 2016
A rainstorm that initially seemed like no big deal turned into a catastrophe in West Virginia, trapping dozens of people during the night and eventually leaving 23 people dead around the state.
Superstorm Sandy, 2012
Superstorm Sandy was a a late fall freak combination of a hurricane and other storms that struck New York and surrounding areas in October 2012.
Sandy killed 147 people, 72 in the eastern U.S., according to the National Hurricane Center. More than 110 deaths were attributed to drowning, Roys said.
Mississippi River, 2011
Heavy rainfall in several states, plus a larger-than-normal slow melt, led rivers in the Mississippi River Basin to swell and flood in 2011.
Flash floods associated with these storms caused 24 deaths across Oklahoma, Missouri, Arkansas, Louisiana and Tennessee in April and May, according to the National Weather Service.
Hurricane Ike, 2008
Hurricane Ike struck the Southeast Texas Gulf Coast in September 2008, creating a storm surge as high as 20 feet (6 meters) in the island city of Galveston.
Ike then poured more than 4 feet (1.2 meters) of rain on Houston, destroying thousands of cars and leaving hundreds of thousands of families with flood-damaged homes.
In all, Ike was responsible for more than 100 deaths, many caused by flooding.
Hurricane Katrina, 2005
Hurricane Katrina is the deadliest flood event in the U.S. in the past 25 years.
The storm crashed into the Gulf Coast and caused devastating flooding when levees failed in New Orleans, where people had to be rescued by boat and helicopter from rooftops.
The costliest storm in U.S. history, Katrina caused nearly 1,400 deaths and an estimated $200 billion in damages.
Tropical Storm Allison, 2001
Tropical Storm Allison caused 41 deaths, mostly attributed to flooding caused by 40 inches (101 centimeters) of rain that fell in Texas and Louisiana, Roys said.
Allison remained a threat for days as its remnants lingered after making landfall in June 2001, causing major flooding in Houston.
At least 47 dead in central Texas in devastating flash floods, over two dozens remain missing, officials say
At least 43 fatalities have been reported so far in Kerr County, its sheriff, Larry Leitha, said Saturday evening. At least 27 campers are still missing from Camp Mystic, a children’s summer camp. Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said there hadn’t been “a drop of rain until the tragedy struck” Earlier in the day, the Guadalupe River had risen about 26 feet in 45 minutes, he said. “It’s gonna be a long time before we’re ever going to be able able to clean it up much less rebuild it,” a county judge said in a Saturday news conference. “We knew we’d get rain, we know the river rises but nobody saw this coming,” the county judge added. “Our Brave First Responders are on site doing what they do best. GOD BLESS THE FAMILIES, AND GODBLESS TEXAS!” Mr. Trump wrote on Twitter on Saturday night, calling the floods a “terrible thing” and praying for the families.
While officials couldn’t confirm an exact number of those who remain unaccounted for, they said more than two dozen were still missing from Camp Mystic in Kerr County, a children’s summer camp.
At least 43 fatalities have been reported so far in Kerr County, its sheriff, Larry Leitha, said at a news conference Saturday evening. The dead include 28 adults and 15 children. Twelve of the adults and five children are unidentified, Leitha said. At least 27 campers were missing, Dalton Rice, Kerryville city manager, said. There were about 750 children at Camp Mystic when the floods hit, the sheriff said.
At least four deaths were confirmed in Travis County, county spokesperson Hector Nieto told CBS News by phone Saturday night. Travis County contains the Texas capital city of Austin.
Officials have conducted more than 160 air rescues, Leitha said in an earlier update. In total, 850 uninjured and eight injured people have been rescued as of Saturday, he said.
“We’ve been rescuing people out of these camps by the hundreds, you know, all day,” Rice said Saturday night. “There’s a lot of folks that are shelter in place, so we leave them in place to make sure that we get them food, water.”
Damaged vehicles and debris are seen roped off near the banks of the Guadalupe River after flooding in Ingram, Texas, Friday, July 4, 2025. Michel Fortier/The San Antonio Express-News via AP
Some of the hundreds of people who were rescued in the last 36 hours were hanging onto trees, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said in Saturday’s news conference. The governor said he signed an updated federal disaster declaration to include several other counties in Texas that have been damaged by storms.
U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, who was also in attendance at the news conference, said President Trump has indicated that he will honor Abbott’s declaration. She said in a post on X earlier Saturday that the U.S. Coast Guard saved or assisted in saving 223 lives.
Kerr County Judge Rob Kelly said in Saturday’s briefing that his property was also devastated by the flooding and he “barely got home” on Friday. Kelly also said he had visited a funeral home and “got to see first hand many of the body bags” before going on a helicopter ride with Sen. John Cornyn and Kerrville Mayor Joe Herring to survey the damage.
“It’s gonna be a long time before we’re ever going to be able able to clean it up much less rebuild it,” Kelly said. “We didn’t know. We knew we’d get rain, we know the river rises but nobody saw this coming.”
Onlookers survey damage along the Guadalupe River after a flash flood swept through the area, Friday, July 4, 2025, in Kerrville, Texas. Eric Gay / AP
Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said in a news briefing on Friday that there hadn’t been “a drop of rain until the tragedy struck” earlier in the day, and that the Guadalupe River had risen about 26 feet in 45 minutes. An alert went out around 4 and 5 a.m. local time Friday, he said.
Speaking to reporters late Friday night aboard Air Force One, Mr. Trump called the floods a “terrible thing.”
On Saturday, Mr. Trump said his administration was working with state and local officials and that Noem would be arriving in Texas shortly. DHS oversees the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
“Melania and I are praying for all the families impacted by this horrible tragedy,” Mr. Trump wrote. “Our Brave First Responders are on site doing what they do best. GOD BLESS THE FAMILIES, AND GOD BLESS TEXAS!”
How did the Guadalupe River flood so quickly?
Rice explained how the Guadalupe River flooded so quickly.
“When you look at the headwaters of the Guadalupe… there’s a north and a south fork,” Rice said Friday night. “Since 1987, under normal conditions, if you can call it that, you’ll hit water in one of those areas, and those two forks will converge into the Guadalupe, which comes through the city of Kerrville.”
“This rain event sat on top of that and dumped more rain than what was forecasted on both of those forks,” Rice continued. “When we got the report, it was about 7 feet or so on the south fork, and within a matter of minutes it was up to 29 feet, and all of that converged at Guadalupe.”
The Guadalupe River at Hunt reached its second-highest height on record, higher than the famous 1987 flood, the city said, citing the National Weather Service.
A raging Guadalupe River leaves fallen trees and debris in its wake, Friday, July 4, 2025, in Kerrville, Texas. Eric Gay / AP
The Texas Division of Emergency Management had multiple meetings since Thursday to prepare, but the National Weather Service “did not predict the amount of rain that we saw,” officials said, adding that the original estimate was up to 8 inches of rain.
Officials said they were still concerned about the weather, adding that “if you do not live in area, do not come.”
Kerr County judge Rob Kelly said the area does “not have a warning system” and said that authorities were shocked by the ferocity of the floods.
“We had no reason to believe that this was gonna be any, anything like what’s happened here. None whatsoever,” Kelly told CBS Evening News.
A man surveys damage left by a raging Guadalupe River, Friday, July 4, 2025, in Kerrville, Texas. Eric Gay / AP
People are reunited at a reunification center after flash flooding hit the area, Friday, July 4, 2025, in Ingram, Texas. Eric Gay / AP
Texas issued flash flood emergencies in five counties in West Texas on Friday as Hill Country continued to be slammed by severe rain and flooding. Between 5 and 11 inches of rain have fallen in northwestern Bandera County, Central Kerr County, Northeastern Tom Green County, East Central Kerr County and West Central Kendall County, according to the National Weather Service.
Search and rescue operations are ongoing
There are hundreds of people on the ground from various units helping with search and rescue operations, officials said, which include drones and helicopters.
“We brought in over 100 troopers this morning,” Col. Freeman Martin, director of the Texas Department of Public Safety, said during Friday night’s news briefing. “And they’ve worked all day, rescues, high water vehicles, boats, rescue divers, seven rescue helicopters with hoist capabilities.”
The governor signed a disaster declaration for several counties during the news conference Friday night, saying it “ensures all the counties will have access to every tool, strategy, personnel that the state of Texas can provide to them, which will be limitless.”
“We will stop at nothing to ensure that every asset and person and plane, whatever is needed, is going to be involved in the process of rescuing every last person and ensure everybody involved in this is going to be fully accounted for,” Abbott said.
Earlier Friday, Abbott asked that Texas residents “heed guidance from state and local officials and monitor local forecasts to avoid driving into flooded areas.”
A helicopter flies over the Guadalupe River after a flash flood swept through the area, Friday, July 4, 2025, in Kerrville, Texas. Eric Gay / AP
First responders scan the banks of the Guadalupe River for individuals swept away by flooding in Ingram, Texas, Friday, July 4, 2025. Michel Fortier/The San Antonio Express-News via AP
Texas Sen. Ted Cruz said in a statement posted to social media that he had spoken to Mr. Trump, as well as other state officials.
“President Trump committed ANYTHING Texas needs,” Cruz said.
Lorena Gullen, who owns a restaurant right next to an RV park that was affected by the floods, said “raging water” swept away vehicles, some with people still inside. Residents at the park had been celebrating the Fourth of July.
“You could also see vehicles coming from up the river with the lights on and hear somebody honking, and they were washing away but they kept going,” she told CBS Evening News. “It was impossible.”
Over two dozen still missing from Camp Mystic
Three girls from Dallas — 8-year-old Hadley Hanna and 9-year-olds Eloise Peck and Lila Bonner — have been identified as some of the campers who were missing. The family of Bonner confirmed to CBS Texas on Saturday that she was among the children confirmed dead in the flood.
Texas Rep. August Pfluger said Saturday that two of his three children were evacuated from Camp Mystic.
“The last day has brought unimaginable grief to many families and we mourn with them as well as holding out hope for survivors,” Pfluger said in a post on X.
On Friday, Patrick addressed parents of children at Camp Mystic. The lieutenant governor, who briefly acted as governor while Abbott was on vacation, said they are praying for all those missing “to be found alive.”
“If they are alive and safe, we will find them and bring them home to you,” Patrick said Friday.
Families line up at a reunification center after flash flooding it the area, Friday, July 4, 2025, in Ingram, Texas. Eric Gay / AP
First responders deliver people to a reunification center after flash flooding in the area, Friday, July 4, 2025, in Ingram, Texas. Eric Gay / AP
The camp said in a statement, read by Patrick, that there has been a “catastrophic level” of flooding.
Patrick said Camp Mystic is an all-girls summer camp in the area that has several camps with thousands of children attending for the summer. The camp said they have no power, no water and no Wi-Fi , adding that “the highway has washed away, so we are struggling to get more help.”
“Please pray for everyone in the Hill Country, especially Camp Mystic,” Cruz said in his social media statement.
The summer camp sits on a strip known as “flash flood alley,” Austin Dickson, the CEO of the Community Foundation of the Texas Hill Country, told the Associated Press. The foundation is a charitable endowment that collects donations to help nonprofits responding to the disaster.
“When it rains, water doesn’t soak into the soil,” Dickson said. “It rushes down the hill.”
A flood gauge marks the height of water flowing over a farm-to-market road near Kerrville, Texas, on Friday, July 4, 2025. Eric Gay / AP
A man surveys damage left by a raging Guadalupe River, Friday, July 4, 2025, in Kerrville, Texas. Eric Gay / AP
Elinor Lester, 13, told the Associated Press that she and her cabinmates were evacuated by helicopter. Her cabin was on elevated ground, but younger campers bunked in cabins situated along the riverbank, she said. Those were the first to flood. Younger campers came up the hill for shelter.
“The camp was completely destroyed,” she told the Associated Press. “It was really scary. Everyone I know personally is accounted for, but there are people missing that I know of and we don’t know where they are.”
Her mother, Elizabeth Lester, told the Associated Press her son was at Camp La Junta, a nearby summer camp, and also survived after a counselor woke up, saw rising water and helped the boys swim out through a window. Camp La Junta and another camp on the river, Camp Waldemar, said in Instagram posts that all campers and staff there were safe.
“My kids are safe, but knowing others are still missing is just eating me alive,” Elizabeth Lester told the Associated Press.
Live updates: Texas flooding death toll rises to 46; search underway for Camp Mystic campers
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem addressed the ongoing federal response to the catastrophic flooding in Texas. She emphasized the urgent need for resources, coordination and continued federal support as the search for missing people intensifies. Noem reassured Texans FEMA would remain fully engaged and ready to provide additional assistance based on evolving needs from state leadership. She plans to visit Camp Mystic, where more than 20 girls are still unaccounted for, along with other parts of the community to assess damage and offer support.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem addressed the ongoing federal response to the catastrophic flooding in Texas, emphasizing the urgent need for resources, coordination and continued federal support as the search for missing people intensifies.
In addition to ground efforts, federal officials have requested more aviation assets to aid in aerial search and rescue.
“We, just at the request of a previous conversation less than an hour ago … requested more fixed-wing aircraft from the Coast Guard to come and help us,” Noem said. She added many of the aircraft will be equipped with thermal imaging to allow round-the-clock searches.
“Some of the assets that other agencies may offer don’t have that kind of equipment but the Coast Guard does have it so that will be deployed so that the search and rescue efforts don’t stop even when it does get dark at night.”
She reassured Texans FEMA would remain fully engaged and ready to provide additional assistance based on evolving needs from state leadership.
“We’ll continue to stay engaged, and I’ll be here,” Noem said, noting her plans to visit Camp Mystic, where more than 20 girls are still unaccounted for, along with other parts of the community to assess damage and offer support.
“The number one priority now is people,” Noem stated. “(It) is making sure we’re finding people as fast as possible and we’re returning them to their families.”
While damage assessments to infrastructure are ongoing as bridges, roads and power lines have all sustained impact, she said the focus remains on saving lives before turning fully to long-term recovery.
“The state of Texas is amazing in how it responds to disasters,” she said. “You are an example to the nation of getting through these difficult times. But also know that you’re not alone, that you have the entire country’s hearts with you.”
Source: https://www.axios.com/local/austin/2025/07/06/texas-floods-how-to-help