Kerr County addresses missing persons count, citing unreported tourist safety post-flood
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Kerr County addresses missing persons count, citing unreported tourist safety post-flood
Kerr County officials addressed the Fourth of July floods that killed dozens of people. The county remains under a burn ban as officials continue searching through large piles of debris for human remains. As of Monday morning, the number of missing remains at three. Officials plan to complete these searches one last time before lifting the burn ban, possibly later this week, they said.“These folks need every single penny. Let’s give it to them,’’ Kerr County engineer Charlie Hastings said. “The Fourth of June flood along the Guadalupe River is bigger than a 500-year flood,” he said.
Kerr County Judge Rob Kelly speaks to members of the media following a press conference held by Gov. Greg Abbott discussing the ongoing search and rescue efforts after recent flooding along the Guadalupe River on Saturday, July 5, 2025, in Kerrville, Texas. (AP Photo/Rodolfo Gonzalez)
KERR COUNTY, Texas – Kerr County officials addressed the Fourth of July floods that killed dozens of people during a commissioners’ court meeting on Monday morning.
Charlie Hastings, a Kerr County engineer, said there was no way to predict that a catastrophic event such as these floods was predictable.
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“Ask farmers and ranchers for clarity on what happened,” Hastings said.
Hastings explained that most of the water in the Guadalupe River fell into the South Fork drainage basin. He said it rained for about three hours in that drainage basin, and the gallons per second increased significantly as rain continued to fall.
>>> READ: Satellite images reveal catastrophic damage from Hill Country floods along Guadalupe River
Preliminary emergency services modeling indicated that at one point, 950,000 gallons per second were flowing into the South Fork drainage basin.
Hastings said the collaboration with state officials, including the Texas Rangers, has revised search efforts. This has reduced the number of missing people to just three.
Kerr County Judge Kelly said that most of the people who were reported missing were tourists.
“Most of them were tourists that went into town that left and went back home and didn’t report back that they were there,” Kelly said.
As of Monday morning, the number of missing remains at three.
>>> READ: Missing persons count in Kerr County drops from 97 to 3 after July 4 floods, officials say
The county remains under a burn ban as officials continue searching through large piles of debris for human remains.
Officials emphasized the importance of K9 units searching debris piles before the burn ban is lifted.
Kerr County officials plan to complete these searches one last time before lifting the burn ban, possibly later this week, they said.
Afterward, the county will transition from search and rescue to recovery, including the repair and rebuilding of affected areas.
Damage estimates indicate that approximately 2,000 structures were impacted by the floods.
“The Fourth of July flood along the Guadalupe River is bigger than a 500-year flood,” Hastings said.
Hastings proposed waiving floodplain permit fees for those affected by the floods, a proposal that the commissioners unanimously approved.
“These folks need every single penny. Let’s give it to them,” Hastings said.
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