At least 51 people, including 15 children, have been confirmed dead after devastating flash floods struck central Texas, primarily affecting Kerr County. According to local officials, the toll may rise as rescuers continue searching for dozens of missing individuals, including 27 children from Camp Mystic, a Christian summer camp located along the river. The disaster unfolded swiftly over the holiday weekend, submerging homes, roads, and campsites as families gathered for Independence Day celebrations. Emergency services are still recovering bodies, with 43 deaths reported in Kerr County alone and eight more in nearby counties, making it one of the deadliest flood events in Texas in recent history.
The tragedy has raised serious questions about the state’s preparedness and early warning systems. Despite emergency alerts being issued on Thursday, authorities now admit the forecast models underestimated the intensity of rainfall. W. Nim Kidd, director of the Texas Division of Emergency Management, said weather projections failed to anticipate the magnitude of the downpour that led to the rapid rise of water levels. Eyewitnesses described scenes of chaos as rising waters swept away tents, vehicles, and temporary shelters. Concerns have mounted about whether timely evacuation orders could have prevented the high casualty rate, especially at vulnerable spots like summer camps along flood-prone rivers.
The flood disaster is also reigniting national debate over federal emergency preparedness and environmental policy. Since January, the National Weather Service (NWS) has seen nearly 600 staff layoffs, many of them experienced forecasters and climate scientists, due to cost-cutting under the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). This is part of the broader “Project 2025” agenda, a conservative push to shrink federal agencies like NOAA and FEMA, with former President Donald Trump supporting the transfer of emergency response duties to individual states. Critics argue that such measures directly compromise public safety, especially during climate-induced disasters. Congressman Jared Huffman called the cuts “deadly,” warning that dismantling scientific institutions in the name of efficiency is putting American lives at risk.
