Hope and Despair in Small Town Texas

More than 120 are dead statewide and some 160 are still missing in the wake of historic flooding along the Guadalupe River in Central Texas.

A raging Guadalupe River leaves fallen trees and debris in its wake, Friday, July 4, 2025, in Kerrville, Texas. AP Photo/Eric Gay

This text appeared in the ‘Top Story’ email newsletter sent on July 12, 2025.

President Donald Trump met with victims and local officials a week after a perfect storm caused a Texas river to rise 26 feet in 45 minutes in the predawn hours of July 4, leaving death and destruction in its wake.

Trump promised to help the small Texas town of Kerrville and the surrounding area rebuild as it mourned its dead, which included 96 victims, 36 of whom were children.