Texas County Says 3 People Still Missing After Floods, Down From More Than 160

Crews have been searching for victims using helicopters, boats, and drones.

Search and rescue operations are performed in the Guadalupe River in Kerrville, Texas, on July 14, 2025. Brandon Bell/Getty Images

Texas officials said Saturday that most of the missing from the deadly July 4 flash floods in Kerr County have been accounted for, but three are still missing.

County officials said earlier in the week that 97 people were still unaccounted for after the deadly flash floods. There were at least 160 initially reported missing in Kerr County. Authorities continue to search for the three still missing.

The news comes in the third week after deadly flash flooding unexpectedly hit the Texas Hill Country, killing 116 people in Kerr County, including 36 children. Another 29 were killed in other Texas counties impacted by the flooding along the Guadalupe River.

“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,” Kerr County officials said in the update. “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, “We are profoundly grateful to the more than 1,000 local, state, and federal authorities who have worked tirelessly in the wake of the devastating flood that struck our community.”

Crews have been searching for victims using helicopters, boats, and drones.

Kerr County Judge Rob Kelly thanked law enforcement, first responders, and their supporting agencies for their “dedication, professionalism, and compassion” in the wake of the rescue and recovery efforts.

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

The Hill Country, northwest of San Antonio, is a popular holiday destination for campers seeking an escape along the river amid the landscape of rolling hills. But its dry, dirt-packed soil makes the region naturally prone to flash flooding because the ground doesn’t readily soak up rain, of which there was plenty in a stalled storm system that hovered over the area for longer than expected.

Vacation cabins, youth camps, and campgrounds fill the riverbanks and hills of Kerr County, including Camp Mystic, a century-old Christian summer camp that was hosting 750 children at the time. 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.

In Kerrville, local officials have come under scrutiny over whether residents were adequately warned about the rising waters.

Earlier efforts were hampered by rain forecasts, leading some crews to hold off or stop because of worries about more flooding.

At least $39.2 million has been raised to support the victims of the floods by a huge range of civic groups so far, with more fundraising efforts planned. AccuWeather has given an early estimate of costs and damages from the floods to stand somewhere between $18 billion to $22 billion.

FEMA has also issued a warning about scammers looking to undermine the disaster recovery efforts, instructing impacted residents to look out for individuals claiming to be from FEMA but lacking a photo ID requesting banking or personal information. There have also been scammers asking for payment in exchange for disaster aid, it said.

“If you receive a letter or visit from FEMA but didn’t apply for aid, contact the FEMA Fraud Branch at [email protected] or call the FEMA Helpline at 800-621-3362 from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily,” Kerr County authorities said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.