Top County Officials Were Unavailable as Texas Floods Hit in the Wee Hours: Congressional Hearing

The flooding, which struck early on the morning of the July Fourth holiday, killed at least 136 people.

Flash flood damage along the banks of the Guadalupe River in Kerrville, Texas, on July 11, 2025. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Several of Kerr County’s top officials were unavailable when floods struck Texas in the early hours on July 4, according to their testimonies at a joint state Senate and House of Representatives hearing on July 31.

William B. Thomas IV, Kerr County’s emergency management coordinator, testified during the hearing that he had become ill on July 2.