Texas death toll rises to 70 following flash floods - as heartbreaking hunt for 11 children missing from camp continues

6 July 2025, 10:25 | Updated: 6 July 2025, 20:37

At least 21 children are among the 70 people confirmed dead after heavy rain saw flash floods rip through areas of southern Texas.

According to officials, the death toll has now risen to at least 70, according to officials, with authorities coming under fire for a lack of transparency and organisation when it comes to updates on those missing.

At least 11 children and one camp counsellor are still missing, Sheriff Larry Leitha has said.

"We extend our sincerest condolences and prayers to every single family affected by this tragedy, and we continue to work around the clock to reunite these families," he added.

Local officials have confirmed 11 girls attending a Christian girls camp and one counsellor in the Texas area of central Kerr county are still missing, with the hunt for survivors continuing.

It comes as it was revealed that the bodies of two sisters were discovered by rescue crews hunting for flood survivors.

The death toll will continue as search efforts continue, officials have said, with around 850 people rescued so far.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has faced criticism over the delayed warnings received by Texas locals, after jobs were slashed at the National Weather Centre under the Trump administration.

Read more: Retired priest, 83, among 29 Palestine Action supporters arrested under Terror Act hours after government bans group

Read more: Elon Musk announces new 'America Party' as he vows to 'give the US its freedom back'

It's been revealed that alerts linked to flash flooding were only issued during the early hours of the morning - after many residents were already asleep and moments before the flood waters hit.

It comes as the National Weather Service came under fire - with many pointing the finger of blame at extensive DOGE cuts, with around 600 people fired from the agency in recent months following Trump's federal cuts.

Details have emerged of how residents were not warned of flooding until 1:18pm on July 3, with warnings of 'moderate' storms rolling in - a marked contrast to the widespread flooding that hit.

Worried parents continue to post to social media after as much as 10 inches (25 centimetres) of heavy rain fell in just a few hours overnight on Independence Day in central Kerr County, causing flash flooding of the Guadalupe river, which rose 26 feet in 45 minutes overnight.

Chief Nim Kidd told reporters he has teams searching the entire river for people.

"That process is going to keep going, we're not going to stop until we find everyone," he sai.

Among the girls still missing are Virginia Hollis; Annie Flack; Hadley Crossman; Cile Steward; Wynne Naylor; Linnie McCown; Mary Grace Baker; Molly DeWitt; Sarah Marsh; Anna Margaret Bellows; and Blakely McCrory.

With communications disrupted, many desperate parents are still trying to discover the whereabouts of their children, with one camp attendee, 9-year-old Renee Smajstrla, now tragically confirmed dead.

Read more: British student nurse stabbed to death in Texas - as roommate charged with murder 'in row over a cat'

Read more: At least three dead and two missing after 'violent' thunderstorms trigger heavy flooding in French Riviera

Judge Rob Kelly, the chief elected official in the county, confirmed fatalities from the flooding and dozens of water rescues so far, with US President Donald Trump calling the tragedy "shocking" and "terrible".

Mr Kelly said he was advised not to cite specific numbers and said authorities are still working to identify those whose lives were lost.

"Most of them, we don't know who they are," he said during a news conference.

"One of them was completely naked, he didn't have any ID on him at all. We're trying to get the identity of these folks, but we don't have it yet."

Officials conducted dozens of rescues, and the emergency response continued as an unknown number or people remained unaccounted for, Mr Kelly said.

Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick said rescue agencies had 14 choppers, 12 drones, nine rescue teams, and swimmers in the water.

As of Friday night at least 237 had been rescued, Texas Maj Gen Thomas Suelzer said.

A flood watch issued on Thursday afternoon estimated isolated amounts up to seven inches (17 centimetres) of rising water.

That shifted to a flood warning for at least 30,000 people overnight.

When asked about the suddenness of the flash flooding overnight, Mr Kelly said "we do not have a warning system" and that "we didn't know this flood was coming", even as local reporters pointed to the warnings and pushed him for answers about why more precautions were not taken.

"Rest assured, no one knew this kind of flood was coming," he said. "We have floods all the time. This is the most dangerous river valley in the United States."

Texas governor Greg Abbott said the state was providing resources to Hill Country communities dealing with the flooding, including in Kerrville, Ingram and Hunt.

"I urge Texans to heed guidance from state and local officials and monitor local forecasts to avoid driving into flooded areas," Mr Abbott said in a statement.

The Guadalupe's river gauge at the unincorporated community of Hunt, where the river forks, recorded a 22 foot rise (6.7 metres) in just about two hours, according to Bob Fogarty, meteorologist with the National Weather Service's Austin/San Antonio office.

Mr Fogarty said the gauge failed after recording a level of 29 and a half feet (nine metres).

"We think the river's higher than that," Mr Fogarty said. "The gauge is completely underwater.

"This is the kind of thing that will catch you unaware. The water's moving so fast, you're not going to recognise how bad it is until it's on top of you."