Floods: Death Toll Rises as Survivor’s Terror Emerges
Tragic Toll of Texas Floods Rises as Rescue Efforts Shift to Recovery
The devastating floods that struck Texas during the Fourth of July weekend have left a heartbreaking legacy. As of now, the death toll has reached 111, but officials warn that this number could more than double in the coming days and weeks. With at least 173 people still missing five days after the catastrophic event, the situation remains dire.
A ’30-foot tsunami wall of water’ swept through the Guadalupe River, destroying cabins and everything in its path. The scale of destruction has been overwhelming, with rescue operations now shifting from saving lives to recovering bodies. Texas Governor Greg Abbott acknowledged the grim reality, stating that the number of missing individuals could continue to rise as efforts to locate unaccounted people persist.
The last live rescue was conducted on Friday, and since then, only bodies have been recovered from the debris. “We will not stop until we identify, recover every single body,” Abbott said on Tuesday afternoon. Despite the ongoing efforts, the chances of finding survivors are diminishing with each passing hour.
One of the most tragic stories to emerge is that of 64-year-old Sherry Richardson. Her cabin along the Little Creek River in Liberty Hill, Texas, was swept away early Friday morning. Her daughter, Delilah Greenslet, shared how Richardson called 911 during the crisis, spending 30 minutes on the phone with a first responder while trying to climb to the loft of her two-story cabin. The call eventually cut out, and she was last seen attempting to reach the roof of her home. “I just find it so hard to believe that we had no warning,” Greenslet said. “We need some answers here in Texas.”
Authorities are still working to identify many of the victims recovered from the floodwaters. Among them are at least 30 children, including several little girls who were enjoying their summer at Camp Mystic—a century-old, Christian, all-girls camp. At least 27 campers and counselors tragically died when the cabins housing eight- to 10-year-old girls were swept away before daybreak on Friday. Five girls and 19-year-old counselor Katherine Ferruzzo remain missing.
“The primary job right now continues to be locating everybody who was affected by this flood,” Abbott said. He noted that many of those unaccounted for were staying in the state’s Hill Country but had not registered at a camp or hotel. In the hardest-hit Kerr County, 87 people have died and 161 remain missing, while seven bodies have been found in Travis County and at least 10 are still missing. Eight people have died in Kendall, and Burnet has suffered five fatalities, with one person still missing. Williamson County has lost three people, with one still missing, and at least one body has been located in Tom Green County.
Abbott also clarified that state officials were aware of the potential for flooding over the Fourth of July weekend. Resources had been deployed to the area for two days before the storm hit. “We were ready with the resources on the ground to be able to quickly respond,” he said, but “no one would know that that would be a 30-foot high tsunami wall of water.”