After a weekend of catastrophic flooding in central Texas, search operations continue as questions arise about whether authorities could have done more to warn the population before the rapid rise in river levels.
The Guadalupe River rose more than 8 meters in less than an hour on Friday morning, sweeping low-lying houses, cars, and trees downstream, and destroying much of Camp Mystic, a Christian summer camp for girls only.
At least 82 people have died and another 371 are missing, authorities said on Sunday. Emergency teams have already rescued hundreds of people by boat, truck, and helicopter. But search efforts have been hampered by fallen debris, heat, snakes, and constant rain. Flash floods killed at least 11 people in the Austin area on Saturday, and a flood warning is in effect until Monday night in south-central Texas, including the Kerrville area, which is in turmoil.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott said on Sunday that the state is expanding its scope for rescue efforts—citing lives lost “in the metropolitan area”—but promised that Kerrville remains a priority.
President Trump signed a federal disaster declaration on Sunday to aid these efforts and said he will visit the state this week. Here’s what else we know so far.
1. The death toll is expected to rise
The death toll in Kerr County, the hardest hit, includes 40 adults and 28 children, said Sheriff Larry Leitha on Sunday.
Camp Mystic, located on the banks of the Guadalupe River about 29 kilometers from Kerrville, mourns the loss of 27 campers and counselors. Separately, the camp director’s death was confirmed by the family.
The century-old institution was hosting about 750 campers, according to Texas Public Radio. It is unclear whether this death toll includes the 10 campers and one counselor who, authorities said, were missing as of Sunday.
Abbott said on Sunday that although a total of 41 people are missing, that number is likely much higher.
“Especially in the Kerrville area, there were many people camping… adults camping near the river, people in trailers and the like,” he said. “There are people missing who are not on the confirmed missing list because we still don’t know who they are.”
Authorities asked residents to notify local authorities if any of their loved ones were missing in the Kerrville area—and to avoid potentially dangerous road conditions, not interfering with rescue operations.
2. Search and rescue efforts continue
Authorities say more than 850 people have been rescued so far. The Texas Military Department reported on Sunday that it rescued 520 people through 361 Black Hawk air evacuations and 159 ground rescues.
More than 400 rescuers from more than 20 agencies have assisted in search and rescue efforts in Kerr County. Local authorities said on Sunday there has been a “full response from local, state, and national rescuers,” with air, water, K-9, and other resources involved.
3. Federal meteorologists and Texas officials are pointing fingers
Questions are mounting over whether a region nicknamed “Flash Flood Alley” should have prepared more for Friday’s deluge, such as evacuating local summer camps 
.
Kerrville City Manager Dalton Rice refused to answer those questions at a Sunday press conference, saying the “rain fell at the most inopportune time and in the most inopportune areas.”
Some Texas officials suggested that the National Weather Service (NWS) did not adequately warn them of the extent of the danger, which the federal agency denies.
According to the NPR timeline, the Texas Division of Emergency Management activated emergency response resources as early as Wednesday. On Thursday, the agency posted on social media and informed local authorities about the risk of potential flooding.
Separately, the NWS office in Austin/San Antonio issued a flood warning for several counties, which was upgraded to a flash flood warning just after midnight on Friday and expanded in the early morning hours.
At 4:06 a.m., with river levels rising rapidly, the agency warned of an “ongoing very dangerous flash flood event.” The official social media pages of the Kerrville City Police Department and Kerr County Sheriff’s Office only posted emergency information after 6 a.m.
Meteorologists told NPR that it is extremely difficult to predict what a complex weather system will do and then convince people to prepare for the worst-case scenario. Some critics questioned whether these efforts were further hampered by cuts to the federal workforce under the Trump administration, which cost the NWS nearly 600 workers earlier this year (some were rehired after backlash).
Trump denied this on Sunday. “I’d say this is a 100-year catastrophe, and it’s horrible to watch,” Trump said.
4. Trump says he will visit Texas later this week
Rice, the Kerrville city manager, said on Sunday that “local and regional partners are committed to a full review of the events and systems in place.”
But with all eyes on rescue and recovery operations, federal and state authorities say questions about what went wrong—and future preparedness plans—should be reassessed later.
“We will focus on finding those who can be found, so we can always assess what we need to do later, going forward,” said U.S. Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, on Saturday.
Trump told reporters on Sunday that he plans to visit Texas this week, “probably on Friday.”
“I would have done it today, but we would just be getting in the way,” he said.
U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-Texas, told Morning Edition on Monday that it has been heartening to see the level of support Kerr County is receiving from people around the world, including donations and volunteer sign-ups.
“But the community will take a long time to recover there,” he said.
Texas Public Radio compiled this guide on how to find and get help in the area.
Source: npr.org by Rachel Treisman