Cliff Notes
- At least 95 people have died due to flash floods in Texas, with significant casualties in Kerr County, where 75 fatalities have been recorded, including 27 at a girls’ summer camp.
- White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt warned of ongoing dangers from potential further heavy rainfall, while officials expressed concern over the National Weather Service’s preparedness and response to the disaster.
- As recovery efforts continue, 41 individuals remain missing, and community leaders are urging caution around floodwaters due to debris and potential hazards.
Four more deaths confirmed in Texas floods – bringing total to at least 95
At least 95 people have died in the flash floods that have left a trail of destruction across Texas, according to US reports.
Four more deaths have been reported in Burnet County hours after White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said 91 people had been killed in Texas, according to US News reports.
Most of the deaths have been recorded in Kerr County, where 75 people have died, while there have been seven fatalities in Travis County, six in Kendall County, two in Williamson County and one in Tom Green County.
Ms Leavitt has warned that “the situation on the ground remains dangerous” and that there “could be additional public safety threats with additional incoming heavy rain”.
The floods that first struck on Friday have wreaked havoc across Texas and left people in a state of grief – with 27 of the confirmed deaths having taken place at a girls’ summer camp called Camp Mystic in Kerr County.
Among those killed were Renee Smajstrla and Sarah Marsh, both eight, Eloise Peck and Lila Bonner, both nine, and the camp’s director Richard Eastland.
A photo has now emerged showing the inside of the camp on Saturday after the waters hit.
No issues are beyond political gaming
In her press conference, the White House press secretary criticised people who have claimed the Trump administration’s cuts to the National Weather Service (NWS) have played a role in the worsening the disaster.
It comes after Texas officials criticised the NWS by claiming it failed to warn the public about the impending danger.
Meanwhile, Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer asked the Department of Commerce’s acting inspector general on Monday to probe whether staffing vacancies at the NWS’s San Antonio office contributed to “delays, gaps, or diminished accuracy” in forecasting the flooding.
The NWS did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Mr Schumer’s letter but earlier defended its forecasting and emergency management.
“It is not [a political game], it is a national tragedy,” she said.
The press secretary also claimed, in relation to some NWS offices being reportedly understaffed, that one place actually had “too many people”.
“Any person who has deliberately lied about the facts around the catastrophic event, you should be deeply ashamed,” she said.
Previously, Mr Trump said it was likely he would visit on Friday.
Ms Leavitt was speaking after Kerr County Sheriff Larry Leitha said on Monday that 75 bodies had been recovered from the area.
Sheriff Leitha said the number of dead includes 48 adults and 27 children. The total figure is seven higher than the 68 deaths that had earlier been confirmed in Kerr County.
In a separate news conference in Williamson County, officials there said a second person had been confirmed dead in the area.
One official warned that debris was posing a threat to rescuers out searching for bodies, adding: “The bodies that we’re looking for could be hidden beneath 20ft of mud, trees and debris.”
An official also warned rescuers had to be wary of “snakes and skunks” in the water.
He asked people to keep away from the floodwater.
