Overview

• Sheriff Larry Leitha reports 120 confirmed deaths and 172 people still missing after flash floods swept Kerr County on July 4.
• A volunteer firefighter’s July 4 call recording shows authorities waited for supervisor approval before issuing CodeRED alerts, delaying warnings by hours.
• Governor Greg Abbott has called a special July legislative session to investigate emergency response failures highlighted by the audio disclosure.
• President Trump visited the devastated region on July 11 and signed a federal disaster declaration to unlock FEMA assistance and other relief resources.
• Critics argue that recent budget cuts to the National Weather Service weakened forecast accuracy and hampered early-warning capabilities in Hill Country.