Overview

• The Guadalupe River surged eight meters in 45 minutes on July 4, triggering floods that have claimed at least 108 lives and left roughly 161 people unaccounted for in Kerr County.
• Rescue teams are using helicopters, drones, canine units and volunteers under active flood watches to locate victims and survivors in submerged areas.
• President Trump signed a federal disaster declaration to unlock funding and FEMA support, and he is set to visit the hardest-hit communities on Friday.
• Local leaders and residents say outdated sirens and radio alerts failed to issue timely warnings, prompting urgent calls to modernize flood-warning systems.
• Climate experts link the unprecedented downpour to human-driven warming while critics argue that past NOAA budget cuts weakened forecasting and preparedness.