Overview

• Rescue crews continue scouring the Hill Country for more than 160 people still unaccounted for following the July 4 Guadalupe River surge, with over 120 lives confirmed lost
• Texas and federal agencies have opened emergency funding channels in seven impacted counties to unlock FEMA’s individual and public assistance programs for survivors
• California’s Urban Search and Rescue team arrived under EMAC support alongside units from multiple states to bolster the Texas Division of Emergency Management and local responders
• Internal reviews have been launched into substantial delays in CodeRed flood warnings and the potential impact of past staffing and budget cuts at FEMA and the National Weather Service
• Experts highlight the region’s ‘Flash Flood Alley’ topography and semi-arid soils as key factors that accelerated runoff and amplified the flood’s sudden severity