Overview
- A private drone illegally operating in restricted airspace collided with a rescue helicopter in Kerr County, forcing an emergency landing and sidelining vital equipment.
- Texas Military Department’s MQ-9 Reaper drones continue high-altitude search missions under a lowered FAA temporary flight restriction to map flood zones.
- Officials report 91 confirmed deaths, including 28 children, with 41 people still unaccounted for after the Guadalupe River surged by 26 feet.
- State-led operations have completed over 525 rescues or evacuations, while professional drones, helicopters and boats have saved more than 850 people overall.
- President Trump’s Major Disaster Declaration has mobilized FEMA resources and federal support to strengthen local search, rescue and recovery efforts.