Texas Game Wardens patrol around Camp Mystic in Hunt, Texas, the United States, July 5, 2025, following the July 4 devastating flooding. The July 4 devastating flooding in central Texas has claimed at least 119 lives as of Wednesday morning, with the death toll widely expected to further climb, local authorities said. (Photo by Brenda Bazan/Xinhua)
HOUSTON, July 9 (Xinhua) -- The July 4 devastating flooding in central Texas has claimed at least 119 lives as of Wednesday morning, with the death toll widely expected to further climb, local authorities said.
Kerr County Sheriff Larry Leitha confirmed that at least 161 people remain missing in the hardest-hit county, including five girls and a counselor from an all-girls summer camp along the Guadalupe River.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott said Tuesday night that at least 173 people were unaccounted for across the state. He has ordered state flags to be flown at half-staff until sunrise on July 14 to honor the victims.
Meanwhile, three people died after flash floods battered the village of Ruidoso in the central southern state of New Mexico on Tuesday, according to New Mexico officials.
According to the National Weather Service, floods kill an average of 113 people per year in the United States over the past decade, accounting for nearly one-sixth of all weather-related deaths. ■
Excavators collect debris along the banks of the Guadalupe River in Center Point, Texas, the United States, July 8, 2025, after the July 4 devastating flooding. The July 4 devastating flooding in central Texas has claimed at least 119 lives as of Wednesday morning, with the death toll widely expected to further climb, local authorities said. (Photo by Brenda Bazan/Xinhua)
Damaged trees and debris from mobile homes are pictured on the banks of the Guadalupe River in Kerrville, Texas, the United States, July 7, 2025, after the July 4 devastating flooding. The July 4 devastating flooding in central Texas has claimed at least 119 lives as of Wednesday morning, with the death toll widely expected to further climb, local authorities said. (Photo by Brenda Bazan/Xinhua)
People place flowers to mourn for the victims of the July 4 devastating flooding in Kerrville, Texas, the United States, July 9, 2025. The July 4 devastating flooding in central Texas has claimed at least 119 lives as of Wednesday morning, with the death toll widely expected to further climb, local authorities said. (Photo by Brenda Bazan/Xinhua)
A pickup truck is seen in the Guadalupe River along with debris after the July 4 devastating flooding in Kerrville, Texas, the United States, July 5, 2025. The July 4 devastating flooding in central Texas has claimed at least 119 lives as of Wednesday morning, with the death toll widely expected to further climb, local authorities said. (Photo by Brenda Bazan/Xinhua)
A Texas Game Warden patrols around Camp Mystic in Hunt, Texas, the United States, July 5, 2025, following the July 4 devastating flooding. The July 4 devastating flooding in central Texas has claimed at least 119 lives as of Wednesday morning, with the death toll widely expected to further climb, local authorities said. (Photo by Brenda Bazan/Xinhua)
A damaged home is pictured on the banks of the Guadalupe River in Kerrville, Texas, the United States, July 7, 2025, after the July 4 devastating flooding. The July 4 devastating flooding in central Texas has claimed at least 119 lives as of Wednesday morning, with the death toll widely expected to further climb, local authorities said. (Photo by Brenda Bazan/Xinhua)
Damaged trees are pictured after the July 4 devastating flooding in Ingram, Texas, the United States, July 5, 2025. The July 4 devastating flooding in central Texas has claimed at least 119 lives as of Wednesday morning, with the death toll widely expected to further climb, local authorities said. (Photo by Brenda Bazan/Xinhua)
Damaged trees are pictured after the July 4 devastating flooding in Ingram, Texas, the United States, July 5, 2025. The July 4 devastating flooding in central Texas has claimed at least 119 lives as of Wednesday morning, with the death toll widely expected to further climb, local authorities said. (Photo by Brenda Bazan/Xinhua)
Texas Game Wardens patrol around Camp Mystic in Hunt, Texas, the United States, July 5, 2025, following the July 4 devastating flooding. The July 4 devastating flooding in central Texas has claimed at least 119 lives as of Wednesday morning, with the death toll widely expected to further climb, local authorities said. (Photo by Brenda Bazan/Xinhua)
