AUSTIN (KXAN) — President Donald Trump spoke about the loss of life as a result of the flooding while surrounded by state and city leaders in Kerrville on Friday.
“Dozens and dozens of precious children taken from us. It’s terrible,” he said during a news conference at the roundtable.
After surveying the damage, Trump said, “I had never seen anything like it. A little narrow river that becomes a monster.”
Melania Trump also spoke at the roundtable, giving her sympathies to the families who lost someone in the flooding.
“My deepest sympathy to all of the parents who lost beautiful young souls. We are grieving with you, our nation is grieving with you,” Melania Trump said.
Melania Trump said a bracelet was given to her by a girls’ summer camp that was devastated in the flooding in honor of little girls who lost their lives.
Gov. Greg Abbott also spoke at the round table and highlighted the strength of Texans when it comes to facing tragedy.
“We are one team united, we are Texans. Fighting as Texans, we are going to rebuild not just Kerrville, Hunt, or Kerr County, but across the entire state, across regions. We are going to come together and fight together and ensure that we elevate even better,” Abbott said, “We will be our quintessential selves, and that is Texas tough and Texas resilient.”
Redistricting, flood warning systems on Texas special session agenda
Abbott announced a full special session agenda Wednesday, including a rumored mid-decade redistricting of congressional maps and the creation of flood warning systems in response to the deadly and destructive floods that hit Central Texas. The special session begins July 21.
Redistricting made headlines in recent weeks as the New York Times reported President Donald Trump was urging Texas Republican congressmen to redraw the state’s maps ahead of the 2026 midterms.
With a slim majority in the U.S. House, it would only take three flips for Democrats to retake control of the chamber. Redrawing maps to benefit the GOP could offset any losses in other parts of the country, and potentially keep the House for the GOP if the election is close.
Republicans already hold 25 out of 38 congressional seats in Texas — a higher percentage of seats than Trump’s 2024 vote share. Some Republicans reportedly have worries that redrawing the maps could make their seats more vulnerable if the midterm environment is favorable to Democrats.
To address flooding, legislation to improve warning systems and emergency communications in flood-prone areas of Texas is one of the first items in Abbott’s release announcing the agenda. Flooding over the July 4 weekend killed over 100 people in the Texas Hill Country and surrounding counties.
In addition to new warning systems, the special session agenda includes additional funding for flood relief efforts and additional regulation for natural disaster recovery and preparedness.
Abbott: Special session may address warnings after deadly Texas floods
State lawmakers could soon be back at the Capitol considering better warnings for floods in Texas. Just days after the Guadalupe River rushed over its banks and killed dozens in Kerr County, Abbott confirmed to reporters that a looming special session will focus on this critical issue.
“(It’s) the way to respond to what happened in Kerrville,” Abbott said during a Sunday press conference at the State Emergency Operations Center in Austin.
Following the end of the regular session in May, Abbott announced he would call lawmakers back on July 21. It is unclear if that special session will include any flood-related topics; those could be reserved for a subsequent special session.
In 2023, Abbott called four special sessions, which can only tackle issues the governor outlines. Abbott’s initial agenda for the upcoming special session includes regulating THC, human trafficking and title theft, among other items. Special sessions may last up to 30 days but can end sooner.
After deadly floods, state and federal leaders look for answers
In the aftermath of the Kerr County flooding, there are growing questions about how the response was handled as leaders at all levels continue looking for answers.
“I think there’s certainly a lot of questions that need to be answered, you know, the how and the why are always something that we’re going to look at in the wake of a tragedy,” said State Rep. Joe Moody, D-El Paso. “And that’s something we owe to the people of Texas, to those families who have suffered immensely, we owe that to them.”
Moody wants to see long-term and immediate changes that could include funding for outdoor warning sirens.
“When we’re talking about short-term solutions, like these flood warning systems,” Moody said. “Those are things we can do right now.”
On Tuesday, State Rep. Drew Darby, R-San Angelo, shared a letter he sent Gov. Greg Abbott on social media. Darby wants to see a failed bill co-authored by Moody, House Bill 13, resurface. KXAN first reported on the bill over the weekend. If passed, it would have developed a statewide strategic plan that included “the use of outdoor warning sirens.” A newly formed council would have been asked to “develop and implement, as advisable, emergency alert systems and incorporate as necessary communication technologies into the emergency communications network of this state.”
“While we cannot change the past, we must act now to better prepare our communities for future natural disasters and ensure our neighbors have the resources to rebuild,” Darby wrote on X. “This includes, among other things, investing in a more robust and comprehensive alert system, as well as ensuring a coordinated, long-term recovery effort that leaves no community behind.”
His letter asked the governor to urgently consider adding “strengthening the ability of our state and local communities to prepare for, respond to, and recover from natural disasters” to the July 21 special session.
On Tuesday, Abbott said “at the top” of the agenda will be helping communities impacted.
“We’re going to start a special session two Mondays from now. A special session that will have at the top of its agenda helping communities like in Kerr County, Kendall County, as well as in Central Texas and the Big Country — all areas affected by the floods of the past week — those issues are going to be on the agenda for the state to address, from top to bottom,” Abbott said. “We want to make sure that when we end that session, we end it making sure these communities are better, more resilient and have the resources that they need for the next chapter of their lives.”
“You’re going to see a bipartisan group of legislators lock arms and work on solutions to these problems,” Moody said.
As Kerr County leaders avoid alert questions, new audio surfaces in CodeRED timeline
Dispatch audio has surfaced from the critical hours before a deadly flood hit its height in Kerr County, helping piece together the timeframe local officials have yet to provide amid public scrutiny of their decisions on July 4.
“We still have water coming up,” an Ingram volunteer firefighter is heard telling a county sheriff dispatcher at 4:22 a.m. “The Guadalupe Schumacher sign is underwater on State Highway 39. Is there any way we can send a CodeRED out to our Hunt residents, asking them to find higher ground or stay home?”
CodeRED is a notification system some agencies use to send emergency alerts to subscribers’ cell phones. Online, the county encourages residents to sign up for the free service, which “has the ability to notify the entire county or only the affected areas” about emergency situations – including severe weather – “in a matter of minutes.”
In the recording obtained by KXAN investigators from a credible source, the dispatcher then tells the firefighter: “We have to get that approved with our supervisor. Just be advised we do have the Texas water rescue en route.”
The timing of that request came more than three hours after the National Weather Service issued a flash flood warning – at 1:14 a.m. – for a portion of the county and around 20 minutes after the federal forecasting agency warned of a flash flood emergency – at 4:03 a.m. – in the area.
It is still unclear at what time CodeRED alerts went out, as local officials have largely sidestepped related questions. Kerrville Mayor Joe Herring, Jr. told reporters the only CodeRED notification he received was at 6 a.m., indicating a flash flood alert or “something to that effect.”
Camp Mystic passed state inspection two days before deadly flood
As calls for accountability continue surrounding the deadly flood in Kerr County, state inspection reports show a recent history of safety compliance at a girls’ summer camp that has become the epicenter of national debate since the July 4 tragedy.
A flash flood early Friday morning forced the Guadalupe River to rise more than 30 feet, spilling over its banks and into Camp Mystic. By Tuesday, officials said at least 27 from the camp were dead. Five girls and one counselor were still missing.
Concern over weather alerts and evacuation preparedness have surfaced at daily press briefings. Officials have largely said they remain focused on recovery efforts at this time, though some have called for an eventual, broader review to better understand what happened and how it can be prevented in the future.
Among the questions swirling is the level of readiness at the camp for such an event. While experts have said this specific weather pattern would have been difficult to forecast fully, newly-obtained Department of State Health Services inspection records indicate the camp was following guidelines and rules for safety and awareness – including having an emergency plan in place.
According to DSHS, youth camps are required to maintain such plans. An agency spokesperson told KXAN it does not maintain copies of those plans, but camps are required to post plans clearly in every building. Written plans are required to include disasters including flooding, and procedures for emergency shelter and for evacuation of each occupied building.
“DSHS reviews the camp’s emergency plans onsite during their annual inspection for the correct elements listed in the Texas Administrative Code,” the DSHS spokesperson added.
KXAN reviewed the camp’s latest inspection reports from 2023-2025, finding no major deficiencies. The most recent inspection was conducted by a DSHS employee on July 2 – just two days before the flood – then listing 386 campers and 64 staff members at the camp.
- READ: Camp Mystic 2025 State Inspection Report
In each report, inspectors checked if the camp had a qualified director, the right ratio of supervisors to campers, qualified oversight for hazardous activities and written personnel policies and practices. Its youth camp license was also valid through March 6 next year.
Bunks and buildings were also checked for compliance with building codes, fire hazards and life safety rules. Beds were checked to ensure adequate space for exit. The camp passed on all those items each of the past three years, according to DSHS.
DSHS also checked if the camp had required emergency plans, including written plans in case of a disaster posted at the camp’s administrative office or location. The camp was also required to notify staff and volunteers of the emergency plan and document training. All those items were answered “yes” each year and received DSHS approval, according to the last three years of reports.
How to help local Texas communities impacted by flooding
After severe flooding over the Independence Day weekend in Central Texas — including in Kerr, San Saba, Travis, Williamson and Burnet counties — KXAN viewers asked us how they can help.
Currently, state and local authorities ask the public to avoid affected areas while they work, unless they are helping in conjunction with official, organized groups. Self-deployed volunteers may get in the way of responders, or get injured or lost — adding to the workload. They also ask that the public not fly aircraft, including drones, into the area.
After major disasters, it’s common for scammers to use crisis to take advantage of generosity. Before you donate, check the organization’s official website to confirm if a charity is legitimate. To assess the legitimacy of a GoFundMe campaign, GoFundMe provides these steps.
Over the Fourth of July holiday weekend, catastrophic flooding took the lives of more than 100 people across the Hill Country and Central Texas. A webpage has been dedicated to honoring the memories of those we lost.