Another Camp Mystic camper from Austin identified; Williamson County extends disaster declaration

AUSTIN, Texas — Widespread flooding across Central Texas has devastated local communities, with residents now left surveying damage and mourning loved ones. 

Here’s the latest information on local victims, available resources and more, as of Friday, July 11.

A third young girl from Austin has been confirmed among the dead after catastrophic floods hit Camp Mystic in Kerr County. The family of Abby Lynn Pohl confirmed her death on Friday, July 11. 

“Abby had a magical life force that filled the room with light and laughter,” the Pohl family said in part. “Her quirky sense of humor and the mischievous twinkle in her beautiful blue eyes made her a magnet for others, many of whom claimed her as their ‘best friend.'”

The family expressed gratitude for the love and support they’ve received and asked for privacy.

President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump toured affected areas of Central Texas on Friday. The president met with first responders, spoke with victims’ families and got a briefing from officials. Gov. Greg Abbott and U.S. Sens. John Cornyn and Ted Cruz joined the visit.

The president also approved Texas’ request to extend the federal disaster declaration to other counties beyond Kerr County, making them eligible for direct financial assistance to recover and rebuild. In addition to Kerr County and neighboring Kendall County, the included counties are Travis, Williamson, Burnet, Kimble, Menard, San Saba and Tom Green.

As of Thursday, 96 bodies have been recovered in Kerr and Kendall counties, including 36 children. Among them is 20-month-old Clay Parisher of Austin, who died when his family’s home became engulfed in water from the Guadalupe River.

The death toll is expected to grow, as 161 people are still considered missing in the area.

On Friday morning, Leander Mayor Christine DeLisle released a lengthy statement on social media, in which she said Leander first responders were called to assist Travis County crews early Saturday morning in the Sandy Creek area. She said that for days, she believed Leander was still helping Travis County because “that is the protocol for disasters in the state of Texas and what we always do.” But according to her, that isn’t what happened.

“I’ve only recently learned that after the initial rescues, Travis County began denying us access and asking our teams to stand down,” DeLisle wrote in part, later adding, “If I had known, I would have moved mountains to change that response by calling county officials directly or by publicly demanding action.”

DeLisle said in reviewing Travis County’s Hazard Mitigation Plan, she found that Sandy Creek was marked as a flood risk but not specifically identified for mitigation efforts.

“I don’t know how such an area could be overlooked, but it is unacceptable,” she wrote in part, later adding, “I do not know why Leander has been denied access to so much of this tragedy. Sandy Creek is part of our community, and we would have gladly taken command.”

Much of Leander is located in Williamson County, but some of it is located in Travis County.

The city of Leander will hold a candlelight vigil for those impacted by the floods on Saturday at 8 p.m. at the Austin Community College – Leander Campus, located at 449 San Gabriel Campus Drive. Attendees are asked to meet in the grass area beside the building.

Meanwhile, on Sunday at 5 p.m., the Long Center for the Performing Arts will host a benefit concert for the Kerr County Flood Relief Fund. Tickets are “pay what you want,” starting at $10. The lineup includes: Aaron Behrens of Ghostland Observatory, Sarah Hickman, Bob Schneider, Walker Lukens, Chaparelle, Next of Kin, Me Nd Adam, Ryan King of Night Cap, Bob Flaco of Netherhour, Gina Chavez, TheBrosFresh, Jackie Venson, Buffalo Hunt, Dossey, Nico Little, Letrainiump and more.

On Thursday, Travis County officials said nine bodies have been recovered and four people are still missing. Officials have identified five of the eight people. Four of those victims, all from Leander, are 50-year-old August Panning, 66-year-old Virginia Watts Dailey, 67-year-old Dan Dailey and 84-year-old Betty Massey West. The fifth victim identified by officials is 17-year-old Malaya Hammond from Marble Falls, who went missing in Burnet County but was recovered in Travis County.

Meanwhile, the family of 54-year-old Doug West has confirmed that he is among the nine people recovered.

The Travis County Sheriff’s Office said it is still working to positively identify the other bodies recovered in Travis County and notify those victims’ next of kin.

On Friday, Travis County Judge Andy Brown signed an executive order banning all use of Lake Travis due to health and safety hazards following the floods. The order bans all recreational, commercial and navigational use of the waterways in Lake Travis, but still allows access to people designated as emergency response, or representatives from state or local agencies.

On Thursday afternoon, Gov. Greg Abbott directed the Texas Division of Emergency Management (TDEM) to officially request more counties be added to President Trump’s Major Disaster Declaration, including Travis, Williamson, Burnet, Tom Green and San Saba counties. The counties were added to the declaration on Friday, making people in these counties eligible for Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Individual Assistance programs.

Also on Thursday, Travis County opened a Flood Resource Recovery Center at Danielson Middle School, located at 1061 Collaborative Way in Leander. The center is providing a wide array of services, including meals, showers, cleaning supplies, health screenings and connection to crisis cleanup and case management. It will be open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. each day.

Residents in the Sandy Creek area have been heavily impacted by the flooding, including the closure of Big Sandy Drive. Travis County, the Texas Department of Emergency Management and Texas Department of Transportation are working together to address access to the bridge.

In the meantime, CapMetro and Leander ISD will run a shuttle from 6 a.m. to 7:30 p.m., at least every 45 minutes, to assist community members. The shuttle will travel from Round Mountain Baptist Church to the Leander Park & Ride, H-E-B on Hero Way and the Donelson Middle School resource site. Sandy Creek residents may also receive a CapMetro pass for access to all of the transit agency’s services.

Travis County said it has also provided a large dumpster for Sandy Creek residents, located directly on the north side of the bridge. The dumpster is intended only for daily household trash, not storm debris or yard waste. That kind of waste will be collected later, under a separate process that is still being worked out. The county said the existing dumpster will be emptied as often as necessary. 

Household trash can also be brought to the FM1431 Citizens Collection Center, located at 2625 Woodall Dr. in Leander. Travis County is waiving drop-off fees for now, and the hours of operation are Thursday through Saturday from 8 a.m. to 3:50 p.m.

Williamson County officials have confirmed three deaths. One victim has been identified as 22-year-old Kaitlyn Swallow from the Liberty Hill area, and another is 64-year-old Sherry Merlene Richardson, also from Liberty Hill. The third victim was recovered on Tuesday afternoon but has not yet been publicly identified.

Hope House, a home for disabled children located in Liberty Hill, said in a social media post that Richardson was one of its employees. Richardson’s daughter also spoke with KVUE about her mother.

Williamson County officials said in an update Wednesday that one person is still missing, but the city of Leander is taking the lead on finding them. The city said 75-year-old Jay Dunn had not been in contact with his family since June 7, prompting concern during the recent flooding near his home. When officers conducted a welfare check, they were unable to find Dunn and reported that evidence suggested he may have been near the river when the water levels rose.

Williamson County officials said some of Dunn’s belongs, including a scooter, were located. A search for him began on Sunday and is still underway, according to the city of Leander. Dunn’s son told KVUE the family is hoping he will be found, but if nothing else, they would like closure.

As of Wednesday, 54 structures in Williamson County have confirmed damage and county crews are going door-to-door to assess additional damage. However, residents are also encouraged to self-report damage through this state website.

The county has also set up a dump site for construction debris at 1650 Main St in Liberty Hill and is working to set up another, as well as a site to burn natural debris like tree branches.

On Friday, county commissioners extended Williamson County’s local disaster declaration for 60 days.

Burnet County officials have confirmed five deaths. On Wednesday, officials identified four of the five people recovered. 

One of the victims, as mentioned above, is 17-year-old Malaya Hammond. A family friend told KVUE that Hammond died trying to save her family after their car was swept off the washed out Cow Creek Bridge. On Thursday, Travis County officials confirmed her body was recovered in Travis County.

The other four Burnet County victims are 22-year-old Preston Prince, 57-year-old William Govaniavic Venus, 79-year-old Walter Reed and another person whose name has not yet been released.

As of Wednesday morning, crews are still looking for one remaining missing person: Fire Chief Michael Phillips with the Marble Falls Area Volunteer Fire Department. Phillips, who had over 30 years of service with the department, was swept away by floodwaters while responding to an emergency call near Cow Creek. His emergency vehicle was located over the weekend, but he has not been found.

Officials said Wednesday that they had moved all of their resources to the area where Phillips was last seen. A large group of people is searching the banks and the areas of Cow Creek, working their way to where the creek dumps into Lake Travis.

Meanwhile, on Friday, a Multi-Agency Resource Center will open at the Burnet Community Center at 401 E Jackson St. to help residents impacted by the flood. The center will remain open through July 18.

A debris collection site is also available at 2411 Ranch Road 963, that will remain open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m.

The principal of Glenn High School has identified incoming sophomore Braxton Jarmon as a victim of the floods. Principal Josh Haug said Jarmon’s sister and fellow Glenn High student, Felicity, is currently missing, as is the students’ stepmother. 

It is not clear at this time if Jarmon and his family members are being counted among the victim numbers for Travis or Williamson counties.