Gov. Greg Abbott declared a disaster after flooding claimed dozens of lives in Kerr County.
KERRVILLE, Texas — Texas Gov. Greg Abbott expanded a disaster declaration initially issued in the wake of the tragic flooding in Kerr County, as flooding continued to affect other parts of South and Central Texas.
Kerr County officials said at a news conference Saturday morning that at least 32 people have been killed as a result of the massive flooding. Of those 32 victims, 18 were adults and 14 were children.
Early Friday morning, between the hours of 4 a.m. and 6 a.m., the Guadalupe River rose more than 26 feet due to an intense and slow-moving storm in the Hill Country. The rapid rise of a wall of water impacted dozens of summer camps, campgrounds, RV parks, and homes along the Guadalupe River.
On Friday, Gov. Abbott signed a state disaster declaration for 15 counties, including Kerr, Bandera, Comal, and Llano, and vowed to deploy “every tool, strategy, and asset” to aid local communities. At a news conference Saturday, Gov. Abbott expanded the disaster declaration to include Bexar, Burnet, Caldwell, Guadalupe, Travis and Williamson counties.
He said the state will continue to add counties as needed.
“Also, I have had the opportunity to visit with not just Secretary Noem, but other members of the Trump administration,” Gov. Abbott said.
At the news conference, the governor signed a request for a federal disaster declaration to seek assistance in the recovery effort from the federal government.
“I want to express my gratitude in advance to President Trump and the entire administration for his love for the state of Texas,” Gov. Abbott said.
Abbott was joined at the news conference by Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem, who said President Trump is monitoring the situation.
“He wanted everyone to know how much he loves Texas, how much he is grieving for your families who have lost someone — the beautiful children that we are still looking for and hoping to return to their families,” Secretary Noem said.