Latest Kerr County updates: Search and rescue suspended due to possible flooding, community unites at memorial sites

SAN ANTONIO — A second weekend of searching for flood victims in Kerr County comes to an end Sunday, when hundreds more volunteers are expected to arrive and help scour land along the Guadalupe River for signs of the missing. 

At least 161 are still unaccounted for after the July Fourth floods that saw the waters of the Guadalupe rise to historic levels in Central Texas, officials with Kerr County said Friday. Authorities have confirmed 103 deaths, 36 of whom are children. 

Those numbers did not change Saturday. But with dozens still missing, the death toll for what is already one of the worst flooding disasters in Texas’ history is still expected to grow. 

The Ingram Fire Department posted on its Facebook page Sunday morning it was suspending search and rescue operations due to potential for rain and flooding. A Flood Watch was issued for the region until Sunday at 7 p.m. Search and Rescue operations are also suspended in Hunt and Kerrville, according to those cities’ fire department pages.

“Please pray for the safety of the thousands of first responders out in the field this weekend,” Kerrville Mayor Joe Herring Jr. said in a statement. “Remember in your prayers those who mourn, and those who wait for word for their missing family members.”

The floods sent RVs slamming into each other at campgrounds, tore homes from foundations and carried cars miles downstream. Families continue to share stories of loss but also of survival, including a woman who clung to a tree and began to pray, and a family that escaped rising floodwaters in their home and returned to find their dog alive in the washing machine. 

More than 2,000 local, state and federal personnel are involved in the ongoing search and recovery operations. Their efforts have been bolstered by more than 12,000 volunteers pitching in over the past several days to look for survivors and ensure first responders and victims have what they need. 

The Ingram Fire Department posted a video showing scenes of search and rescue crews out doing the difficult work of flood recovery. “The images you’ll see are pieces of our story. They are the moments we can’t forget and the strength we hope you’ll remember,” the department posted in the caption of the video. Take a look at the video here.

Given an expected large number of volunteers this weekend, Kerrville officials established Tivy Antler Stadium (1310 Sidney Baker) as a drive-thru check-in area for those wanting to help. They’re also urged to register online ahead of time. 

The city has also set up a Family Assistance Center at BT Wilson School (605 Tivy Street) for those who are injured or have missing of deceased relatives as a result of the floods. It’s open daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. 

Meanwhile, amid ongoing questions about whether local officials did everything they could to mitigate the extent of the flooding disaster, the state is gearing up for a special legislative session where flooding safety and warning systems are now expected to be priority items. 

“We are eight days removed from the most devastating tragedy in this community’s history,” Kerrville City Manager Dalton Rice said in a statement. “From the start, the city and county have pledged transparency and a full review of the disaster response, and we stand by those commitments.”

The Hill Country is also contending with a flooding threat Sunday. Most South-Central Texas counties are under a Flood Watch until 7 p.m., including Kerr. 

>RELATED: How to help victims of the Kerr County floods
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As families in the area continue to mourn loved ones killed in the flood, they’re gathering at two growing makeshift memorial sites in the city. 

One is on the banks of Nimitz Lake, where artist Roberto Marquez and a small team are erecting dozens of crosses—one for each of the victims. Marquez undertook similar missions of solidarity in Uvalde in 2022, following the Robb Elementary School shooting, and later that summer in San Antonio after 53 migrants died after being abandoned in an overheated semitruck. 

“All these families that are going through this difficult moment, they will know that they’re not alone,” Marquez said. “And that way, their struggle can be handled easier.”

A few miles down the road, closer to the center of town, is a fence that has become a memorial wall for victims filled with photos, names, stuffed animals, flowers and personal letters.

There, a Friday evening vigil drew a large crowd, including families who lost loved ones, who are still searching and who are simply mourning alongside their neighbors. 

“It’s the most miraculous demonstration of unity we see in this community,” said Bishop-elect Marc Steele of St. Michael and All Angels Anglican Church in Kerrville. “We’re really joined in this sorrow and grief together.”

Five campers remain missing from Camp Mystic, the beloved all-girls Christian camp in Hunt that was struck particularly hard by the floods on July Fourth. More than 700 people were at the camp the morning of July Fourth. 

Camp staff said 27 of its young campers and counselors were killed, including Dick Eastland, Mystic’s executive director. 

On Saturday, the camp in a new statement thanked its counselors “that embodied the Mystic Spirit and put their campers first as they guided them to safety.”

“There are many counselors and others that we claim as heroes that night, and we will be forever grateful,” the camp said. 

Authorities said for most of this week that one counselor was also still unaccounted for. This weekend, the family of Katherine Ferruzzo confirmed her body was found Friday. 

She had just graduated from high school in Houston and was set to attend the University of Texas at Austin in the fall to become a special education teacher. 

It was announced Friday morning that more than $30 million had already been raised for flood victims through the Kerr County Flood Relief Fund, a major milestone for a community devastated by its neighboring river. 

More than 20 nonprofits that have been on the ground since day one would receive grants, it was announced, as well as individuals, families, local businesses and first responders. 

Austin Dixon, CEO of the Community Foundation of the Texas Hill Country, also thanked corporations like H-E-B, James Avery and Broadway Bank for providing major donations. 

“This is only the beginning,” Dixon said. “This community, this region and this state (are) not ready for the power of philanthropy that is coming to this town. We are going to do so much good because we are from Texas, and Texans step up and we handle it.”

Big-name Texas musicians are stepping up in their own way. Country superstar George Strait and Tejano favorite Shelly Lares have announced benefit concerts for the coming weeks to benefit flood victims. 

Another opportunity to help arrives Monday, when Butt-Holdsworth Memorial Library (505 Water St.) hosts a blood drive. To make an appointment, email laura.sharp@southtexasblood.org. 

All parts of Texas have lent a helping hand to the Hill Country in their difficult time. 

That includes the Rio Grande Valley, from which mounted patrol officers from the City of Pharr in Hidalgo County have trotted out to help search in tough Kerr County terrain. 

“Our end goal, our end result, is to bring peace of mind to all of our families here in Ingram, and Kerr County,” said Senior Officer Irving Segura. 

They say while they are not from the Hill Country, they stand with the community that has welcomed them with open arms. Segura says they plan on being here through at least the end of the week.