New death toll from devastating Texas floods rises to more than 100, including about 30 children

The devastating floods that ravaged Texas , in the southern United States, have left more than 100 dead, according to a new report announced Monday, July 7, 2025, by local authorities.

Kerr County alone, the hardest-hit county, has reported 84 deaths, including 28 children. In total, at least 104 flood-related deaths have been reported in the central part of the state.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott warned in a statement Monday that there was " still a threat of heavy rains that could cause flooding" as searches continue.

"Texas is in mourning. The pain and shock of what has happened over the past few days has broken the heart of our state," Texas Senator Ted Cruz said at a press conference.

Among the victims were 27 children and counselors at the Christian girls' camp Camp Mystic, on the banks of the Guadalupe River, which hosted some 750 people, officials said.

US President Donald Trump plans to visit the country on Friday, the White House confirmed, slamming criticism that budget cuts to the National Weather Service have undermined the reliability of forecasts and warnings.

"Holding President Trump responsible for these floods is a heinous lie, which makes no sense during this time of national mourning," spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt told reporters on Monday.

"Nightmare"

Calling the floods "a disaster the likes of which we haven't seen in 100 years," Donald Trump signed a disaster declaration over the weekend to provide Texas with federal resources.

More than 400 rescuers, as well as helicopters and drones, are participating in the search, authorities said.

In the town of Hunt, near Camp Mystic, rescue teams spent all day Monday searching for the missing bodies . Rescuers on boats and divers searched the river, while volunteers patrolled the banks on horseback, an AFP journalist reported.

After two days of searching amid uprooted trees and the rubble of the holiday centre, hoping until the end for "a miracle" , Michael McCown confirmed to AFP on Monday that his eight-year-old daughter, Linnie, had died.

"It's every parent's nightmare," said Senator Ted Cruz, whose children have attended the camp for about a decade.

Warning siren

Residents in the area complained over the weekend that they had not been warned early enough about the risk of flooding.

After the disaster, Nicole Wilson, a mother of two from San Antonio who almost sent her daughters to Camp Mystic, launched a petition asking the state's governor to approve the implementation of a more modern warning system.

"A siren triggered, just for five minutes, could have saved every one of these children," she told AFP.

The flash floods were caused by torrential rains in the central part of the state early Friday, the American Independence Day holiday, which caused the waters of the Guadalupe River to rise eight meters in just 45 minutes .

Suddenly, almost 300 millimeters of rain per hour fell, a third of the average annual rainfall.

The Guadalupe River had returned to its bed, but the banks still offered a spectacle of desolation.

Flood warnings remained in effect in parts of Central Texas until 7 p.m. local time (midnight GMT Tuesday).

Flash floods, caused by torrential rains that the dried-out soil cannot absorb, are not uncommon. But according to the scientific community, human-induced climate change has made weather events such as floods, droughts, and heatwaves more frequent and intense.