Before dawn on July 4, 2025, catastrophic flooding swept through the Texas Hill Country when the Guadalupe River surged and rose about 30 feet in an hour, washing away bridges and roads and killing at least 137 people.
Families celebrating the holiday weekend woke to rising water racing through neighborhoods and beloved campgrounds along the Guadalupe River. Within just a few harrowing hours, homes, cabins, and vehicles were inundated. Roads became impassable, and entire communities were cut off. In multiple locations, the Guadalupe reached levels associated with 100-year and even 500-year flood events, creating one of the deadliest natural disasters in modern Texas history.
One year ago, NBC 5 documented the devastation left behind by the catastrophic Hill Country floods and examined the questions they raised. Since then, the water has receded, but the recovery is far from over. NBC 5 has continued to follow the people, policies, and questions that remain. From recovery efforts to legislative reform to families finding meaning after their lives have been reshaped by the river, this is where the story stands today.
One year later: How one family is finding hope after the Texas Hill Country flood
Nearly one year after the deadly Texas Hill Country flooding, Annie and RJ Harber are sharing publicly for the first time about losing their daughters, Blair and Brooke, and RJ’s parents. They say their Catholic faith has helped them move forward while honoring their loved ones and hoping to grow their family again. NBC 5’s Meredith Land has more.
Nearly one year after the deadly Texas Hill Country flooding, Annie and RJ Harber are sharing publicly for the first time about losing their daughters, Blair and Brooke, and RJ’s parents. They say their Catholic faith has helped them move forward while honoring their loved ones and hoping to grow their family again. NBC 5’s Meredith Land has more.
How an entire community is rebuilding after the Texas Hill Country flood
Recovery efforts continue across Texas after last year’s devastating flooding. Relief leaders say millions of dollars have helped people return to permanent housing, but they say rebuilding the community will take years. NBC 5 has team coverage from Texas Hill Country.
Recovery efforts continue across Texas after last year’s devastating flooding. Relief leaders say millions of dollars have helped people return to permanent housing, but they say rebuilding the community will take years. NBC 5 has team coverage from Texas Hill Country.
North Texas firefighters reflect on Hill Country flood response one year later
As many Texans celebrate the Fourth of July, others are remembering the victims of the devastating Hill Country flooding one year ago. More than 130 people across several counties died in the disaster, including 25 campers and two counselors from Camp Mystic. NBC 5’s Vince Sims spoke with North Texas firefighters who traveled to the Hill Country to assist with the response and reflected on the tragedy one year later.
A year after the deadly Hill Country flooding, North Texas firefighters who helped with rescue efforts are reflecting on the emotional toll and the lives they worked to save. They say staying focused on each rescue helped them through the disaster while lessons learned continue to shape future responses. NBC 5’s Vince Sims has more.
More Texas communities join cellphone emergency alert system after Central Texas floods
More communities in Texas and across the country are signing up to use the nation’s most powerful emergency alert system after deadly flooding in Central Texas exposed gaps in how warnings reach people in danger.
NBC 5 Investigates learned more than 100 agencies nationwide, including more than two dozen in Texas, have applied over the last year to join the national wireless emergency alert system known as IPAWS.
In the wake of the Central Texas floods, more communities are signing up to use the nation’s most powerful emergency alert system. An NBC 5 Investigates analysis found the system can send life-saving warnings directly to cell phones, helping reach people faster when every second counts. Senior Investigative Reporter Scott Friedman explains why more communities are adopting the technology and what it could mean during future emergencies.
From forecast to catastrophe
In the early days after the flood, questions arose about warning systems and alerts, and whether local National Weather Service offices were sufficiently staffed. The NWS said that on the morning of July 3, 2025, forecast briefings were held for emergency management, and a Flood Watch was issued that afternoon. NWS Meteorologist Jason Runyen told NBC 5 that extra staff were on duty during the storms.
The National Weather Service shared a timeline of alerts sent ahead of catastrophic flooding in Texas .
Early warnings
According to the NWS, meteorologists raised concerns well before flooding began. On Thursday, July 3, during forecast briefings with emergency managers, the National Weather Service warned that conditions were becoming favorable for heavy rainfall across the Hill Country. By 1:18 p.m., forecasters issued a Flood Watch for Kerr County and surrounding areas, warning that multiple rounds of rain could produce flash flooding through Friday morning.
As thunderstorms repeatedly moved over the same areas, rainfall intensified. At 11:41 p.m., the National Weather Service issued its first Flash Flood Warning of the event for neighboring Bandera County.
July 4, 2025
At 1:14 a.m. Friday, a Flash Flood Warning with a “considerable” tag was issued for Bandera and Kerr counties. The inclusion of an Impact-Based Warning tag would automatically trigger Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEAs) on enabled mobile devices and over NOAA Weather Radio.
As water surged on the Guadalupe River, the NWS escalated the situation to a Flash Flood Emergency, its highest level of flood warning, at 5:34 a.m. The agency said automated rain gauges indicated “a large and deadly flood wave is moving down the Guadalupe River.” An NWS graph of flood sensor data in Kerr County showed that the river rose from about six feet to more than 29 feet in just three hours.
Officials began to provide information about the search for the missing as state agencies mobilized to aid local authorities.
At least 24 people were confirmed as deceased by the evening of July 4. An unknown number of people remained missing, including dozens of children from Camp Mystic.
July 5, 2025
Additional rain fell as rescues continued into the early hours on July 5. State agencies reported more than 850 people were rescued unharmed, while 27 deceased victims were confirmed by midday. Additionally, 25 children and two counselors were reported missing from Camp Mystic, and officials could not estimate how many other people were unaccounted for. Damage from debris and floodwaters slowed the search, even as thousands of federal, state, and local responders came to offer aid.
The search continues
As search crews continued combing miles of debris along the Guadalupe River, officials faced another difficult challenge: determining how many people were still unaccounted for. Unlike hurricanes or wildfires, there was no comprehensive list of everyone in the flood zone. Many victims were tourists, campers and holiday visitors who had never checked into hotels or campsites, making it difficult to know who had been caught in the flood.
State and local investigators worked to verify hundreds of missing-person reports while asking families to notify authorities if loved ones had been found safe. The process underscored both the scale of the disaster and the uncertainty that follows a catastrophic event, as search-and-recovery efforts continued across the Hill Country.
By July 10, the number of lives lost had risen to 96 and would eventually climb to more than 130 people, including 27 at Camp Mystic.
Questions began to emerge as some victims and lawmakers scrutinized emergency alerts, camp safety, and warning sirens. This eventually resulted in the inclusion of flood-related bills in the 2025 Special Session of the Texas Legislature.
Honoring lost lives
Those killed in the catastrophic flooding included campers, counselors, parents, grandparents, and children from communities all across Texas. In North Texas, the tragedy struck close to home. Seven girls from North Texas were among the 27 campers and counselors killed at Camp Mystic: Lila Bonner, Hadley Hanna, Janie Hunt, Hanna Lawrence, Rebecca Lawrence, Wynne Naylor, and Eloise Peck.
The parents of Eloise Peck and Lila Bonner — two Dallas girls who lost their lives at camp in the Central Texas floods — spoke exclusively to NBC 5.
Other North Texas families lost loved ones who were spending the holiday weekend near the river, including James and Cindy Rushing of Sulphur Springs, sisters Blair and Brooke Harber and grandparents Mike and Charlene Harber of Dallas, Carol Andrews of Athens along with her husband Richard Pagard, Tianna Mabey of Mansfield, and Tanya and Jeff Ramsey of Lewisville. Jeff Ramsey is one of two victims who have not been recovered.
In the months that followed, communities honored their memories through memorials, charitable foundations, scholarships and acts of service that reflected the lives they lived.
For some, grief became action; parents of Camp Mystic victims traveled to the Texas Capitol multiple times over the past year. The group advocated for camp safety on behalf of the children lost, known as”Heaven’s 27.”
It was a morning of gut-wrenching testimony before state lawmakers in Austin. Families of the 27 girls killed by floodwaters at Camp Mystic called for change at all Texas camps. NBC 5’s Katy Blakey details the emotional day at the State Capitol.
They shared gut-wrenching testimony of their children’s stories, and called for change, demanding lawmakers strengthen camp safety requirements in the hopes of preventing another tragedy.
Legislative changes
Senate Bill 1 of the second special session of the Texas Legislature was known as the ‘Heaven 27 Camp Safety Act.
- Camps for children cannot be licensed if cabins are near a FEMA-designated floodplain
- Annual emergency training and planning
- Online registry of licensed youth camps
- Extends safety standards to campgrounds and RV parks
House Bill 1, the Youth Camp Alert, Mitigation, Preparedness, and Emergency Response (Youth CAMPER) Act:
- Requires youth camps to adopt and annually update emergency plans and train staff and campers accordingly
- Inform parents of floodplain risks in writing
- Share emergency plans with local emergency services.
- Enforcement authorized through the Department of State Health Services
Senate Bill 3 offers cities and counties financial assistance to install early-warning sirens in flash-flood-prone areas. It establishes a $50 million grant program to help pay for siren equipment.
Senate Bill 5 establishes a funding structure that directs resources to areas most affected by floods.
- $200 million in funding matching for federal disaster money
- $50 million for the previously mentioned warning siren grant program.
- $28 million for enhanced atmospheric measurement and modeling in Texas, to improve forecasting.
A state investigation found Camp Mystic did not have a written evacuation plan and did not train employees on specific flood response actions before the July 4 flood that killed 27 campers and counselors. Investigators told lawmakers there was time to move some campers to higher ground, while families of victims attended a hearing as the final report was approved. NBC 5’s David Goins has more.
Camp Mystic questions
Nearly a year after the flood, a state investigative report concluded Camp Mystic did not have a written flood evacuation plan and had not adequately prepared staff or campers for a flood emergency. Investigators found there was no organized evacuation strategy despite dozens of adults being on campus, and said stronger planning and training could have saved lives. The findings intensified calls for accountability and helped reinforce legislative changes requiring more robust emergency planning at youth camps.
Just days later, Camp Mystic filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy as it faced mounting lawsuits from victims’ families. The filing paused much of the ongoing civil litigation while legal questions surrounding the camp’s preparedness and response continued to play out in court.
The Steward family has become one of the most visible voices seeking accountability. Their daughter, Cile Steward, remains the only Camp Mystic camper who has not been recovered. Will and CiCi Steward have urged that the camp not reopen until the search for Cile is complete, while continuing to press for answers through the courts and in the public eye.
Warning systems
Nearly a year after the flood, new warning systems are in development. The Upper Guadalupe River Authority has installed six sirens in Kerr County and will seek reimbursement through SB3.
In SB3, the state of Texas directed the Texas Water Development Board to assess the 30 counties impacted by the July 2025 disaster declaration issued by Gov. Greg Abbott and identify areas that are flood-prone and in need of warning sirens. Counties can receive up to $1 million to install outdoor sirens.
