Rescue teams continued their efforts on Monday (July 7), scouring muddy riverbanks and surveying from the air over central Texas, which has been devastated by severe flooding. With at least 96 confirmed deaths—many of them children—hopes of finding survivors among the dozens still missing are fading. Three days earlier, intense early-morning rainfall caused the Guadalupe River to surge violently, sweeping through areas including Camp Mystic, a Christian summer camp for girls. The camp later confirmed that 27 campers and staff members had died in the disaster. Authorities reported that ten more girls and a counselor remained missing, as rescue operations were hampered by debris and the threat of further storms.

Most of the deaths occurred in Kerrville and the surrounding areas along the river. By Monday afternoon, officials had recovered 84 bodies in Kerr County alone—56 adults and 28 children. An additional 12 deaths were confirmed in nearby counties, and 41 people were still unaccounted for outside Kerr County. Meanwhile, The New York Times reported a higher toll of at least 104 fatalities across the broader flood zone.

Mayor Joe Herring Jr. acknowledged the worsening situation, stating, "This will be a rough week," during a Monday morning briefing. Camp Mystic, which has stood along the Guadalupe River for nearly 100 years, was at the heart of the catastrophe. In a public statement, the camp expressed deep sorrow, calling the tragedy "unimaginable."

Among the deceased was 70-year-old co-owner and camp director Richard "Dick" Eastland, who died attempting to save the children. His grandson, George Eastland, honored him in a heartfelt Instagram post, saying, "If he wasn’t going to die of natural causes, this was the only other way — saving the girls he so loved." Search efforts were further complicated on Monday when a drone collided with a rescue helicopter in restricted airspace over the flood zone, forcing the chopper to land. No injuries occurred, but the aircraft was taken out of service.

The National Weather Service warned that up to four more inches of rain—and possibly as much as 10 inches in some areas—could fall in Texas Hill Country. Meteorologist Allison Santorelli noted that with the ground already saturated and debris clogging the river, the chance of renewed flooding remained high. A flood watch remained in effect until 7 p.m. local time. State officials had issued warnings before the July Fourth holiday, but the rainfall exceeded forecasts, doubling the predicted amount. City Manager Dalton Rice explained that a massive surge occurred when two branches of the Guadalupe River merged, flooding Kerrville within two hours.

Responding to questions about the lack of evacuation, Rice said the decision was complex. “Evacuating too late puts more lives at risk,” he explained. “And we didn’t want to sound false alarms.” Jonathan Porter, AccuWeather’s chief meteorologist, argued that authorities had enough time to move people to safer areas. In response, officials, including Texas Governor Greg Abbott, promised a full review of the events once the immediate crisis passed. Meanwhile, Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer called for an investigation into whether budget cuts under the Trump administration affected flood forecasting. Texas Senator Ted Cruz responded that while questions about preparedness were valid, now was not the time for political blame.