Grief and weariness set in on 5th grueling day since Texas floods

Donations of bottled water, instant ramen and other humanitarian aid for flooding victims are collected in Kerrville, Texas, on Sunday, July 6, 2025. Officials in Texas have appealed for aid after flash flooding killed at least 100 people over the weekend in one of the deadliest floods in the United States in decades. (Carter Johnston/The New York Times)

By Rick Rojas, Nicholas Bogel-Burroughs, Jesús Jiménez and Campbell Robertson

Search teams from across the United States and Mexico streamed into central Texas to relieve exhausted local rescuers Tuesday. But the slim hopes of finding survivors continued to fade on the fifth day after the devastating floods that swept through the area.

The death toll has continued to rise every few hours, reaching at least 109 by midday, while officials in hard-hit Kerr County acknowledged that no one there had been found alive since Friday.

Expressions of grief and dread grew more intense, as did demands for investigations and accountability. Families still waiting for news of missing relatives “were feeling like they were in darkness,” Archbishop Gustavo García-Siller of San Antonio recounted at a vigil, speaking of his visit to a reunification center.

The youth of many of the victims added to the overwhelming sense of loss. The floods are among the deadliest disasters for children in the United States in recent decades, with at least 30 killed in Kerr County. The victims include many from Camp Mystic, a Christian summer camp for girls, where 27 campers and staff members were killed. Five girls and a 19-year-old counselor remained missing.

Here’s what else to know:

— Search efforts: Search efforts involving hundreds of people have been challenged by more storms and other problems. A search helicopter collided with a private drone Monday, forcing an emergency landing. Crews have been getting reinforcements from across the country, including Missouri, Florida and California. Mexican K-9 search teams have also joined the response, according to a post from Ronald Johnson, the U.S. ambassador to Mexico.

— The victims: At least 87 of those killed in the floods were in Kerr County. The other 22 were from nearby counties: seven in Travis County, seven in Kendall County, five in Burnet County, two in Williamson County and one in Tom Green County.

— Cruz criticized: Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, is facing criticism for being on vacation in Greece with his family when the deadly floods struck and not returning for the first 72 hours of the disaster. His office said he returned as quickly as possible.

— Presidential visit: President Donald Trump announced at a Cabinet meeting Tuesday that he would tour the disaster site Friday.