2 still missing in Kerr County after woman’s body is found by searchers, Gov. Abbott says

Search efforts in Kerr County have reduced the missing count to two after July Fourth floods, with one young girl and an adult man still unaccounted for.

SAN ANTONIO — More progress has been made in the ongoing search for the missing after the July Fourth floods that tore through Kerr County, with just two still unaccounted for, according to Gov. Greg Abbott.

The governor said that includes one young girl who was attending Camp Mystic when the beloved Hunt, Texas, summer retreat that sits on the banks of the Guadalupe River became overwhelmed by ferocious floodwaters that morning. More than two dozen campers and counselors were killed at Mystic, including its executive director and girls from different corners of Texas.

The other person still missing, according to Abbott, is an adult man. The update came after searchers with “Task Force 1 recovered the body of a missing adult female lost in the flood” on Tuesday.

As many a 161 were considered unaccounted for in the days after the floods. But that number plummeted from around 100 to just three over the weekend when authorities said they made headway on clearing those reported missing and verifying them as safe.

The update would raise the Kerr County death toll to 108. Local officials there have not announced an updated count of bodies recovered on their end since last week.

While search teams continue with recovery efforts, leaders and community members are embarking on rebuild efforts. Local officials are encouraging those impacted to apply for disaster assistance from FEMA while Kerrville considers a property tax increase to help pay for millions of dollars in damages.

Meanwhile, 100 miles away in the state’s capital, lawmakers have convened for a special session where flood prevention and warning sirens are expected to be a primary discussion point. Kerr County – unlike neighboring Kendall, Comal, Guadalupe and Gonzales – didn’t have flood sirens the morning of July Fourth, something leaders in some cities say they plan to push for. 

Camp Mystic representatives last shared an update on its website on July 12, writing they were grieving their loss while thanking the staff who helped bring campers to safety.

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