Remembering Texas Hill Country: 1 year since the heartbreaking flooding disaster killed 135 on July 4

It's been 1 twelvemonth since the Guadalupe River successful Texas Hill Country roseate to record-breaking heights successful the aboriginal greeting hours of July 4, 2025, taking the lives of astatine slightest 135 people. 

Over conscionable a fewer hours, relentless rains caused by the remnants of Tropical Storm Barry caused rivers to emergence and Flash Flood Emergencies to beryllium issued successful Kerr County and surrounding areas. 

Trees look from flood waters on the Guadalupe River connected July 4, 2025 successful Kerrville, Texas.

(Eric Vryn/Getty Images / Getty Images)

The precipitation caused immoderate waterways to emergence 30 feet successful conscionable an hour, catching residents and visitors disconnected defender arsenic floodwaters raced eastward done the Lone Star State toward the Gulf.

The National Weather Service called it a "deadly flood wave", urging radical to question higher crushed and evacuate quickly. 

Hundreds of radical were swept distant arsenic the Guadalupe River escaped its banks, carrying distant homes, cars and flooding campgrounds, including the all-girls camp, Camp Mystic. 

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As floodwaters began receding precocious connected July 5th, the demolition was unimaginable. 

Mud, trees, brushwood and debris created monolithic piles on the banks of the Guadalupe River. 

Personal items, covering and memories of loved ones missing successful the floods were scattered astir and buried successful mud.

BEFORE-AND-AFTER PHOTOS OF CAMP MYSTIC, KERR COUNTY SHOW DEVASTATION 1 WEEK AFTER DEADLY FLOODS

Stories of rescue, betterment and heartbreak emerged arsenic hunt and rescue for the missing began. 

Nathan Sharpe grieves astatine the entranceway to the Hunt metropolis quadrate connected July 09, 2025, successful Hunt, Texas.

(Brandon Bell / Getty Images)

Tales of heartbreak and hope

FOX Weather Correspondent Katie Byrne reported connected the crushed for days, telling the stories of those who risked their lives to prevention others, pursuing on arsenic flood betterment continued and the decease toll rose.

Families told their stories of escaping the rising floodwaters, fleeing to the roofs of their homes successful panic. 

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94-year-old Betty Matteson and her household had conscionable moments to fly the h2o that was filling her location successful Hunt, Texas. They escaped to their attic and were preparing to ascent onto the roof, much than 3 stories up, erstwhile the floodwaters began receding. 

"Thanks to our Heavenly Father, we were saved," she told FOX Weather successful the days pursuing the rescue. 

Stories began to look of the heroes of the flooding, some those who survived and who were swept away. 

People and companies from each implicit America responded to assistance flood victims and assistance with hunt and recovery. 

Camp Mystic: A spot of devastating loss

At Camp Mystic, the hunt for much than 2 twelve girls became frantic arsenic rescue operations shifted into recovery. 

In total, 28 lives from the campy were lost, including 25 campers ages 8 to 10, 2 18-year-old counselors and the camp's co-executive director. 

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CENTER POINT, TEXAS - JULY 18: A 10-foot transverse is seen on the banks of the Guadalupe River successful beforehand of Camp Mystic connected July 18, 2025 successful Hunt, Texas. 

(Brenda Bazán / The Washington Post / Getty Images)

Camp Mystic filed for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy successful June, astir 2 months aft announcing the campy would not reopen for the 2026 season. 

Multiple families of the young girls who died successful the flooding person sought answers, filing civilian lawsuits against the camp. 

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The Texas authorities Legislature launched an probe into the campy pursuing the tragedy, yet releasing a study successful June that stated the campy failed to adequately bid and hole its unit for flooding. 

A presumption of Camp Mystic, the tract of wherever astatine slightest 20 girls went missing aft flash flooding successful Hunt, Texas, connected July 5, 2025. 

(RONALDO SCHEMIDT/AFP  / Getty Images)

Coming backmost to Kerr County

Byrne revisited Kerr County 1 twelvemonth aft the flooding, speaking with residents and officials connected the advancement the region has been making successful the twelvemonth since the tragedy. 

"This week is hard due to the fact that we're reliving what was the astir tragic time successful our community's history," Joe Herring, Kerrville politician said. 

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HUNT, TEXAS - JULY 1: A tiny marque displacement memorial for victims that died during the July 4 floods past twelvemonth successful Hunt, Texas, US, connected Wednesday, July 1, 2026.  

(Christopher Lee for Washington Post / Getty Images)

Herring told Byrne that they inactive haven't located 2 of the missing a twelvemonth later. 

Ryan Logue is simply a diver who has worked tirelessly for the past twelvemonth connected searching for those 2 missing radical and cleaning up the Guadalupe River aft the floods. 

INGRAM, TEXAS - JULY 1: Ryan Logue, an amateur diver who has dedicated himself to uncovering remains of the July 4 flood victims on the Guadalupe River, poses for a representation astatine Ingram Lake successful Ingram, Texas, US, connected Wednesday, July 1, 2026. 

(Christopher Lee for Washington Post / Getty Images)

"The extremity volition ever beryllium that we're ever going to look for that young miss and for Jeff Ramsey. That doesn't stop," helium said.

New homes person been built, and Kerr County has installed marque caller flood sirens which are tested regularly. 

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"We're a hurting community. We are inactive trying to heal. We are astatine the one-year people wherever determination is simply a batch of radical having to relive horrific experiences and memories," John Dunn, proprietor of The Hunt Store, said. 

HUNT, TEXAS - JULY 1: A memorial for the victims during the July 4 floods past twelvemonth successful Hunt, Texas, US, connected Wednesday, July 1, 2026. 

(Christopher Lee for Washington Post / Getty Images)

The Guadalupe River is calm again, and the debris has been cleared distant from its banks, but thousands of radical volition ne'er look astatine the stream the same. 

"People volition travel back, it'll beryllium hard. Some people’ll ne'er get successful it again," Herring said. 

INGRAM, TEXAS - JULY 1: The Guadalupe River successful Ingram, Texas, US, connected Wednesday, July 1, 2026.

(Christopher Lee for Washington Post / Getty Images)

Recovery continues crossed the portion arsenic families and communities reel successful the advancement made portion recognizing the calamity, 1 twelvemonth later.