El Paso Troopers Join Central Texas Flood Rescue Efforts

More than 80 people have died and dozens are still missing after a powerful flash flood swept through Central Texas over the Fourth of July weekend. While the hardest-hit areas are in the Hill Country, places like Kerrville, Hunt, and Ingram, El Paso is playing a role in the ongoing recovery.

Nine air division troopers from El Paso were deployed to assist with aerial search and recovery operations in flood-ravaged communities. As the state deals with one of the deadliest natural disasters in recent memory, resources from across Texas are being mobilized.

What caused the disaster?

This wasn’t just a bad storm. Central Texas experienced a rare meteorological event known as a “training” pattern, where thunderstorms repeatedly pass over the same areas. That system dropped up to 12 inches of rain in just a few hours, causing the Guadalupe River to rise nearly 30 feet in less than an hour.

That kind of rise is faster than most warning systems can react to and faster than many people can evacuate.

Why so many deaths?

The biggest issue was how quickly the water came. Most victims were caught in cabins or cars and had almost no time to escape. Some drowned, others were swept away in vehicles or entire buildings. Many of the victims were children at summer camps along the river.

Compounding the problem, many small towns in the Hill Country don’t have outdoor sirens, real-time flood monitoring, or modern emergency alert systems. Some residents reported they never received flood warnings at all.

Camp Mystic Hit Hard

Among the most heartbreaking scenes unfolded at Camp Mystic, a well-known Christian summer camp for girls located along the Guadalupe River near Hunt, Texas. Several cabins were swept away by the floodwaters in the early morning hours, when most campers and staff were asleep. While many campers were rescued, officials confirmed multiple fatalities and ongoing search efforts for others who are still missing.

Parents were alerted only after roads were already washed out, and first responders had to use boats and helicopters to reach the site. Emotional reunions have taken place across the region, but for some families, the wait continues.

Remembering Janie Hunt

One of the most widely reported losses was 9-year-old Janie Hunt, the granddaughter of Kansas City Chiefs CEO Clark Hunt. Janie was swept away by the floodwaters along with several other children. Her body was recovered downstream the following day. The Hunt family released a public statement mourning the loss and thanking search and rescue crews for their work.

Janie’s death has drawn national attention, not only because of her family’s NFL connection but because her story underscores how vulnerable these camps are to sudden, large-scale flooding events. Camp Mystic, like many riverside camps in the Hill Country, has faced floods before, but never one this fast or deadly.

Did budget cuts make this worse?

Several experts say yes. Earlier this year, the Trump administration cut funding to FEMA, NOAA, and the National Weather Service. That included layoffs of meteorologists, reduced grants for flood prevention, and fewer resources for small communities to improve emergency systems.

In fact, the National Weather Service office that covers the Hill Country was operating below full staff when the storm hit. Forecasts underestimated rainfall totals, and some warnings came too late to save lives.

To be clear, the cuts didn’t cause the storm, but they likely weakened the systems that could have helped communities respond faster and more effectively.

What now?

Search and rescue operations are still underway, and El Paso’s own air division troopers are in the field helping with the response. Across the state, conversations are already beginning about how to better protect vulnerable areas like the Hill Country, especially as extreme weather becomes more frequent.

This tragedy has revealed two hard truths: some parts of Texas are geographically vulnerable, and our emergency systems aren’t always ready for fast-moving disasters. Now, the focus turns to recovery and what we’ll do differently next time.