And we begin tonight with more flooding
in parts of our area. This is
showing flooding at the Freo River. You
can see the rushing waters. Thank you
for joining us. I’m Mandy Noel. Tonight
we have team coverage on the Freo River
flooding. We have crews set up in Conan
and Lakey. And we also continue coverage
in Kerr County also dealing with severe
weather as crews try to continue search
and recovery while dealing with severe
weather. There are several camps and RV
parks along the Freo River. Here’s a
look at just some of them. There are
also some children’s camps including the
HE butt Foundation camp. We know those
camps are safe tonight and we begin team
coverage in Lakey. That’s where we find
News4 San Antonio’s Jordan Elder. She’s
live with the latest there. Hey Jordan,
Mandy, we have been all over the viewing
area today getting a look at flooding
and I can tell you this is the highest
that we’ve seen it. We are just south of
Lake Texas. This is the Freo River. We
are at the River Bluffs Cabins and so
we’re up on a hill. We are safe just
like all of the campers here. But as you
can see, this river is still rushing
down. Now, we got to talk to the owner,
Doug Shoemaker. He says this rain is
going to be helpful for the Freo River
community. This is a medium flood based
on what he has seen over the years.
Our thoughts and prayers continue to be
with people in Guadalupe and the
surrounding areas. The Frio River is a
different river system than the
Guadalupi. Um, this was actually an
answer to prayers by uh we’ve been
praying for 7 years for some big rains.
We need this kind of uh rain here. It
helps the aquifers. It helps the
springs.
We also checked in on Garner State Park.
County officials were able to get
everyone notified early, so people
staying right along the river were able
to get to higher ground. We’re told even
though the water is muddy right now,
this rain is actually going to lead to
better conditions next week. water
you’ll be able to see straight through,
especially after what happened along the
Guadalupe River. Park officials say
communication was extra important this
morning.
25 years ago, we didn’t have the cell
phones. And so, we didn’t have the
opportunity to sit there and look at a
radar and go, “This is where it’s going.
This is what it’s happening.” So, the
technology today, it’s only going to
improve from here on out. to be able to
sit there and call and text a group of
people that’s in the area and say and
talk to the sheriff’s deputies and let
them know and post pictures so they can
see what’s coming down and gives us an
idea of what’s coming. It’s it’s a game
changer in our area.
We also stopped by Ualdi Memorial Park
where the sidewalk turned into kind of a
waterfall because the Leona River rose
today. We also got another view of the
Freo River in downstream in Canipa. Now,
the water levels are still ebbing and
flowing out here, but this is not
record-breaking right now. I want to
show you Mr. Shoemaker told us the most
water he has seen in this river, it went
halfway up this blue sign that says
river rules. So, obviously nowhere close
to that right now, but he said it’s
definitely something that they’re still
watching. And he told us all about the
communication system that property
owners along the Freo River use to help
notify each other in these situations.
We’re going to tell you more about those
coming up at 6.
Jordan, thank you. Another one of the
big camps in that area is Neil’s Lodges.
We continue our team coverage with News4
San Antonio’s Taylor Wartby who’s in
Conan and joins us with the latest
here in Concan in this small hill
country community. They are experiencing
floods from the Frio River that you can
see right behind me. Now, the population
is about 300 people, but the area brings
in a lot of tourists who go on vacation
to nearby camps. Neil’s Lodges, a
family-owned vacation spot on the Freo
River, is one of them. When water
started to overflow, surging through
roads, they made sure to evacuate
certain cabins, ones who were closest to
the river for safety. It
it’s a we’re thinking maybe a 12oot
raise here at Neil’s, which, you know,
it’s dissipated when it gets here. So,
um, it’s really, really needed, really
prayed for. And like I said before, I
say that with grace because we are so,
so devastated by what happened in
Kurville, but for us, this is prayed
for. We’ve had a drought for seven
something years. I think it’s probably
seven years really, if you get down to
it. And we needed this really bad.
Parts of Highway 127 near Neil’s Lodges
has been closed off just in case the
water came up over the bridge. We spoke
to assistant fire chief Rodney Jeff for
the Concan Volunteer Fire and EMS
department. He says the water has come
up to a high level. No one is allowed to
cross the bridge across the Freo River
and Jeff says they are taking extra
precautions.
They’re all gunshy after the deal in
Kurville and I don’t blame them.
Absolutely. But we’re making sure
everything’s good here. Uh anything that
people should know if they’re traveling
through this area?
If you can don’t come down here. After
years of drought, many people in the
area are welcoming the water, but
officials are saying stay away until the
water goes down. I’m Taylor Wharton
reporting.
Right now, everyone is still on high
alert in Kirk County. This is the latest
on the Hill Country flooding disaster.
There are now at least 131 confirmed
deaths across Texas, 106 in Kirk County.
Among them are 70 adults and 36
children. Right now, there are still
about 97 people missing in Kirk County,
according to Governor Abbott. Today, the
Kirk County Sheriff’s Office asked all
volunteers helping with rescue and
recovery efforts to move to higher
ground because of the incoming weather.
Tonight, News4 San Antonio’s Ethan TJO
is live in Ingram with the latest.
Ethan, what are you seeing there?
Well, Mandy, as you can see, I’m here
along the Guadalupe River where flood
warnings and heavy rainfall ended up
stopping search and rescue operations
for the second straight day. Here in
Ingram, first responders were called off
by another round of storms that made its
way to the area, raising the water a few
feet higher along the Guadalupe River.
Operation managers at Ingram Volunteer
Fire Department say this extra round of
river flow could be either helpful or
detrimental for search and rescue
efforts moving forward. we’ll get back
on the the areas that we know we that
needs more work and uh then we’ll we’ll
go from there.
They also told me that setbacks are a
frustrating scenario for first
responders who are anxious to get out
and help. Recon teams are still
stationed along the river to watch for
any significant changes in those water
levels. Until then, uh, we’re told that
search and rescue operations are
expected to continue tomorrow at around
8:00 a.m. From Ingram, I’m Ethan Trejo.
Governor Abbott gave another update
today on the flooding that has
devastated our area and other parts of
central Texas. He talked in more detail,
too, about the number of people still
missing in the Kurville area, which he
said was 97. He says he’s hopeful that
some of the people considered missing
are eventually found to have survived.
Even though we are reporting 97 people
missing, there’s no certainty that all
97 of those people were swept away swept
away by the storm.
The governor also says the goal is to
find every single person who passed away
so their families can have closure.
Tonight, new details on how the flooding
and evacuation unfolded at Camp Mystic.
camp spokesperson tells the Washington
Post executive director Dick Eastland
did receive the urgent alert from the
National Weather Service, but
evacuations did not begin until about an
hour later. 27 campers and counselors
died when the camp was overtaken by
flood waters on July 4th as the
Guadalupe Rivers rose to historic
heights. At Mystic, the problem was not
just the rising Guadalupe River, but
also a rising creek. Cypress Creek and
the Guadalupe meet within the 725 acre
camp. As the Post explains, the current
from the creek was so fast it likely
reversed the flow of the Guadalupe
River. This caused the flood waters to
widen and move uphill, reaching cabins
both within and outside of areas in
high-risisk flood zones. It also created
a swirl around Bubble in and the twins
cabins. Jeff Carr, a spokesperson for
the Eastland family, tells the Post, “At
1:14 a.m., Dick Eastland received the
urgent alert from the National Weather
Service on his phone.” At 1:35, other
family members who run the camp were
alerted and told to assess the
situation. The historic rise of the
river began roughly around 2:00 a.m.
When the rain didn’t let up, cabin
evacuations began around 2:30 that
morning. Dick Eastland died trying to
evacuate bubble in. No one from the
cabin has been found alive. Dick’s
youngest son, Edward Eastland, evacuated
the twins cabins. According to the post,
Edward was later found clinging to a
tree with 10 to 12 campers. They all
survived. Commissioners in Kerr County
held their first official court hearing
since the devastating floods. Tonight,
there are still questions about whether
the county was prepared. County
officials say they’ll investigate their
emergency alert systems, flood warnings,
and evacuation protocols. County
officials say the search for people
could last for months. I’ve been assured
by the governor and the president, you
know, we will have the resources to get
the job done. You know, how long is it
going to take? You know, who knows? You
know, I think we’ll still go strong for
another month or two up to maybe 6
months winding down uh as as as we move
on.
Commissioners also say they’ve been
getting death threats over the tragedy.
They’re asking for more security as the
response is being investigated. And
don’t forget, News4 San Antonio is
partnering with the Salvation Army for
Sinclair Car’s Texas tragedy relief. So
far, we’ve raised over $170,000.
Just scan the QR code to help provide
meals for first responders and survivors
who desperately need our help.
Continuing our coverage tonight on the
flooding along the Freo River. News4 San
Antonio’s Emma Allen is live in Concan
with the latest that we’re seeing there.
Well, we are just off of Highway 127,
right outside of Concan, and you can see
this is what we’re seeing. The road is
closed for obvious reasons. That is the
Freo River that is running really high
up over that road. I just spoke to some
locals in the area who tell me that that
is actually a bridge. So, this water is
that high. If you can see right there,
we’ve seen some logs, some trees, uh a
lot of debris in that area. You can see
there’s actually a tree that’s stuck
over there that looks to be uh getting
pushed around by the water. We were just
up the road a little bit ago looking at
Brushy Creek that actually runs into
this, but this road right here is uh
seeing a lot higher water right now. And
you can see that current is just
massive. Uh we are looking for more
areas like this. We’re actually trying
to get uh deeper into Uvaldi County so
we can see more roads like this, but
unfortunately this road’s blocked off.
Reporting in Uvaldi County, I’m Emma
Allen. With so many questions
surrounding the time it took to evacuate
during the flooding, the Washington Post
is reporting that the director of Camp
Mystic did not begin evacuations until
an hour after receiving an urgent alert
on his phone. 27 girls and counselors
died at the camp, including director
Dick Eastland. The News4 IT team’s
reporter Jay Avala is looking into that
report and reaching out to the Eastland
family. Tonight, a representative tells
him the article was premature. Jay joins
us now with the latest. Well, Mandy, the
spokesman tells me the Washington Post
article was based on a conversation with
Eastland’s son, Richard Jr., the day
after the flood, and the family is still
piecing together their own timeline from
that chaotic morning. The Washington
Post is reporting that at 1:14 a.m.,
Dick Eastland received an alert from the
National Weather Service on his phone,
warning of life-threatening flash
flooding. And at 1:35, other families
who help run the camp were alerted with
walkietalkies. The historic rise of the
river began around 2:00 a.m. When the
rain did not let up, cabin evacuations
began around 2:30 a.m. Dick Eastland
died trying to evacuate girls from the
cabin called Bubble In. No one from that
cabin has been found alive. Jeff Carr, a
spokesman for the Eastland family, tells
News 4 Dick Eastland was outside
assessing the flooding along with a
night watchman shortly after the 114
a.m. National Weather Service alert and
says it’s logical he got the warning
because Eastland typically received them
on his phone. But Carr says it’s too
early to say when staff members began
evacuating children because people
weren’t looking at their watches. He
says the Eastland family wants to
release a detailed timeline of their own
with help from that night watchmen.
We’re working on it. Carr said the only
audience they care about are the
families of the victims. Camp Mystic
passed a state inspection 2 days before
the flood and according to inspection
records, the camp had an emergency plan
that included flood evacuations and that
staff and volunteers were aware of the
plan. We’re continuing to investigate
all angles of the flooding and we’ll
update any new information as we press
for answers. For the News4 Eye team, I’m
Jay Avala.
We are taking another look at exclusive
aerial video in Uvaldi County from your
South Texas dealer, Sky 4. This is the
Freo River near Conan and areas near
Garner State Park. You can see the water
in the river moving very quickly
tonight. And this is an aerial video
that you’ll only see here on News 4.
Rising water once again cut off access
to parts of Kirk County. still reeling
from the deadly July 4th floods. News4
San Antonio’s Yami Bhin is on one of the
back roads into Hunt and she continues
our team coverage.
We were trying to get to Hunt to the
area where the camps were flooded over.
We took 1340, but this is as far as we
could go. Benson’s crossing where the
water of the Guadalupe River is now
stopping us from going further. FM 1340
is one of the main roads leading into
the area near Camp Mystic where tragedy
struck just 10 days ago. We took this
road to see how the Guadalupe River was
behaving. But like many others, we had
to stop at Benson’s crossing. Flood
water was at least 2 feet over the road,
stopping everyone. People hoping to
return home were forced to wait. Some
told us even if they made it past this
point, other crossings ahead were
completely underwater. Curtis Wright had
been sitting here for a couple of hours.
He told us he ventured out for supplies
only to find himself cut off.
Went into town, did my errands, and of
course it starts raining again. On the
way out, I could tell that last night
from yesterday’s rains, the north work
seemed to have flooded more. So, I
thought I would come around the back
way. I’m just waiting to see if it’ll go
down cuz hopefully the rain stopped and
the river will drop and I can get home.
I just have two crossings. While the
wait is frustrating, many here told us
they know they’re the fortunate ones
alive and able to go home eventually,
even if not tonight. in Kirk County.
News
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A sudden thunderstorm struck the Ruidoso region of New Mexico with intense rainfall, unleashing over 3 in of water on…
Taylor Swift was almost in tears after hearing that 15 children had died after the devastating flash floods in Texas. The singer could barely sit still, she turned and held Travis’ hand “We have to do something” and Travis immediately nodded after hearing Taylor’s plan from the heart!💔
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Bruce Springsteen has covered funeral costs and supported families affected by the Texas flash floods.
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Justin Bieber has generously donated $10 million to provide much-needed support for the victims of the devastating Texas flash floods. In addition to aiding those affected, his contribution will also help fund ongoing search and rescue operations for individuals still missing in the aftermath of the disaster.
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