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First Lady Melania Trump and President Donald Trump greet first responders as they observe flood damage in Kerrville, Texas.

‘Only a very evil person would ask’: Trump lashes out at reporter while visiting Texas flood zone

The US president reacted with anger when a reporter said some families were upset they had not received any warning about the disaster that has left at least 120 people dead.

  • Trevor Hunnicutt and Maria Alejandra Cardona

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People search along the Guadalupe River after flooding in Kerrville, Texas on Wednesday.

In flooded Texas, I saw the best of America – and the parts that make you shake your head

In the south, communities put aside their differences and bind together in a crisis. But one can’t help but wonder if those differences sometimes contribute to a lack of preparedness.

  • Michael Koziol
Twin sisters Hanna, left, and Rebecca Lawrence were killed by the flooding at Camp Mystic.

What sets Texas floods apart: Kids died in heart-wrenching numbers

In 2025, with state-of-the-art technology, children aren’t supposed to die like they did in Central Texas. But the death toll illustrates their enduring vulnerability to extreme weather.

  • David Ovalle
Firefighters from Ciudad Acuña, Mexico, load a body into a raft as they prepare for a water recovery along the Guadalupe River days after a flash flood swept through the area.

‘I’ll never forget that – kids screaming’: Inside the Texas floods’ 45 minutes of terror

“He was yelling at the man to throw the baby at him, so he can save the baby,” Lorena Guillen recalls of that night, as a family of five clung to a tree at her campsite. “A second later, they were gone.”

  • Michael Koziol
Eight-year-olds Sarah Marsh (left) and Renee Smajstrla were both staying at Camp Mystic.

‘He died trying to save Mystic girls’: Camp director’s last desperate bid to reach Bubble Inn cabin

As the waters of the Guadalupe River rose rapidly around him, Dick Eastland made for the cabins in greatest danger, where his youngest campers had been sleeping.

  • Praveena Somasundaram, Arelis R. Hernández, Brady Dennis and Eva Ruth Moravec
Crews work to clear debris from the Cade Loop bridge along the Guadalupe River on Saturday, July 5.

‘Unimaginable’: Texas flood death toll rises as Trump declares major disaster

At least 82 people have been confirmed killed, including 28 children, with authorities warning that the death toll will rise. Ten girls and a counsellor from the Camp Mystic summer camp remain missing.

  • Michael Koziol
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Gif of photos from Texas flood

Between broken tree limbs and muddied cabins, a father looks for his missing child

Michael McCown drove to the Texas Hill Country as soon as he heard about the flood. His little girl had been at Camp Mystic, among the youngest campers in the Bubble Inn cabin beside the river.

  • Arelis R. Hernández
Officials comb through the banks of the Guadalupe River after a flash flood swept through the area Saturday, July 5, 2025, in Hunt, Texas. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

‘Thankful she was with her friends’: Eight-year-old girl among 15 children killed in Texas flood

Authorities were coming under growing scrutiny over whether the camps and residents in places long vulnerable to flooding received proper warning and whether enough preparations were made.

  • Jim Vertuno, Julio Cortez and John Seewer
Patricio Levesange, left, his grandson, 10-year-old Benjamin Levesange, center, and a Kerrville Fire Department first responder scan the banks of the Guadalupe River for people swept away by flooding on Friday, July 4, 2025, in Ingram, Texas. (Michel Fortier/The San Antonio Express-News via AP)

Death toll rises to 24 in Texas floods, with up to 25 girls missing from summer camp

A desperate search is under way after deadly flash flooding in a rural area of the state where many children’s summer camps are located.

  • Steve Gorman
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Kiama’s daily miracle

Not just any old report in a storm.

Original URL: https://www.smh.com.au/topic/extreme-weather-5wx