“Disasters are a human choice”: Texas counties have little power to stop building in flood-prone areas
Experts suggested that more data and education are needed as Texas and the rest of the country build in known flood plains.
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These graphics show the scope of Texas’ Hill Country floods
These maps and charts show the scale and intensity of the Hill Country floods and highlight Camp Mystic’s proximity to high-risk flood zones.
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Hill Country floods
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Hill Country floods
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Hill Country floods
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Latest News
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Texas Education Agency to release schools’ 2024 performance ratings after court ruling
An appeals court granted the state approval to release the ratings after doing the same for 2023 scores in April. Full Story
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![Lorenzo G Alarcon Elementary School received Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funds to create a calming and quiet room with the school counselor in San Elizario, Texas on July 23, 2024.]()
Credit: Justin Hamel for The Texas Tribune -
Randall County GOP chair charged with felony election fraud
Kelly Kenten Giles, 64, is accused of providing false information on his application and petition to run for the Randall County Republican Party Chair seat. Full Story
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![Randall County Republican Party Chairman Kelly Giles.]()
Credit: Kelly Giles for Randall County Republican Chairman campaign
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Hill Country flooding: Here’s how to give and receive help
Flooding in Central Texas and the Texas Hill Country has killed at least 100 people, with 161 still missing in Kerr County. Rescue crews are still searching for missing people as more rain is expected. Here is a guide on how to help those affected. Full Story
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![Community members sort donations to help victims of the flood at the Cross Kingdom Church in Kerrville during the first Sunday service after the floods on July 6, 2025.]()
Credit: Brenda Bazán for The Texas Tribune -
TribCast: Floods in the Texas Hill Country
In this week’s episode, Matthew and Eleanor are joined by meteorologist Matt Lanza to discuss the deadly Texas floods. How did they happen? Could people have been better warned? And what can keep this region safe in the future? Full Story
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![Uprooted trees next to the Ingram Dam on the Guadalupe River on July 5, 2025 in Ingram.]()
Credit: Ronaldo Bolaños/The Texas Tribune
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Hills, rivers and rocky terrain: Why the Hill Country keeps flooding
When storms roll in, water rushes downhill fast, gaining speed and force as it moves — often with deadly results. Full Story
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![An overturned vehicle on the banks of the Blanco River on May 26, 2015, two days after catastrophic area flooding.]()
Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera for The Texas Tribune -
Central Texas flooding death toll rises to at least 100 as search continues for survivors
About two dozen people were still missing. Many more people could still be unaccounted for, officials warned, noting that visitors to the area for the July 4th weekend make it difficult to assess an exact number. Full Story
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![A small boat is wrapped around a tree along with other debris in Ingram on Saturday, June 5, 2025. Ingram is a small town about seven miles northwest of Kerrville.]()
Credit: Ronaldo Bolaños/The Texas Tribune -
In Texas region prone to catastrophic floods, questions grow about lack of warning
Water rose fast along the Guadalupe River, causing dozens of deaths. Local officials said they couldn’t have seen it coming. Full Story
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![Uprooted trees after deadly flooding in Kerrville on July 5, 2025.]()
Credit: REUTERS/Sergio Flores
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Texas lawmakers failed to pass a bill to improve local disaster warning systems this year
A GOP state lawmaker who represents Kerr County says he likely would vote differently now on House Bill 13, which would have established a grant program for counties to build new emergency communication infrastructure. Full Story
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![An aerial view of damage along the Guadalupe River near Kerrville on July 5, 2025. Heavy rains in the Hill Country on July for caused catastrophic flooding and loss of life.]()
Credit: Brenda Bazán for The Texas Tribune -
Ted Cruz was vacationing in Greece when the deadly Texas floods broke out. His office says he took the first flight home.
Texas’ junior senator was visiting Greece Friday when the Texas flood turned deadly. Cruz, who did not return until Sunday night, communicated with officials from Athens. Full Story
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![U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz at the U.S. Capitol in Washington on June 30, 2025.]()
Credit: Graeme Sloan/Sipa USA via REUTERS -
White House defends national forecasting agency amid questions about warnings, response to Texas floods
President Donald Trump is expected to visit Central Texas this week. Local officials and forecasters have defended their actions before and after flash floods killed dozens in the region. Full Story
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![Members of the media raise their hands to ask questions, as White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt holds a press briefing at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., July 7, 2025. REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein]()
Credit: REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein
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Camp Mystic, a haven for generations of Texas girls, becomes a center of tragedy
Girls remain missing from the camp, which has hosted the daughters of governors and one president. Full Story
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![Camp Mystic along the banks of the Guadalupe River in Hunt on July 5, 2025.]()
Credit: Brenda Bazán for The Texas Tribune -
Michigan man dead after firing at U.S. Border Patrol station in South Texas
Three officials were injured during the shooting and are recovering. The FBI is investigating the incident. Full Story
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![The levee-border wall can be seen through concertina wire from the the McAllen-Hidalgo International Bridge in Reynosa, Mexico on May 5, 2022.]()
Credit: Verónica G. Cárdenas for The Texas Tribune -
As the floodwaters recede, Kerrville confronts the devastation
On Sunday, as Kerrville began the long process of rebuilding after ruin, the unique horrors of what unfolded here Friday night hung thick over the whole town. Full Story
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![Community members grieve at the Cross Kingdom Church in Kerrville during the first Sunday service after the floods on July 6, 2025.]()
Credit: Brenda Bazán for The Texas Tribune
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Photos: After Texas Hill Country flood, grief and recovery take hold
After the tragic flooding in Kerr County, photographs depict a battered but resilient community. Full Story
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![Community members visit Louise Hays Park in Kerrville to look at the damage left behind by the deadly Fourth of July flood in Kerr County on July5, 2025.]()
Credit: Brenda Bazán for The Texas Tribune -
Texas’ immigration law is unconstitutional, appeals court rules
The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals ruling means that Senate Bill 4, which allows local police to arrest suspected undocumented immigrants, continues to be blocked. Full Story
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![The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals building in downtown New Orleans on July 1, 2025.]()
Credit: John Jordan/The Texas Tribune -
Former Democratic state House candidate among nine indicted for alleged vote harvesting in South Texas
The charges are the latest escalation in a probe that resulted in Texas authorities indicting six other Frio County area officials in May. Full Story
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![Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton speaks during the Republican Party of Texas convention on Thursday, May 23, 2024 in San Antonio.]()
Credit: Eli Hartman/The Texas Tribune
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Here’s what’s in Trump’s GOP megabill and how it will affect Texans
The wide-ranging bill is the vehicle for much of Trump’s domestic policy agenda, containing key changes that will affect daily life for millions of Texans. Full Story
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![House Speaker Mike Johnson with Republican leaders signs the Trump's One, Big, Beautiful Bill Act on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., on July 3, 2025.]()
Credit: Gripas Yuri/ABACA via REUTERS -
Paxton drops appeal: Texas to pay $6.6 million to whistleblowers
The Legislature will still have to appropriate the funds to pay the judgment, either during the upcoming special session or during the next regular session. Full Story
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![Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton makes a statement to the press May 26, 2023 a day before a scheduled impeachment vote in the Texas House in a long-running ethics complaint.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich for The Texas Tribune -
House Democrats, California leaders weigh tit-for-tat redistricting if Texas Republicans redraw maps
Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom’s aides have signaled their boss’s willingness to counter Texas redistricting with a similar move to offset GOP gains, lawmakers said. Full Story
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![California Governor Gavin Newsom speaks next to Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass as he announces a $750 million film and TV tax credit to help boost one of California's hallmark industries and the local economy from The Ranch, a Warner Bros. production facility, in Burbank, California, U.S., July 2, 2025. REUTERS/Mike Blake]()
Credit: REUTERS/Mike Blake - More News