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At least 27 dead at Camp Mystic as officials say they were caught off guard by storm

July 7, 2025 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — At least 27 people, both children and counselors, are dead at Camp Mystic after historic flooding wiped out the the Christian summer camp housing hundreds of young girls in the middle of the night.

“Our hearts are broken alongside our families that are enduring this unimaginable tragedy,” Camp Mystic said in a statement. “We are praying for them constantly.”

“We have been in communication with local and state authorities who are tirelessly deploying extensive resources to search for our missing girls,” the statement continued. “We are deeply grateful for the outpouring of support from community, first responders, and officials at every level.”

At least 80 people are believed dead in six counties across Texas after the deadly floods that struck the state on the Fourth of July, according to the latest information from state officials.

The majority of the deaths — 68 in all, including 28 children — occurred in hard-hit Kerr County after heavy rain pounded the Texas Hill Country region early Friday, leading to “catastrophic” flooding, Kerr County Sheriff Larry Leitha said at a news conference Sunday afternoon.

At least 10 campers from the girls-only Camp Mystic summer camp, along with a counselor, remained unaccounted as of late Sunday afternoon, Leitha said.

A Flood Watch was in effect for parts of New Mexico and western Texas Thursday afternoon as rounds of slow-moving thunderstorms packing heavy rain moved through the area. By Thursday evening, five inches of rain had fallen in parts of western Texas, including Midland and Odessa.

The flooding caught local officials off guard as the torrential rains caused the Guadalupe River to rise to near-historic levels in a matter of minutes, officials said at a press conference Saturday.

The National Weather Service issued a flash flood warning for Kerr County, where the Guadalupe River is located, around 1:14 a.m. Friday.

The river rose 26 feet in 45 minutes that morning, Kerrville Mayor Joe Herring told reporters on Friday.

“This came at night when people were asleep in bed,” he said.

The Guadalupe River reached its second-highest height on record, surpassing a 1987 flood level, the National Weather Service said.

Stuart Gross, the code enforcement officer for the city of Ingram, Texas, in Kerr County, told ABC News Live that the damage and flooding levels in his town were unprecedented.

“They came up high, never seen it come up this high in my 45 years,” he said. “It was horrific.”

Gross also told ABC News that he didn’t recall receiving a warning about the flood but that the town’s volunteer fire department brought speakers to alert residents during the torrential storm.

“The only reason we got out is because of our volunteer fire department,” he said. “It’s tragic. The screams for help, and there’s nothing you could do.”

Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick told reporters that it is up to local mayors and counties to evacuate if they feel the need and many were unsure where the storm would land.

At a news conference Friday, Kerr County Judge Rob Kelly said the county does not have a warning system on the river.

Kelly was pressed by a reporter as to why evacuations didn’t take place Thursday, but the judge said, “We didn’t know this flood was coming.”

“We have floods all the time. This is the most dangerous river valley in the United States, and we deal with floods on a regular basis. When it rains, we get water. We had no reason to believe that this was going to be anything like what’s happened here, none whatsoever,” he said.

Rain continued to hit the region Saturday, prompting flash flood emergency warnings for much of Burnet County and western parts of Williamson County and Travis County.

ABC News’ Emily Shapiro and Kyle Reiman contributed to this post.

1 dead, dozens injured as Russia launches 101 drones at Ukraine overnight, Zelenskyy says

July 7, 2025 by WDNY Radio

KHARKIV, Ukraine — One person was killed and at least 27 others, including three children, were injured in Russian strikes overnight in Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.

The fatality was in Odesa, Zelenskyy said. Emergency responders were searching the rubble of apartment buildings that were hit in Kharkiv, he added.

Moscow targeted regions across Ukraine with some 101 drones, Zelenskyy said. Russia on Friday had launched its largest overnight strike of the war, firing 539 drones and around a dozen missiles, according to Ukraine’s air force.

“In total, over the past week, there were around 1,270 drones, 39 missiles, and nearly a thousand guided bombs,” the president said on Monday.

Zelenskyy added that air defense “remains the top priority for protecting lives.”

“We are also actively advancing agreements on investing in our domestic weapons production, including all types of drones,” he said. “Special focus is on interceptor drones. We are contracting at full capacity. I thank all partners who are helping.”

DOJ, FBI review finds no Jeffrey Epstein ‘client list,’ confirms suicide: Memo

July 7, 2025 by WDNY Radio

NEW YORK — A review ordered by President Donald Trump-appointed leadership of the Justice Department and the FBI found no evidence that notorious deceased financier Jeffrey Epstein kept a “client list” of associates whom he blackmailed or conspired with to victimize dozens of women, according to a new memo reviewed by ABC News.

The department has also released hours of purported footage as part of its review, which officials say further confirms Epstein died by suicide while in custody in his jail cell in Manhattan in 2019 — contradicting conspiracy theories long embraced or spread by allies of President Trump and others.

The memo is also likely to generate outrage among those who have claimed Epstein’s known high-profile associates could be implicated in his crimes. According to the FBI and DOJ review, no further charges are expected in connection with their probes into Epstein, as investigators “did not uncover evidence that could predicate an investigation against uncharged third parties.”

Attorney General Pam Bondi had previously promised the public release of scores of records associated with federal probes into Epstein, though in recent interviews, she has claimed the delay was attributed to “tens of thousands” of videos within the FBI’s possession showing potential pornography of minors.

In late February, Bondi handed out binders with Epstein case files to pro-Trump social media influencers at the White House — files that ultimately contained little new information. As ABC News reported at the time, the move caught White House officials off guard and outraged some supporters of the president, who had been promised that more details would be made public.

Bondi has faced growing criticism from some Trump supporters over the delay in releasing the records. The Epstein files for years have been the subject of widespread speculation and conspiracy theories that the government was covering up information and a supposed “client list” to protect powerful businessmen and politicians. Multiple sources have told ABC News that no such list has ever surfaced.

In explaining their determination not to release further records from the investigation, the DOJ memo states that one of the government’s “highest priorities is combatting child exploitation and bringing justice to victims,” before adding, “Perpetuating unfounded theories about Epstein serves neither of those ends.”

President Trump and the White House have been peppered with questions in recent months over the timing of the release of the next “phase” of documents previously promised by Bondi.

In an exchange in the Oval Office on April 22, Trump said he was unaware of when the Epstein files would be released.

“I don’t know. I’ll speak to the Attorney General about that,” Trump said. “I really don’t know.”

Tech billionaire Elon Musk, in the midst of a public falling out with Trump in the wake of his departure from the administration last month — shared a post on X that claimed the delay in releasing the Epstein files was due to Trump’s name appearing in them.

“Time to drop the really big bomb: @realDonaldTrump is in the Epstein files,” he wrote. “That is the real reason they have not been made public. Have a nice day, DJT.”

The post was among several critical of Trump that Musk later removed from his account.

Trump soon after dismissed Musk’s claims in an interview with NBC News.

“That’s called ‘old news.’ That’s been old news. That has been talked about for years. Even Epstein’s lawyer said I had nothing to do with it — it’s old news,” he said.

“This has been talked about for years and years. And as you know, I was not friendly with Epstein for probably 18 years before he died. I was not at all friendly with him,” Trump added.

In tense private conversations, Bondi had previously pressed FBI Director Kash Patel to review the still-secret information from the case involving one of the most infamous sex trafficking criminals in modern history, sources told ABC News.

As many as a thousand FBI agents, many of whom were typically focused on national security matters, were enlisted to help with the effort, sources added.

In an interview in March, Bondi was asked about the increasing pressure from Trump’s base to release more files, and confirmed that the department was working to make them public.

“The MAGA group is mad that we don’t know more about the Epstein files…are you going to give us any more information? Fox News’ Maria Bartiromo asked the attorney general.

Bondi responded that FBI Director Kash Patel was working on providing the DOJ with a timeline for the next document release.

“We will get out as much as we can, as fast as we can to the American people,” Bondi said.

Axios was first to report the release of the DOJ and FBI’s memo.

Camp Mystic counselor who died in Texas flooding remembered as ‘loyal and beloved’

July 7, 2025 by WDNY Radio

HUNT, TEXAS — Chloe Childress, a counselor at Camp Mystic, was killed during the devastating flooding in Hunt, Texas, over the holiday weekend, according to a representative of her high school.

She graduated from The Kinkaid School earlier this year and was set to attend the University of Texas at Austin in the fall.

Jonathan Eades, the head of The Kinkaid School, remembered Childress as someone who had a “remarkable way of making people feel seen” and “steady compassion that settled a room.”

“Whether it was sharing her own challenges to ease someone’s burden or quietly cheering a teammate or classmate through a tough day, Chloe made space for others to feel safe, valued, and brave. She understood what it meant to be part of a community, and more than that, she helped build one,” Eades wrote in a letter to the school community.

While in high school, she was the co-president of her school’s honor council, ran varsity cross country and founded a club devoted to helping senior citizens, according to her LinkedIn.

According to Eades, Childress “lost her life upholding this selfless and fierce commitment to others.”

“A loyal and beloved friend to all who knew her, Chloe led with empathy. Her honesty gave others the courage to speak up. Her resilience helped others push through. Her joy, so present in all the little things, reminded all who knew her to keep showing up with heart,” he said.

Catastrophic flooding over the Fourth of July weekend in Texas left at least 80 people dead and many more are missing, according to officials.

By far the greatest number of fatalities occurred in Kerr County, where 68 people are believed to be dead, according to officials, including 28 children.

There are several major camps in the area. At one of them, Camp Mystic, on the banks of the Guadalupe River, at least 11 of its 750 young female campers and counselors, including Childress, died in the flooding.

The Guadalupe River in Kerr County rose a staggering 26 feet in 45 minutes, officials said. The river reached its second-highest height on record, surpassing a 1987 flood level, according to the National Weather Service.

White House suggests some countries could see tariff deadline shifted

July 6, 2025 by WDNY Radio

Chair of the White House Council of Economic Advisers Stephen Miran said that some countries that are negotiating with the United States in good faith could see tariffs delayed as President Donald Trump’s deadline to strike trade deals closes in.

Speaking with ABC News’ “This Week” anchor George Stephanopoulos, Miran hedged on what deals are in the works.

“On tariffs, the president’s deadline is approaching for the deals. You’ve only seen three deals so far. What should we expect next?” Stephanopoulos asked.

“I’m still optimistic that we’re going to get a number of deals later this week. Part of that is because all the negotiating goes through a series of steps that lead to a culmination timed with the deadline,” Miran said.

Pressed on if these other deals fail to come through and if Trump would extend the deadline, Miran indicated that could be possible.

“Well, my expectation would be that countries that are negotiating in good faith and making the concessions that they need to get to a deal, but the deal is just not there yet because it needs more time, my expectation will be that those countries get a roll, you know, sort of get the date rolled,” he said.

Asked which countries could see that date shifted, Miran refused to elaborate, but said that he has heard good things about talks with Europe and India.

“I would expect that a number of countries that are in the process of making those concessions, you know, they might see their date rolled. For the countries that aren’t making concessions, for the countries that aren’t negotiating in good faith, I would expect them to sort of see higher tariffs,” Miran said. “But again, the president will decide later this week and in the time following whether or not the countries are doing what it takes to get access to the American market like they’ve grown accustomed to.”

Stephanopolous was also joined by former Treasury Secretary Larry Summers, who balked at the potential economic benefits of Trump’s tariffs.

“It probably will collect some revenue at the cost of higher inflation for American consumers, less competitiveness for American producers,” Summers said. “So higher prices, less competitiveness, and not really that much revenue relative to what’s being given to the very wealthy in this [budget] bill.”

Here are more highlights from Miran and Summers’ interviews:

Miran on CBO estimates for Trump’s megabill
Stephanopoulos: Why should we not believe the CBO when they say that something approaching a little more than 11 million people are going to be — are going to lose their health care coverage because of the Medicaid cuts?

Miran: Well, because they’ve been wrong in the past. When Republicans repealed the individual mandate penalty during the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act in the president’s first term, CBO predicted that there was going to be about 5 million people losing their insurance by 2019. And you know what? The number was not very significantly changed at all. It was a tiny fraction of that. And so, they’ve been wrong in the past. And look, if we don’t pass the — if we didn’t pass the bill, 8 to 9 million people would’ve lost their insurance for sure, as a result of the biggest tax act in history creating a huge recession. The best way to make sure people are insured is to grow the economy, get them jobs, get them working, get them insurance through their employer. Creating jobs, creating a booming economy is always the best way to get people insured.

Miran on past tax cuts
Stephanopoulos: You say this is all going to turbocharge growth. We have seen some experience with this back — in Ronald Reagan’s day, back in 1981. He had huge tax cuts. The growth didn’t come, and they had to end up raising taxes for several years after that. Concerned that could happen again?

Miran: Well, like I said before, you know, history’s on our side. If you look at what happened in the president’s first term, growth soared and there was no real material, you know, meaningful long-term decline in revenue. Revenue as a share of GDP was 17.1% last year, the same as it was before the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. So, you got this huge surge in growth as a result of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. There was no material long-term decline in revenue. Corporate revenue even went up as a share of GDP from 1.6 to 1.9%. And the growth delivered. And we expect the same thing to happen this time.

Summers on cuts to the safety net
Stephanopoulos: In The New York Times this week, you and Robert Rubin, who also served as president, as Treasury secretary, called this bill “dangerous,” said it “posed a huge risk to the economy.” What are those risks?

Summers: George, just to start with, what your people have been describing is the biggest cut in the American safety net in history. The Yale Budget Lab estimates that it will kill, over 10 years, 100,000 people. That is 2,000 days of death like we’ve seen in Texas this weekend. In my 70 years, I’ve never been as embarrassed for my country on July Fourth. These higher interest rates, these cutbacks in subsidies to electricity, these reductions in the availability of housing, the fact that hospitals are going to have to take care of these people and pass on the costs to everybody else, and that’s going to mean more inflation, more risk that the Fed has to raise interest rates and run the risk of recession, more stagflation, that’s the risk facing every middle-class family in our country because of this bill. And for what? A million dollars over 10 years to the top tenth of a percent of our population. Is that the highest priority use of federal money right now? I don’t think so. This is a shameful act by our Congress and by our president that is going to set our country back.

Summers on claims of economic growth
Stephanopoulos: Part of the president’s argument is that economic growth sparked by the bill will alleviate the dangers that you talk about here. The chair of the Council of Economic Advisers is up next and his council issued a report this week projecting $11 trillion in deficit reduction from growth, higher tax revenue and savings on debt payments. How do you respond to that?

Summers: It is, respectfully, nonsense. None of us can forecast what’s going to happen to economic growth. What we can forecast is that when people have to hold government debt instead of being able to invest it in new capital goods, new machinery, new buildings, that makes the economy less productive. What we can forecast is that when we’re investing less in research and development, investing less in our schools, that there is a negative impact on economic growth. There is no economist anywhere, without a strong political agenda, who is saying that this bill is a positive for the economy. And the overwhelming view is that it is probably going to make the economy worse. Think about it this way. How long can the world’s greatest debtor remain the world’s greatest power? And this is piling more debt onto the economy than any piece of tax legislation in dollar terms that we have ever had.

Tropical Storm Chantal makes landfall over South Carolina with 50 mph winds

July 6, 2025 by WDNY Radio

Tropical Storm Chantal made landfall at about 4 a.m. on Sunday near Litchfield Beach, South Carolina, according to the National Hurricane Center.

As of 8 a.m. ET, the center of Chantal was about 15 miles to the northwest of Conway, South Carolina, or about 100 miles north of Charleston, according to the National Hurricane Center. Chantal’s maximum sustained winds had decreased slightly from around 60 mph early Sunday to 40 mph, with the storm moving north-northwest at 8 mph, according to the National Hurricane Center.

A tropical storm warning remains in effect from the South Santee River, South Carolina, to Surf City, North Carolina, including Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Peak winds in the area are forecast to be 20 to 30 mph with gusts up to 45 mph.

About an hour after making landfall, Chantal had weakened, with sustained winds then up to 50 mph.

Scattered showers and thunderstorms from Chantal’s outer bands continue to impact portions of inland South and North Carolina, with the more concentrated showers and thunderstorms from Chantal’s inner bands moving from the South and North Carolina coastline inland.

The tropical storm watch has been discontinued from Edisto Beach to South Santee River, South Carolina, including Charleston.

Chantal is expected to continue to weaken as it moves inland, likely becoming a tropical depression later today and dissipating by Monday.

The storm is forecast to produce scattered showers, and some areas will see heavy rain and gusty winds from thunderstorms throughout the day.

Flood watches remain in effect at least until Sunday night from Myrtle Beach to the west of Wilmington, North Carolina. Flood watches are expected to extend into parts of inland North Carolina, including Fayetteville and Raleigh, until Monday.

Chantal, the third named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season, was forecast to bring 2 to 4 inches of rain to portions of the eastern Carolinas, with isolated amounts up to 6 inches that could cause flash flooding.

Thunderstorms from the bands of Chantal may also produce isolated tornadoes, as well as lightning and gusty winds.

The storm was also expected to bring minor storm surges to parts of the Carolina coastline, with between 1 to 3 feet of storm surge possible during high tide for coastal areas under the tropical storm warnings.

Texas flooding timeline: How rapidly rising waters killed dozens

July 6, 2025 by WDNY Radio

Heavy rain poured over parts of central Texas, dumping more than a month’s worth of rain for places like San Angelo, killing at least 43 people.

Dangerous amounts of rain caused dangerous flash flooding in parts of Texas, destroying homes and cars on Independence Day.

Here’s a timeline of the disaster:

Friday, July 4
Flash flooding is occurring and with a continued threat through the time period. This is mainly west of Austin and San Antonio.

A flash flood emergency was issued for Friday morning for South-central Kerr County, including Hunt – a “particularly dangerous situation” with up to 10 inches of rain having fallen and more rain still coming down at rates of up to 4 inches per hour.

Another flash flood emergency is north of San Angelo, Texas, with up to 10 inches of rain falling there already with another 3 to 4 inches of rain possible.

7 a.m.: Kerr County, Texas, begins to evacuate people near the Guadalupe River in Hunt amid major flooding caused by 6 to 7 inches of rainfall.

10 a.m.: The Kerr County Sheriff’s Office confirm there have been “multiple fatalities” from “catastrophic flooding.”

“The entire county is an extremely active scene. Residents are encouraged to shelter in place and not attempt travel. Those near creeks, streams, and the Guadalupe River should immediately move to higher ground,” the Kerr County Sheriff’s Office said.

1 p.m.: The “devastating and deadly flood” has far surpassed the flood of 1987, becoming the highest flood on record, Kerr County Judge Rob Kelly said at a press conference Saturday.

Officials say there have been dozens of water rescues.

“This came at night when people were asleep in bed. Please pray for our community,” Kerrville Mayor Joe Herring, Jr. said during a press conference.

Camp Mystic, a girls only camp along the Guadalupe River, said it lost power, water and Wi-Fi. In a letter, the camp told parents that if they have not been personally contacted, then their daughter is accounted for.

“The highway has washed away so we are struggling to get more help,” Camp Mystic said in a statement.

3 p.m.: Heavy rain remains ongoing in parts of Texas, dumping more than a month’s worth of rain for places like San Angelo.

A Flash Flood Emergency remains in effect for south-central Kerr County, including Hunt — a “particularly dangerous situation” with up to 12 inches of rain already have fallen and more rain still coming down through this evening.

Another Flash Flood Emergency for the Guadalupe River from Center Point to Sisterdale, as well as to the north for the Llano River south of Mason remains in effect as the extreme runoff from the heavy rain makes its way down the rivers.

Several major camps in the area are likely impacted by the flooding.

Just before 5 pm: Patrick said they are working to evacuate camps with some of the kids, announcing that there are around 23 campers unaccounted for at Camp Mystic.

Once rain clears, they have 10 buses ready to go and get kids to reunite them with their parents, Patrick said.

Thirteen people are confirmed dead, according to Kerr County Sheriff Larry Leitha.

10 p.m.: At least 24 people have been confirmed dead, according to Kerr County Sheriff Larry Leitha.

Around 23 to 25 campers are still unaccounted for from Camp Mystic.

Saturday, July 5
3 a.m.: A flash flood emergency has been issued by the National Weather Service for Northwestern Travis County and far eastern Burnet county around Lake Travis in south-central Texas

Flash flooding is already occurring as 3 to 7 inches of rain have fallen and the expected rainfall rate is 6 inches in an hour. Additional rates of 2 to 5 inches are also possible.

7 a.m.: This earlier Flash Flood Emergency has been expanded to include much of Burnet County and western parts of Williamson and Travis County.

Trump administration deports 8 migrants to South Sudan

July 5, 2025 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — The Trump administration deported eight migrants to South Sudan, according to a Department of Homeland Security official, after the administration had to halt their deportation to a base in Djibouti.

“A district judge cannot dictate the national security and foreign policy of the United States of America,” Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said to ABC News. “This Independence Day marks another victory for the safety and security of the American people.”

The plane landed in South Sudan just before midnight EST on Friday.

The eight migrants, who DHS has alleged have serious criminal convictions, were the subject of a lawsuit that had halted their deportation to South Sudan and diverted them to a U.S. military base in Djibouti.

The conditions at the base, according to court filings, were both challenging for the detainees and ICE officials who were tasked with watching them.

The lawsuit made it all the way up to the Supreme Court and the court ruled that the Trump administration was not bound by a lower court order to keep them at a military facility in Djibouti.

In a 7-2 decision, the Supreme Court on Thursday clarified that the noncitizens the Trump administration moved to deport to South Sudan — and has since held temporarily in Djibouti in legal limbo — is not bound by a lower court order to keep them there as legal proceedings play out.

The decision is another win for the Trump administration and its unprecedented effort to deport immigrants to countries with which they have no ties and where they may face mistreatment.

In an unsigned opinion, the Supreme Court explained that when it lifted judge-imposed due process requirements for third-country removals last month the government can no longer be held to account for allegedly violating the requirements.

One of the lawyers representing the group of men called their deportation to South Sudan “punitive and unconstitutional.”

“Because of the Supreme Court’s procedural ruling, these men were denied an opportunity to contest their deportations to South Sudan based on their fear of torture or death,” said Trina Realmuto in a statement to ABC News. “The U.S. State Department warns Americans against all travel to South Sudan yet deported these men there without any due process. Make no mistake about it, these deportations were punitive and unconstitutional.”

-ABC News’ Laura Romero contributed to this report.

Tropical storm warnings extended up to North Carolina as Chantal approaches

July 5, 2025 by WDNY Radio

(SURF CITY, NC) — Tropical storm warnings have been extended up to Surf City, North Carolina, as Tropical Storm Chantal is offshore from the southeastern U.S. on Saturday, according to the National Hurricane Center.

The storm has maximum sustained wind of up to 45 mph and is moving north at just 3 mph.

The center of the storm is located about 105 miles southeast of Charleston, South Carolina.

Scattered showers and thunderstorms from Chantal’s outer bands are impacting portions of the South and North Carolina coastline Saturday afternoon along with increasing rough surf and dangerous rip currents.

Chantal is forecasted to continue tracking north towards South Carolina later Saturday, where it is forecast to make landfall on South Carolina on Sunday morning as a weak tropical storm.

Tropical storm conditions are expected to begin Saturday evening for portions of the Carolina coastline from South Santee River to Surf City, where the Tropical Storm Warning is in effect.

Tropical storm conditions are possible beginning later today south of the South Santee River to Edisto Beach in South Carolina where the Tropical Storm Watch is in effect.

Heavy rainfall across the coastal Carolinas will cause some flash flooding through Monday, with storm total rainfall of 2 to 4 inches and local amounts up to 6 inches expected for the Carolinas.

Chantal will bring minor storm surge for parts of the Carolina coastline, with between 1 to 3 feet of storm surge possible for coastal areas under the Tropical Storm Warning.

The system is also expected to bring life-threatening surf and rip currents along parts of the East Coast from northeastern Florida to the Mid-Atlantic states over the next couple of days.

The third named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season forms on average around Aug. 3, according to the National Hurricane Center.

‘Came at night’: Texas officials say they were caught off guard by deadly rainstorms, flooding

July 5, 2025 by WDNY Radio

(AUSTIN) — The deadly floods that struck Texas on the 4th of July caught local officials off guard as the torrential rains caused the Guadalupe River to rise to near-historic levels in a matter of minutes, officials said at a press conference Saturday.

The National Weather Service issued a flash flood warning for Kerr County, where the river is located, around 1:14 a.m. Friday.

The Guadalupe River rose 26 feet in 45 minutes that morning, Kerrville Mayor Joe Herring told reporters Friday.

“This came at night, when people were asleep in bed,” he said.

The river reached its second-highest height on record, surpassing a 1987 flood level, the National Weather Service said.

Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick told reporters that it is up to local mayors and counties to evacuate if they feel the need and many were unsure where the storm would land.

At a news conference Friday, Kerr County Judge Rob Kelly said the county does not have a warning system on the river.

Kelly was pressed by a reporter as to why evacuations didn’t take place Thursday, but the judge said, “We didn’t know this flood was coming.”

Rain continued to hit the region Saturday, prompting flash flood emergency warnings for much of Burnet County and western parts of Williamson County and Travis County.

ABC News’ Emily Shapiro and Kyle Reiman contributed to this post.

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