𝓤𝓷𝓲𝓽𝓮𝓭 𝓝𝓮𝔀𝓼

Federal regulators repeatedly approved appeals to remove Camp Mystic’s buildings from their 100-year flood map, easing oversight as the camp operated and expanded in a hazardous floodplain in the years leading up to the central Texas flash floods of July 4, according to new reporting by The Associated Press.

President Donald Trump suggested during an interview with Fox News broadcast on Saturday night that the area of Texas struck hardest by the flash floods should’ve had a more robust early warning system.

“Maybe they should have had bells, something go off, but it’s pretty dangerous territory, when you think of all the times that they’ve had this problem,” Trump told his daughter-in-law, Fox News host Lara Trump. “They were given a lot of warning, but it was late at night, and people were sleeping.”

The president noted that those who were alerted “were able to get to higher land.”

“When you hear this wave that was up to 30 feet high just came roaring through that valley. It’s just a very sad thing,” he added.

The body of a 22-year-old man has been recovered in the Texas Hill Country after devastating floodwaters inundated his family’s river cabin on July 4, his father confirmed.

Aidan Heartfield was with three friends when they were caught in a sudden deluge that saw water levels inside the property rise from inches to several feet in moments.

The tragedy unfolded around 4 a.m. when Thad Heartfield received a frantic call from his son, Aidan, who was at the cabin in Hunt with his girlfriend and two friends, NBC News reports.

Aidan reported four inches of water inside the property, but within seconds, the water surged to approximately four feet. Mr Heartfield urged his son to escape to the highway, but the rapidly rising waters swept away their cars.

Aidan then told his father he needed to help his girlfriend, handing the phone to one of the other girls. Within moments, she told Mr Heartfield that his son and the others were gone, before the line went dead.

Thad Heartfield confirmed on Saturday to KFDM/Fox 4 News that Aidan’s body had been recovered. His longtime girlfriend, Ella Cahill, and friends Joyce Badon and Reese Manchaca, both 21, were also found deceased.

“I want to thank everyone in the community for their prayers and support,” Mr Heartfield said. “It has meant the world to us and sustained us through this difficult time. I know it has been important to all of the affected families. This is an important step toward closure.”

Kerr County officials reportedly failed to activate a powerful public alert system that could have saved lives before last week’s devastating flood, leaving almost 100 dead and over 160 missing in the county. The Washington Post revealed that despite having the technology to turn every mobile phone in the river valley into a loud alarm, local authorities did not deploy it as the Guadalupe River swelled to record levels on July 4, inundating campsites and homes.

As the river began to flood, county officials eventually sent text message alerts, but only to pre-registered residents. Even as a federal meteorologist warned of worsening conditions and extreme risk, the more potent notification system, previously used for flood alerts, remained inactive. The National Weather Service, however, began sending its own alerts through this system from 1:14 a.m. on July 4.

The Integrated Public Alert & Warning System (IPAWS) is a mass notification programme used by National Weather Service meteorologists for imminent threats. Like Amber Alerts, IPAWS warnings force phones to vibrate and emit a unique, jarring tone, provided they are on and have a signal. It also enables local officials to send targeted messages.

Abdul-Akeem Sadiq, a University of Central Florida professor researching emergency management, told The Post that residents are more likely to trust messages from local government. He suggested the alert could have made a significant difference, despite patchy mobile service and many likely asleep as floodwaters surged.

For years, Kerr County officials have discussed a more robust flash-flood warning system, including the installation of expensive sirens. Lacking that infrastructure, they adopted IPAWS, which cost nothing, to alert more people.

IPAWS had been activated by Kerr County twice before, most recently in July 2024 for flash floods. Just two days after this year’s deadly storm, amid further thunderstorms, county officials did use IPAWS to warn of another potential round of river flooding.

House Democrats addressed a letter to President Donald Trump and weather infrastructure officials on Friday, expressing “deep concern” about the flooding in Kerr County, Texas, and the “structural shortcomings at the federal, state, and local levels that contributed to the tragic loss of life.”

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said at a press conference today that the response to the Texas flash floods is President Donald Trump’s vision for how FEMA will operate in the future.

“Some of what you saw for our response in Texas is going to be a lot of how President Trump envisions what FEMA would look like into the future … emergencies are locally executed. They are state-managed. The federal government comes in and supports.”

As floodwaters in Texas rose in the early morning of July 4, a local firefighter petitioned for an emergency alert to quickly be sent out, but local officials do not appear to have followed his request until about an hour later, according to leaked audio.

Federal regulators repeatedly approved appeals to remove Camp Mystic’s buildings from their 100-year flood map, easing oversight as the camp operated and expanded in a hazardous floodplain in the years leading up to the central Texas flash floods of July 4, according to new reporting by The Associated Press.