OMG, You Guys — Texas Is, Like, Literally FLOODED, like, the Texas Hill Country just got hit by this massive flash flood after super heavy rain on July 4 (Independence Day, duh). The Guadalupe River was all, “Hold my beer!” and exploded over its banks, leaping almost 30 feet in just, like, forty‑five minutes. Unreal! That level of water is wild.
Lives lost? Heartbreaking. The death toll is brutally around 78–80 people right now, including 28 children—and sadly, that’s still rising. It’s especially tragic at Camp Mystic, a Christian girls’ summer retreat near the river. Ten girls and one counselor are still missing, and tearin’ up everyone’s hearts.
Rescue teams are, like, so heroic — helicopters, Coast Guard, FEMA — all racing to save anyone they can. Over 850 people have been rescued, many literally clinging to trees during the surge. But even with that chaos, the death count keeps climbing.
Texas officials are working so hard, with Governor Greg Abbott calling this “nothing short of horrific” and warning the toll will keep rising. And President Trump has signed a major disaster declaration and is planning to visit Texas later this week to offer, you know, thoughts, prayers, and logistics.
What Went So Wrong? A ton of rain—like, 15 inches in some spots—fell overnight. The Guadalupe River shot up 26–29 feet in under an hour. Locals were, like, totally blindsided.
Camp Mystic apparently didn’t have a flood siren or honkin’ alert system. The cabins ended up submerged in six feet of water. Families are, understandably, freaking out.
The Big Admin Drama: What About NOAA & NWS?
Okay, now it gets spicy. There’s controversy over recent budget cuts and layoffs in the National Weather Service and NOAA under the Trump administration.
NOAA staffing cuts = ???
Some reports say around 600 weather‑service jobs were eliminated. Critics (like Rep. Joaquin Castro) are saying that might have degraded key forecasting and warning systems. If fewer people are crunching weather models or issuing warnings, that could be really bad news.
Kristi Noem (Homeland Security) basically admitted that recent weather alerts—even a “moderate flood watch”—missed the mark and flooded without warning. She’s now promising upgrades to tech and forecasting.
Trump, though, is like, “No way layoffs slowed us down.” He’s, like, totally shifting blame to “the Biden setup” or calling it a “100‑year catastrophe.”
Real‑Life Impact
- 78–80 souls have died, including 28 kiddos.
- More than 40 people are still missing.
- Camp Mystic is a disaster zone—literally flooded out, with shattered cabins and families in agonizing limbo.
- Local warning systems? Totally absent. No sirens, no alarms—people were basically sleeping while the water came.
Bottom Line, You Guys? This is, like, way more than just weather drama—it’s a preventable crisis if agencies had full staff, tip‑top tech, and fast alerts. Instead, the Trump administration’s cuts could’ve literally cost lives. Now officials are promising improvements, but, like, too late for those who are gone.
The flood isn’t just “nature happening”—it’s a combo of heavy rain and human choices. And right now, people are grieving. Families at Camp Mystic are praying, rescuers are racing, and Texans are demanding an answer: Why weren’t systems in place?
Until there’s action—new tech, hired forecasters, and real‑time warnings—this kind of tragedy could totally happen again. And we all know Texas deserves better.
Sending big hugs to everyone who’s suffering.
XOXO,
Valley Girl News
