AUSTIN, Texas – The aftermath of deadly flooding in Texas over the Fourth of July weekend has moved to the top of the agenda for a special legislative session that started this week.
At least 135 people, including more than 30 children, were killed when heavy rain led to flash flooding in the Texas Hill Country. At least three people are still missing.
Most of the deaths happened in Kerr County, where several camps along the banks of the Guadalupe River were inundated in the middle of the night. Among them was Camp Mystic, an all-girls Christian retreat in Hunt.
BEFORE-AND-AFTER PHOTOS OF CAMP MYSTIC, KERR COUNTY SHOW DEVASTATION 1 WEEK AFTER DEADLY FLOODS
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A Texas state flag flies in a yard filled with debris on July 6, 2025 in Hunt, Texas.
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Nathan Sharpe grieves at the entrance to the Hunt city square on July 09, 2025, in Hunt, Texas.
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Volunteers remove trees damaged in the Central Texas floods along the Guadalupe River as they search for victims on July 9, 2025 in Center point, Texas. Over a 100 people have died in the Central Texas floods and over 160 people remain missing.
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INGRAM, TEXAS JULY 5: Campers embrace after arriving to a reunification area as girls from Camp Waldemar, near the North fork of the Guadalupe River, are reconnected with their families after heavy rainfall in Central Texas, Saturday, July 5, 2025. (Jason Fochtman/Houston Chronicle via Getty Images)
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INGRAM, TEXAS JULY 5: Crews work to fill a hole on a bridge along Cade Loop that crosses the Guadalupe River after heavy rainfall in Central Texas damaged the structure and stranded several homes without power or aid, Saturday, July 5, 2025. (Jason Fochtman/Houston Chronicle via Getty Images)
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Flood-damaged property is seen on the banks of the Guadalupe River on July 09, 2025 in Kerrville, Texas.
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Mike Sowers, 80, looks at debris near crosses lined along the Guadalupe River at Guadalupe Park in Kerrville, Texas on Sunday, July 13, 2025.
(Desiree Rios for The Washington Post via Getty Images)
In the aftermath, questions arose about the warnings given to people at those camps when the water started to rise.
Flood warning systems and preparedness now lead the list of priorities outlined by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott for a previously scheduled special legislative session that began Monday.
“We delivered on historic legislation in the 89th Regular Legislative Session that will benefit Texans for generations to come,” Abbott said in a statement about his agenda released July 9. “There is more work to be done, particularly in the aftermath of the devastating floods in the Texas Hill Country. We must ensure better preparation for such events in the future.”
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The first four items on the agenda are now flooding and natural disaster-related. The items read as follows:
- Flood warning systems: Legislation to improve early warning systems and other preparedness infrastructure in flood-prone areas throughout Texas.
- Flood emergency communications: Legislation to strengthen emergency communications and other response infrastructure in flood-prone areas throughout Texas.
- Relief funding for Hill Country floods: Legislation to provide relief funding for response to and recovery from the storms which began in early July 2025, including local match funding for jurisdictions eligible for FEMA public assistance.
- Natural disaster preparation and recovery: Legislation to evaluate and streamline rules and regulations to speed preparedness for and recovery from natural disasters.
Texas legislators meet every two years for regular sessions for no more than 140 days. This year’s session ended on June 2. Special sessions are frequently used to address priorities outlined by the governor and are limited to 30 days.
