SHOTLIST: KERVILLE, TEXAS, US (JULY 4, 2025) (KERVILLE CITY ADMINISTRATION / VIA FACEBOOK - MUST ON-SCREEN COURTESY, MUST NOT OBSCURE LOGO —EDITORIAL USE ONLY) 1. VARIOUS OF KERR COUNTY JUDGE ROB KELLY SPEAKING (English) DURING PRESS CONFERENCE 2. VARIOUS OF KERRVILLE MAYOR JOE HERRING JR., SPEAKING (English) DURING PRESS CONFERENCE KERVILLE, TEXAS, US (JULY 4, 2025) (KERVILLE CITY ADMINISTRATION / VIA FACEBOOK - MUST ON-SCREEN COURTESY, MUST NOT OBSCURE LOGO —EDITORIAL USE ONLY) Catastrophic flooding along the Guadalupe River has left multiple people dead and dozens missing, with officials comparing the disaster to the deadly 1987 flood that claimed 10 lives. On Friday, July 4The rapidly rising waters have created a particularly dangerous situation for summer camps along the riverbanks, with an unspecified number of children reported missing from Camp Mystic and other facilities. At a tense midday press conference, Kerr County Judge Rob Kelly described the situation as "very devastating and deadly" but declined to provide specific casualty figures, explaining he had been advised to wait until a 3 p.m. briefing before releasing numbers. "There's a lot of discussion about casualties. How many fatalities. A lot of discussion about how many people are missing, and I've been advised not to use any numbers," Kelly said. "We do have some numbers but we're not going to use them at this time." This refusal led to heated exchanges with journalists, who pressed for answers about why summer camps in the flood zone had not been evacuated despite weather warnings. As sirens sounded in the background he said "When you look out your front door, and you see the Guadalupe River running, it'll wake you up, let me tell you." "We didn't know this flood was coming. Rest assured, no one knew this kind of flood was coming," said Kelly. "We had no reason to believe that this was going to be anything like what's happened here. None whatsoever." The flooding has drawn comparisons to the historic 1987 disaster, with the Guadalupe River at Hunt reaching over 29 feet - the second highest level ever recorded. The National Weather Service reported between 5 to 11 inches of rain had fallen by 9 a.m., with another 1-2 inches expected. Rescue teams have conducted dozens of water rescues overnight, with operations expected to expand as floodwaters begin to recede. Kerrville Mayor Joe Herring Jr., visibly emotional during his statements, emphasized the suddenness of the disaster, noting it struck "when people were asleep in bed." The city has canceled its Fourth of July celebrations and declared a local disaster. A local Walmart store has been converted into a temporary reunification center for displaced families. Authorities continue to urge residents to shelter in place and avoid unnecessary travel, particularly warning those near creeks, streams and the Guadalupe River to move to higher ground immediately. The National Weather Service maintains its urgent warning: "This is a very dangerous and life-threatening flood event! Move to higher ground!" Writing by Sibel Uygun