Texts among officials show confusion about missing campers during July 4 floods Hundreds of newly published text messages add more detail to the devastating timeline of the deadly July 4 Texas floods.

Warning: These texts discuss the missing and dead.

If you see something important in these records that we did not highlight, please DM me or my co-author @emfoxhall.bsky.social

We focused on Camp Mystic but there’s a lot more here. www.kut.org/energy-envir... #txlege

Texts among officials show confusion about missing campers during July 4 floods Hundreds of newly published text messages add more detail to the devastating timeline of the deadly July 4 Texas floods.

We spent months — and hundreds of dollars — fighting to get these records from the county.

We decided to publish both excerpts of what the texts showed us and the full batch of text messages we received. Read them all here. www.kut.org/energy-envir... #txlege

Texts among officials show confusion about missing campers during July 4 floods Hundreds of newly published text messages add more detail to the devastating timeline of the deadly July 4 Texas floods.

NEW: We got hundreds of never-before-released text messages between county leaders sent during deadly July 4 Texas floods.

They show confusion among those in charge with how to respond to the devastating event. We published with @texastribune.org. www.kut.org/energy-envir... #txlege

"Everyone at Camp Mystic is accounted for" message at 9:45 a.m.

Great accountability reporting from the Texas Tribune and Texas Newsroom. Confusion and conflicting information among officials in the July 4 flood. @emfoxhall.bsky.social @lmcgaughy.bsky.social
www.texastribune.org/2026/01/14/t...

Texas couple grieves children, parents lost in July 4 flood RJ and Annie Harber have leaned on faith, their community and each other to move through each day after losing their daughters and RJ’s parents. But memories of that night still haunt them.

They couldn’t save their daughters’ lives in the July 4 floods. Now they’re dealing with the grief and the guilt.

I hope you'll read my latest story for @texastribune.org:
www.texastribune.org/2025/11/25/t...

Texas couple grieves children, parents lost in July 4 flood RJ and Annie Harber have leaned on faith, their community and each other to move through each day after losing their daughters and RJ’s parents. But memories of that night still haunt them.

They couldn't save their daughters' lives in the July 4 floods. Now they're dealing with the grief and the guilt. www.texastribune.org/2025/11/25/t...

Texas couple grieves children, parents lost in July 4 flood RJ and Annie Harber have leaned on faith, their community and each other to move through each day after losing their daughters and RJ’s parents. But memories of that night still haunt them.

Every morning, Annie kisses the girls' empty beds and says, as she did when they were alive: "Good morning angels."

I hope you'll read and share the full story, published with photos by Shelby Tauber, in @texastribune.org.

www.texastribune.org/2025/11/25/t...

RJ and Annie have leaned on each other, faith and community as they face tremendous grief.

One friend brought Annie a strawberry banana smoothie every day. Another walks nightly with RJ and his dog who survived. They go to therapy and talk with priests.

They started a fund in the girls' honor.

Thirteen-year-old Blair was sweet and religious and practiced recipes until she perfected them.

Eleven-year-old Brooke was feisty and athletic and made friends everywhere she went.

The parents didn't know how to live without them.

RJ and Annie escaped that night through a window and then tried to get to their girls.

Their daughters had slept closer to the river in a house with their grandparents. RJ got in a kayak and battled the raging current, paddling toward them.

But he couldn't save his daughters -- who were his world.

Texas couple grieves children, parents lost in July 4 flood RJ and Annie Harber have leaned on faith, their community and each other to move through each day after losing their daughters and RJ’s parents. But memories of that night still haunt them.

🧵 Today we published the story of RJ and Annie Harber, who suffered an unimaginable loss July 4 when the Guadalupe River flood killed their daughters and RJ's parents.

The parents awoke that night to crashing thunder. They stepped out of bed into water...
www.texastribune.org/2025/11/25/t...

Thank you both so much❤️

Texas couple grieves children, parents lost in July 4 flood RJ and Annie Harber have leaned on faith, their community and each other to move through each day after losing their daughters and RJ’s parents. But memories of that night still haunt them.

This beautiful, heart-breaking story about loss and grief and grace by the amazing journalist @emfoxhall.bsky.social: They couldn't save their daughters' lives in the July 4 floods. Now they're dealing with the grief and the guilt. www.texastribune.org/2025/11/25/t...

FEMA denied or didn’t advance most Kerr County flood requests Advocates are questioning why so many applicants from the flood-ravaged county have not received federal disaster help. Nonprofits are trying to fill in the gaps.

And this money is important --- even in a place where lots of nonprofits are stepping up to help. It is meant to help cover costs for hotels or rent, fixing homes to make them liveable and medical and transportation needs.

Read more here: www.texastribune.org/2025/10/16/t...

A top reason people are being denied: failing to respond to the agency or voluntary withdrawal. This is happening in an area known to have spotty cell service and where not everyone may have computer or Internet access.

Another important statistic from the FEMA data: A little more than half of the Kerr County applications haven't been referred for specific funding reviews. This means hundreds remain without the federal aid they sought. It's unclear why these applications weren't referred yet.

FEMA denied or didn’t advance most Kerr County flood requests Advocates are questioning why so many applicants from the flood-ravaged county have not received federal disaster help. Nonprofits are trying to fill in the gaps.

It's been more than 3 months since the Central Texas floods, and the application window for FEMA aid has closed. So @carla-astudi.bsky.social and I looked at where things stand. We found about one-fifth of FEMA applications from Kerr County have been approved so far.

Support Us | The Texas Tribune Members make our journalism possible. Support The Texas Tribune with a donation today.

The @texastribune.org is trying to reach 500 new members during our Fall member drive. You can support me and our newsroom's important work covering this state by donating: trib.it/friend

It's been amazing to see how this story is connecting with readers. I hope you all will keep sharing the piece, about two dads moving through unimaginable grief in the days and weeks after their daughters died at Camp Mystic and fighting for positive change. www.texastribune.org/2025/09/16/t...

“Our girls are still dead”: Camp Mystic parents pushed for laws to protect kids at camp. But their pain remains. Two dads helped lead Camp Mystic parents to advocate for new camp rules in the Texas Legislature. What they wanted most was to have their daughters back.

Heartbreak, 17 kisses and a new law: brilliant reporting from @emfoxhall.bsky.social www.texastribune.org/2025/09/16/t...

“Our girls are still dead”: Camp Mystic parents pushed for laws to protect kids at camp. But their pain remains. Two dads helped lead Camp Mystic parents to advocate for new camp rules in the Texas Legislature. What they wanted most was to have their daughters back.

“Our girls are still dead”: Camp Mystic parents successfully pushed for laws to protect kids at camp. But too late to save their own children. Beautifully told story by former @ksjatmit.bsky.social fellow @emfoxhall.bsky.social via @texastribune.org

“Our girls are still dead”: Camp Mystic parents pushed for laws to protect kids at camp. But their pain remains. Two dads helped lead Camp Mystic parents to advocate for new camp rules in the Texas Legislature. What they wanted most was to have their daughters back.

Two dads helped lead Camp Mystic parents to push for new camp laws in Texas. For one, staying busy kept him from dark places in his mind. The other couldn't stop asking why his daughter died. The laws passed, but the dads couldn't get their kids back. My latest:
www.texastribune.org/2025/09/16/t...

After a tearful hearing with testimony from the Camp Mystic parents, Texas senators on the special committee appointed after the July 4 floods voted 8-0 to pass Senate Bill 1 which makes changes to how camps would operate. It will be considered by the full chamber tomorrow night.

Texas Division of Emergency Management Chief Nim Kidd vows to legislators that the search for the last missing Camp Mystic girl will continue: “We are not stopping the search for Cile."

Her mother said earlier she has been waiting in agony for her child's body to be returned.

Dillon remembered reading thousands of pages of books with his gritty, kind daughter. They played countless hands of Go Fish. “She was my best friend, my greatest contribution to society, and today I sit before you a broken man," he told the lawmakers, urging them to pass reform.

8-year-old Lucy's father Brandt Dillon: "Our world has been shattered by a tragedy that was 100% preventable." He said their family's plans for the future have been shattered by unsafe facilities, inadequate preparation, failed planning and poor execution.

Sen. Paul Bettencourt tells the parents he can't stop their horrible dreams, but legislators can act to prevent this in the future with Senate Bill 1, named the Heaven's 27 Camp Safety Act. “This bill is going to pass," he promises. "These camps are going to be safe. That’s our commitment to you.”

Lacey Hollis urged legislators to enact meaningful safeguards so no other parents would experience the torture she now feels trapped in. Camp was supposed to be about dancing and wearing fake nails while learning archery. Her 8-year-old "was not protected. She was not safe."

Eight-year-old Hadley Hanna was her mother Carrie's mini-me and best friend, she said. The mother said she assured her daughter she would be safe at camp, a place for horseback rides and fishing. "I lied to her," she said. The mother identified her child by her fingernail polish.

Hunt said he felt like he failed in his duty as a father to protect Janie. But it was also clear to him: "Camp Mystic was completely unprepared for the flooding that cost my daughter her life."