Texas floods latest: New round of flash flooding brings more evacuations as Kristi Noem denies report she delayed FEMA response

The statewide death toll from the July 4 flash floods that swept through Central Texas has climbed to 132, according to the latest information from officials.

The brunt of the disaster remains centered in Kerr County, where 106 deaths have been confirmed, including 36 children.

At least 166 people remain missing as hope to find survivors fades.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott said Sunday the state was making rescues in San Saba – where more than nine inches of rain fell – as well as in Lampasas and Schleicher counties.

Evacuations were taking place in Lampasas, Menard, Kimble and Sutton counties, he said.

By the afternoon, Abbott wrote on X that “dozens” of people had been rescued in the Lampasas area, after the Lampasas River swelled to 33ft in under four hours.

“Texas Task Force 1 has already rescued dozens of Texans in the Lampasas area,” Abbott he tweeted “They and other first responders will continue operations to prioritize saving lives.”

Torrential rains and thunderstorms continue to sweep through portions of the western Hill Country.

The region could see up to three inches of rain per hour, which is expected to “result in some renewed flooding concerns,” according to the National Weather Service.

Emergency crews resumed recovery efforts Sunday afternoon after heavy rain brought renewed flood threats to Kerr County, temporarily halting operations in a region still reeling from the July 4 flash floods when the Guadalupe River burst its banks.

Officials said recovery efforts in western Kerr County were expected to resume around 3 p.m. local time.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has defended the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) response to the deadly floods that ravaged Texas last week, asserting that her department acted swiftly and received commendation from state officials.

Speaking on NBC News’ Meet the Press, Noem vehemently denied claims that a directive she issued in June — requiring her approval for FEMA expenditures exceeding $100,000 — had impeded the agency’s response speed.

“Those claims are absolutely false,” Noem stated. “Within just an hour or two after the flooding, we had resources from the Department of Homeland Security there.”

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.

Oliver O’Connell has more:

Torrential rain and strong winds hit central Texas Sunday, forcing rescuers to halt search operations for victims even one week on from the first of the devastating floods in the region.

A slow-moving storm set off flood warnings in several places along the Guadalupe River. Officials and local residents are still ready for further disaster.

However, the rain began to ease up in some parts by midafternoon, meaning some flood warnings were downgraded to flood watches.