Image source, Reuters

Abbott has signed an expanded "disaster declaration" that includes Bexar, Burnet, Caldwell, Guadalupe, Travis and Williamson counties.

"We will continue to add counties as needed, as conditions improve or worsen, want to make sure every county has the resources it needs" he says.

He turns to US President Donald Trump who he says "loves Texas". The governor's declaration includes seeking the help of the federal government, as he thanks Trump in advance for his support.

Governor Greg Abbott starts off the afternoon press conference with praise for the community and how it is working together in the wake of the tragic floods.

"I've observed quintessential Texas, we come together, we unite, this is what happens," he says, noting the "extraordinary devastation".

Abbott says officials will be relentless in ensuring they locate "every single person who's been a victim of this event," adding that "we will stop when job is completed".

The press conference is now under way. We'll bring you the latest as soon as we have them.

As a reminder, you can also follow the update from Texas Governor Greg Abbott by pushing Watch Live at the top of the page.

Gary O'Donoghue
Chief North America correspondent, in Kerrville

In the Guadalupe Plaza area, I meet Scott and Julia Weldin and what's left of their blue and green house.

They says they had to swim to safety. Scott's truck was washed several blocks down, Julia's Jeep is nowhere to be found.

They've come back to see what's left of their house and find any belongings.

Lo and behold, a few yards away in the neighbouring house, Scott finds his wedding ring on the floor - a wedding ring that belongs to his grandfather, something he can salvage from the devastation of losing their retirement home.

They are traveling to their friends home with one small muddy bag of their belongings. The search for Julia's Jeep and wedding ring will continue another time.

As we wait for Governor Abbott's press conference, we are getting reports that at least two people have died and 10 are missing in central Texas in Travis County, according to the emergency services.

Travis County has dealt with heavy rainfall overnight, the emergency services said in a post on Facebook. Dozens of rescue efforts have occurred over the last 12 hours.

"Powerful floodwaters tore entire chunks of asphalt from the roadway, hurling debris and pavement into a nearby creek.

"Guardrails were twisted and shoved over the edge, now resting on the shoulder below," the post read.

The emergency services say they will continue with rescue efforts.

As we mentioned, the governor of Texas will shortly be giving an update on search and rescue efforts in Kerr County.

Also with him are Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and Senator John Cornyn.

Stick with us as we bring you the top lines from their press conference. You can also follow along by clicking Watch Live at the top of this page.

It's mid-afternoon in Texas as residents take stock of the wreckage left behind by the deadly floods. Overturned cars, uprooted trees, mangled trailers and undrivable roads narrate the scale of devastation.

Image source, Reuters

Image source, EPA/Shutterstock

But the most eerie images are those of the deserted dorms at the camps destroyed by the floods.

Image source, AFP via Getty Images

Image source, AFP via Getty Images

Texas Governor Greg Abbott will hold a press briefing today at 14:30 (19:30 GMT) local time, to provide an update on the response to the deadly flooding, his office said in a statement.

Governor Abbott will be joined by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and Senator John Cornyn, along with state and local officials, it added.

Image source, Getty Images

Power outages have hit 15,070 people across the state of Texas, according to site PowerOutage.us.

The website reports that this figure is the number of customers affected out of the 15,136,159 customers it tracks.

According to the site, 625 of these incidents have been reported in Kerr County, where flash flooding has been at its most intense. Another 5,118 are in Comal County, where the National Weather Service has issued a new flash flooding emergency.

The Kerrville Public Utility Board (KPUB) on Friday said the South Fork area of Hunt, in the west of the county, had "the most extensive damage with numerous downed poles and lines - this area will face prolonged outages due to flood-related destruction".

Navin Singh Khadka
Environment correspondent, BBC World Service

Image source, Getty Images

That “there was no warning against the deadly floods” shows how vulnerable even a developed country like the US can be to extreme weather events.

In Germany, where more than 170 people died due to rainwater floods in 2021, there were reports of early warning not reaching the locals.

Early warning is the first tool in dealing with extreme weather events including climate-related, scientists say.

But the UN has warned that half of the world's countries do not have adequate multi-hazard early warning systems.

With the intensity and frequency of extreme events dangerously on the rise, forecasting them accurately and reaching the information where it is needed is increasingly challenging even in the developed world, experts say.

Even the US’s National Weather Service’s update warning for Austin and San Antonio notes that "it is very difficult to pinpoint where exactly the isolated heavy amounts will occur in this pattern".

The National Weather Service (NWS) has issued a flash flood emergency in Comal County, in south central Texas.

It says a "very slow-moving thunderstorm" is producing extremely heavy rainfall of 4 to 6 inches per hour.

The NWS says people must "evacuate immediately" and people nearby must seek "higher ground" immediately.

"This is a PARTICULARLY DANGEROUS SITUATION," the warning on the NWS' website read.

It added that the locations that will experience the flash floods are River Road below Canyon Lake.

Extreme weather event was predicted - but there was double the rainfallpublished at 18:16 British Summer Time 5 July

18:16 BST 5 July

Chris Fawkes
BBC Weather presenter

Image source, Getty Images

Analysing the European Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasting (ECMWF) computer model data from Friday, I can see that an extreme weather event was forecast for Texas.

Data highlighted that there was a high chance of rainfall totals exceeding the highest in a model of the climatology for the area – a good measure of extreme rain.

The ECMWF model, however, forecast that a peak of 192mm of rain would fall – in the event, there was nearly double this amount of rain.

It’s a known issue for even state-of-the-art computer forecasts to often underestimate extreme rainfall events like this, a challenge that can only be overcome with further investment in weather computer modelling and forecasters, who can monitor extreme weather events.

Alex Lederman
Reporting from Kerr County

We’re on our way to Kerr County, where rescue efforts continue for at least 27 missing children after flash flooding wreaked havoc across the Central Texas community.

Shortly after leaving San Antonio airport, the whirling highway interchanges that mark Texas’ grand cities gave way to lush green countryside.

Hills and trees extend far into the distance on this hour-long drive to the most affected areas, though a light fog diminishes our view, alongside a mild drizzle. Rains are expected to continue in the area through Sunday.

Few cars fill the highway to Kerrville, the county seat. Flood waters have mostly receded from the city, but the worst damage — where search and rescue efforts remain ongoing — lies further west.

A giant cross stands on the hilltop in Kerrville, a tourist attraction in normal times. From our vantage point, a large American flag waves in the foreground, at a roadside stop closer to the highway.

Image source, EPA

We’ve just heard an update from the Lieutenant Governor of Texas, Dan Patrick, who has been speaking to our colleagues on Radio 4’s PM programme.

Of the 27 children missing after flooding hit a summer camp, he suggests that “many of these girls are younger girls under the age of 12”.

He says that many more people are likely to remain unaccounted for across the region, after people had set up tents by the river to watch a 4 July fireworks display.

"We don’t know about those people” he says, adding that his teams "expect the number of those recovered will be higher”.

Patrick also acknowledges that the day’s weather forecast predicted some instances of flash flooding, but says that given the size of the county, “you never know exactly where it’s going to hit and when it’s going to hit”.

Camp Mystic, from where 27 children are missing after it was struck by a catastrophic flood, is a nearly century-old Christian summer camp for girls on the banks of the Guadalupe River near Hunt, Texas.

Operated by generations of the same family since the 1930s, the camp’s website bills itself as a place for girls to grow “spiritually” in a “wholesome" Christian atmosphere “to develop outstanding personal qualities and self-esteem”.

In an email to parents of the roughly 750 campers, Camp Mystic said that if they haven't been contacted directly, their child is accounted for.

Earlier, the camp said that it was assisting with search-and-rescue operations, but that it did not have power, water or Wi-Fi and was struggling to get more help because a nearby highway had washed away, according to the New York Times.

Social media is flooded with Camp Mystic parents looking for information on their children. Parents desperate for their loved ones have posted pictures with their phone numbers.

Image source, EPA/Shutterstock

As the search for survivors goes on, there are a number of resources being made available to families and friends looking for loved ones.

Kerrville officials have confirmed that 27 children are still missing after floods devastated a Christian girls' summer camp, and the city has a reunification phone number, external for parents of campers who remain unaccounted for.

"Family members seeking information about individuals missing in Friday's flood event can call (830) 258-1111," it advises, adding that this should only be used by relatives seeking information about loved ones.

The city also links to a donation page, external, which "supports relief and rebuilding effort" after the floods.

There are also emergency shelters open for those displaced by the flooding at spaces including The Arcadia Live Theatre, Schreiner University's event centre, and First Presbyterian Church Kerrville, among others.

We have just heard the latest on search and rescue operations after catastrophic flash floods hit the Texas Hill Country. Here's the key updates:

• The death toll has risen from 24 to 27, including 18 adults and nine children, says Kerr County Sheriff Larry L. Leitha. He adds that six of the adults and one child are unidentified
• Leitha says that 850 uninjured people have been evacuated along with eight injured people
• Twenty-seven girls are still missing from Camp Mystic, but a "boots on the ground operation" is underway
• Sherrif Leitha says rescue operations "will not stop until every single person is found"
• Officials say they will not be sharing the names of the missing children as they want to protect their families
• Several camp sites remain isolated due to road damage, but authorities are getting food, water and resources to them

Image source, Getty Images

While we were hearing from officials in Texas, President Donald Trump posted on his social media platform Truth Social to say his administration is working closely with local officials on the ground in Texas.

He also says that Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem will be on the ground "shortly".

"Melania and I are praying for all of the families impacted by this horrible tragedy," he writes. "Our Brave First Responders are on site doing what they do best. GOD BLESS THE FAMILIES, AND GOD BLESS TEXAS!"

City Manager Dalton Rice is next asked whether officials will share the names of children who are missing.

"Absolutely not," he responds. "We want to protect those families and their information."

He goes on to suggest that relatives of missing children have been receiving spam calls, and tells the media that authorities want to give families the chance to "grieve".

Rice then finishes the press conference by confirming another will take place at 14:00 local time (20:00 BST).

Responding to a reporter's question on where responders are looking for people to be rescued, city manager Dalton Rice says most of the rescues at this point in time are at other camps.

"We have a lot of camps and they are all accounted for, but they are isolated because of road damage," he says.

"So we know where they're at. We're getting them food, water, resources. And now it's a matter of just getting them, safely across, you know, low water crossings or other areas to other shelters".

He says the likelihood of finding them is going to be on "trees" or "on high ground".