Texas lawmakers are meeting for the first time to address the deadly July 4 floods that killed at least 135 people.

Janice Riley, Michelle Annette, and Lisa Aguillen reflect on volunteering with Kerrville flood victims, witnessing heartbreaking loss and moments of hope in the Texas community

AUSTIN, Texas — State Senator Paul Bettencourt of Houston is pushing for major upgrades to Texas flood warning systems through new legislation aimed at preventing future disasters like the July 4th flooding in the Texas Hill Country that killed more than 130 people.

Seventeen-year-old Charlotte March wrote a song about her love for summer camp, then turned it into a fundraiser for families devastated by the Hill Country floods.

Texas Republicans had been working quietly for several months to take up Mr. Trump’s call for an aggressive redrawing of the state’s congressional maps, aiming to gain five additional Republican seats in the U.S. House and help the party keep control of the chamber after the 2026 midterms.

The surviving family, grieving and unable to care for him, made the heartbreaking decision to surrender him” due to his injuries.

Farmers and ranchers have lost a devastating amount of cotton and hay acreage. While the severity of the damage is still being assessed, Texas farmers have disaster aid available to help them recover from the loss.

Eight-year-old girls at sleep-away camp, families crammed into recreational vehicles, local residents traveling to or from work. These are some of the victims.