FnF News
“Drenched and Defiant: Texas Officials Sound Alarm as Deadly Floods Paralyze Dozens of Counties”
By Khadija Khan | FNF News | July 7, 2025
In a grave and urgent press conference streamed live Monday afternoon, Texas officials painted a devastating picture of the widespread catastrophe gripping the state. As torrential rain and historic flash flooding continue to batter large swaths of Texas, Governor Greg Abbott, alongside emergency leaders, confirmed the rising death toll, displacement of thousands, and mounting strain on the state’s response systems.
What began as an intense tropical depression has transformed into one of Texas’s deadliest weather events in recent memory, engulfing neighborhoods, overwhelming riverbanks, and washing away infrastructure from Houston to rural East Texas.
Death Toll Rises, Emergency Declarations Expand
Speaking from the State Emergency Operations Center in Austin, Governor Abbott confirmed at least 23 fatalities, with the number expected to rise as search-and-rescue teams continue to sift through debris and submerged structures. More than 3,500 Texans have been displaced, and emergency shelters in at least 19 counties are at full capacity.
“Texas is facing a water-based disaster unlike anything we’ve seen in the last decade,” Abbott stated grimly. “The scope of damage is staggering, and we are far from the end.”
The Governor formally expanded the State of Disaster declaration to now include 57 counties, urging the federal government to fast-track FEMA deployment and funding.
Cities Underwater: Infrastructure Crumbles Across Southeast Texas
Footage shared during the livestream showed harrowing visuals of entire neighborhoods underwater in counties including Liberty, Brazoria, Jefferson, and Montgomery. Roads have been destroyed, hospitals are operating on backup generators, and drinking water contamination is now a serious concern in several towns.
The Brazos River has exceeded flood stage by over 11 feet, while the Neches River is expected to peak by Wednesday night. Officials warned that levee breaches in parts of Chambers County have made certain towns completely inaccessible by land.
Emergency Management Chief Nim Kidd confirmed that more than 1,100 high-water rescues have been carried out in the last 48 hours, with boat and airlift support from the National Guard and Coast Guard.
Rescue Workers Overwhelmed, Local Governments Plead for Help
At the press briefing, county judges and mayors from affected areas phoned in to report rapid depletion of supplies, staffing shortages, and impassable roadways.
Mayor Lauren Phillips of Beaumont said her city had become “an island in a lake,” with only helicopter access. “We need fuel, clean water, food, and medics. We are out of time, and our people are out of options.”
One of the most emotional moments came from Jefferson County Judge Alan Batiste, who described watching elderly residents being airlifted from nursing homes surrounded by rising water:
“This isn’t just flooding. It’s trauma. We’re watching lives unravel hour by hour.”
Power Grid Strained, Hospitals in Crisis Mode
The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) reported that nearly 400,000 homes and businesses are without power statewide. Substations in three counties have been flooded out entirely. Emergency field hospitals are being established in Baytown and Orange to handle rising injury cases.
Hospitals in Liberty and Montgomery Counties were operating on limited oxygen supplies, and one neonatal unit had to be fully evacuated by helicopter due to generator failure.
“This is not a drill. We are in the red zone on every major front,” said Texas Health Commissioner Dr. Sonya Parvez.
Federal Coordination Lags as White House Faces Pressure
Despite the scale of the disaster, FEMA has not yet issued a full federal disaster declaration. White House officials have acknowledged the Texas request, but formal activation remains “under internal review.”
This delay prompted a pointed remark from Governor Abbott:
“We’re not asking for a political favor. We’re demanding urgent federal support. Texans are dying. This is not the time for bureaucracy.”
Senators Ted Cruz and John Cornyn have both called for immediate release of federal emergency funding, with Cornyn urging President Biden to visit the region within the week.
Climate Questions Return, But State Officials Stay Vague
Although reporters pressed Abbott on whether climate change played a role in the flooding’s severity, the Governor sidestepped the question, stating, “We’ll have time for environmental autopsies later. Right now, we’re focused on saving lives.”
However, meteorologists and environmental scientists appearing on national news programs today described the storm system as “climate-amplified,” noting record Gulf temperatures, elevated atmospheric moisture, and historic rainfall rates over already saturated terrain.
The Road Ahead: Evacuations, Rain Forecasts, and Next Steps
With 2–4 more inches of rain expected across parts of southeast Texas through Tuesday, flash flood watches remain in effect across a dozen counties. The National Weather Service warned that river levels will continue to rise even after rainfall ceases due to runoff overflow.
Texans living near creeks, rivers, or in low-lying areas were again urged to evacuate immediately if ordered by local officials.
“The storm may move on,” Abbott concluded, “but the disaster it leaves behind will take months, possibly years, to recover from.”