As rescue and recovery efforts continue across flood-ravaged Texas, officials have confirmed that the number of missing persons has dropped significantly — from 161 down to 97 — offering a small measure of hope amid a still-growing tragedy.
At the same time, the official death toll has risen to 131, marking one of the deadliest natural disasters in recent Texas history.
Emergency responders say the decrease in missing persons is largely due to improved communication, restored cell networks, and reunifications with loved ones who had previously been unaccounted for. However, search teams continue combing through debris, submerged neighborhoods, and swollen riverbanks as the region begins to reckon with the scale of the devastation.
In many areas, makeshift shelters and community churches have turned into command centers, offering not just food and water, but emotional support to families still clinging to hope.
Governor Greg Abbott issued a statement this morning:
“We are grateful for every life found, and mourn every life lost. The spirit of Texas is being tested — and we are responding with unity, courage, and prayer.”
Federal aid continues to be deployed, while volunteers from across the country are arriving daily to assist. But with entire communities underwater and thousands displaced, the road to recovery will be long — and for many, deeply personal.
One local rescue worker put it simply:
“We’ve stopped calling them numbers. Every missing person is someone’s daughter, brother, or grandparent. And we won’t stop until they’re found.”
The coming days are critical.
And while the waters may be receding, the heartbreak — and heroism — continues to rise.
