Texas Gov. Greg Abbott thanked Florida and Gov. Ron DeSantis on Thursday for the state's help in the aftermath of catastrophic floods that have claimed at least 121 lives across six counties in Central Texas, including 96 in Kerr County. The flood particularly impacted Camp Mystic, an all-girls Christian summer camp along the Guadalupe River.
"Thank you, Florida, for your support in the aftermath of these devastating floods," Abbot said. @GovRonDeSantis quickly deployed swift water rescue teams and K-9 units to aid Texans in our response and recovery efforts. Thank you, Governor, for having our backs.
"God bless Texas!" DeSantis said after Abbott's message.
Over the weekend, the governor authorized the Florida Division of Emergency Management to deploy three swiftwater rescue teams through an Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC) to assist Texas in search and rescue efforts.
The teams included K-9 search units from Florida Task Force 1 (FL-TF1) and Florida Task Force 2 (FL-TF2), specifically from Miami-Dade Fire Rescue and other departments.
Kerrville in Kerr County is about an hour northwest of San Antonio. The 230-mile Guadalupe River, which runs directly through Kerrville, rose 26 feet in just 45 minutes due to torrential rainfall.
The flooding caused widespread damage and resulted in numerous fatalities, including at least 27 at Camp Mystic. As many as 166 people are still considered missing.
"Florida will support Texas following the catastrophic flooding in Kerrville and the surrounding areas," DeSantis said at the time. "At my direction, @FLSERT is deploying three swiftwater rescue teams through an EMAC to assist with response and recovery. We’re standing by to lend more help as requested."
The Florida aid totaled 15 people and four boats, DeSantis's office said at the time to The Floridian.
President Donald Trump also signed a disaster declaration for Texas on Sunday, opening up much-needed federal aid to the devastated region. Trump said that Coast Guard officials and Texas first responders had rescued over 850 people from the floodwaters.
