On July 8, local time, Texas Governor Abbott said at a press conference that as of that afternoon, the death toll from the floods had been confirmed to be 109, and 161 people were still missing, including 12 children. Rescue operations are currently underway. At Abbott’s request, US President Trump signed a federal disaster declaration, allowing the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to deploy teams to support local rescue and recovery efforts. Officials said the ongoing storm made rescue efforts particularly difficult.
