Julia Hatfield and her husband were living at the Blue Oak RV Park in Kerrville when the Guadalupe River rose rapidly, turning a peaceful holiday morning into chaos.

Kerr County officials say death toll has risen to 96 due to the Hill Country floods, including 60 adults and 36 children.

TEXAS, USA — Steve Edwards, a resident of Tom Green County, died in the historic flooding that swept through Kerr County Texas July 4, Tom Green County Dispatch confirmed.

A West Texas juvenile probation officer, Jayda Floyd, and others died in Kerr County floods. The community mourns, honors them, and supports the victims.

Climate scientists and weather experts are clear: the deadly floods in Texas earlier this month were an entirely natural tragedy, with off-the-charts rainfall levels coming from lingering moisture from a nearby tropical storm feeding off a steamy Gulf of America.

After a tragedy, records from local archives can help us understand how a community understands itself. Here’s some of what we learned following the devastating July 4 flooding in Texas.

As the water rises, so does the Kerr County community, especially one man who reunited a brother and sister, swept away in the flood.

A large percentage of people still unaccounted for were probably visiting the area, Kerr County Judge Rob Kelly said.