KERRVILLE, Texas, July 8 (Reuters) - The death toll from the July Fourth flash flood that ravaged a swath of central Texas Hill Country rose on Tuesday to at least 109, many of them children, as search teams pressed on through mounds of mud-encrusted debris looking for scores of people still missing.

Heavy rainfall caused the Guadalupe River in Texas to flood on Friday, prompting search teams to begin rescues and leading to reports of multiple fatalities. Overnight, residents in central Kerr County witnessed as much as 10 inches of heavy rain within just a few hours.

The deadly Texas floods have brought the state's approach to land approvals, especially in flood-prone areas, under more scrutiny.

More than 170 people are still believed to be missing a week after the forceful floodwater hit over the July Fourth weekend.

Central Texas is infamous for its flash flooding and arid soil, hard-packed ground into which water does not easily infiltrate. So when rain hits the ground, it runs off the region's hilly terrain and canyons and accumulates into creeks and rivers rapidly, overwhelming them, causing them to rise quickly.

A flood gauge marks the height of water flowing over a farm-to-market road near Kerrville, Texas, on Friday, July 4, 2025. Eric Gay/AP

A rescue task force from Nevada was on the ground in Kerrville, Texas on July 11 to assist in the search for victims of last Friday’s flash floods. A dozen states have dispatched search teams to Kerr County,