Soccer coach and wife killed in Texas floods as their kids remain missing with death toll at 52: Live updates

By LAURA PARNABY FOR DAILYMAIL.COM

Updated: 14:19 BST, 6 July 2025

A beloved soccer coach and his wife have been confirmed among at least 52 people who have been killed by the devastating floods which are still sweeping Texas.  

Historic rainfall caused the deadly deluge when the Guadalupe River rose more than 26 feet in just 45 minutes, sending a wall of water over several communities in the early hours of the Fourth of July.  

Soccer coach Reece Zunker and his wife Paula died in the torrent – and their two young children are still missing.  The couple’s family and local soccer team confirmed their deaths on social media, while one relative said their house was spotted ‘floating down the Guadalupe River’. 

It comes as residents have started questioning why officials failed to warn them about the floods until 1.18pm on July 3, and framed them as only ‘moderate’ storms. 

The National Weather Service escalated the alert to a flash flood warning at 1am Friday, then a more serious Flash Flood Emergency by 4.30am – but by this stage water was already pouring into families’ homes. 

A flood watch remains in place for many of the worst-hit areas of central Texas through Sunday, including Kerrville County where the majority of the deaths have been recorded. Forecasters have warned that more rain is on the way.  

Beloved soccer coach and wife among the dead

Reece Zunker and his wife Paula are among those who died in the devastating floods, and their two young children are still missing.

The couple’s family and local soccer team confirmed their deaths on social media, while one relative said their house was spotted ‘floating down the Guadalupe River’.

Tivy Boys Soccer team paid tribute to their coach in a Facebook post, saying he ‘rebuilt the soccer program and left a legacy’.

‘His passion for his players, students, co-workers, community and his family will never be forgotten,’ the team wrote.

Dozens of people commented on the post to share the ‘incredible’ impact he had on their lives.

Where is the Texas floodzone?

The Guadalupe River, which runs through several towns around 100 miles south-west of Austin, broke its banks on July Fourth, causing the monster floods.

Communities including Kerrville and Ingram have been devastated by the deluge, and dozens of children who were camping at nearby Camp Mystic are still missing.

Pope Leo XIV is praying for Texas

The Peruvian-American Pope offered his ‘sincere condolences’ and prayers for the families in central Texas, including 27 children who are still missing from an all-girls Christian summer camp located along the river which burst its banks.

‘I would like to express sincere condolences to all the families who have lost loved ones – in particular their daughters who were at summer camp – in the disaster caused by the flooding of the Guadalupe River in Texas in the United States,’ he said during his Sunday Angelus prayer at the Vatican.

‘We pray for them,’ he added.

Meteorologists warn more flooding could be on the way for the worst-hit county

The National Weather Service has issued a flood watch for several counties including Kerrville County in Texas, which has seen the worst of the flooding so far.

Meteorologists have warned that ‘flooding caused by excessive rainfall is possible’ in the region until 1pm on Sunday.

The warning covers Bandera, Bastrop, Bexar, Blanco, Burnet, Caldwell, Comal, Gillespie, Guadalupe, Hays, Kendall, Kerr, Lee, Llano, Medina, Travis and Williamson counties.

Officials have predicted another two to four inches will fall on average over the area, with up to 10 inches possible in the worst-hit regions.

Blame game begins as heartbroken residents question why they weren’t warned sooner

The National Weather Service escalated the alert to a flash flood warning at 1am Friday, followed by a more serious Flash Flood Emergency by 4.30am.

But by this point, water was already pouring into families’ homes.

Many Texans have blamed the slow updates as part of the reason at least 52 people have lost their lives and dozens remain missing.

The National Weather Service fired around 600 people in recent months as part of Donald Trump’s sweeping cuts to federal services.

It had recently begun the process of hiring 100 new employees.

Trump has also proposed cuts to FEMA and NOAA, federal agencies which conduct climate research and help prepare states for natural disasters.

Texas floods mapped out

Texas Governor shocked and horrified by the extent of the flood damage

Greg Abbott described a scene of pure horror on Saturday as he visited Camp Mystic.

The scenic site was at the epicenter of the flooding, and dozens of children were camping there when the deluge struck.

Texas flooding death toll climbs to 52

Officials have said 52 people have been confirmed dead, including 15 children, since the deluge began in central Texas on Thursday.

The majority of those who died were in Kerrville County, where the Guadalupe River broke its banks in the early hours of the Fourth of July.

Rescuers were continuing to comb the river for dozens of missing people on Sunday. The death toll is expected to rise.

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Soccer coach and wife killed in Texas floods as their kids remain missing with death toll at 52: Live updates

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