Texas flooding: Latest update from Travis County on missing & recovery

Texas floods: More bodies identified in Travis Co.

The Travis County Sheriff's Office says its efforts continue to locate and recover any outstanding victims of the devastating July 4th weekend flooding.

TRAVIS COUNTY, Texas - The Travis County Sheriff's Office says its efforts continue to locate and recover any outstanding victims of the devastating July 4th weekend flooding.

"Words fall short when trying to describe the devastation the flood caused. These communities are hurting, and it has been the goal of TCSO to serve and protect them to the best of our ability. We remain committed to that mission," says Travis County Sheriff Sally Hernandez.

What we know:

As of July 22, TCSO says a total of 10 bodies have been found, with nine of them being positively identified and one pending identification.

TCSO says it was able to locate and verify the identity of a person who was on the list of missing people for two weeks. The person is alive and well and has been removed from the list. TCOS says the investigation took some time because the person is transient and reported sightings were sporadic.

What we don't know:

On July 16, the body of a man was located under the Big Sandy bridge as debris removal was being conducted. 

TCSO says that while the body could be that of the last person on Travis County’s list of missing people, it can't be certain until positive identification is made through the Travis County Medical Examiner’s investigative process. 

For this reason, TCSO says it can't officially conclude that all the people reported missing from Travis County have been found.

Dig deeper:

TCSO says that the following people, all from Leander, unless otherwise specified, have been recovered:

• Dan Dailey, 67
• Virginia Watts Dailey, 66
• Betty Massey West, 84
• August Panning, 50
• 17 year-old female from Marble Falls, TX
• Alissa Nicole Martin, 54
• George Douglas West, 54
• 15-year-old male
• 16-year-old female

What's next:

On July 22, TCSO’s Lake Patrol Unit is running a joint operation with Houston Police Department’s dive team, Texas Parks & Wildlife and Jonestown Police Department in the waters of Cow Creek in continuing efforts to locate and recover any outstanding victims of the floodwaters.

"The Travis County Sheriff's Office often uses our remote-operated camera system as well as sonar systems to look for viable areas to search. We don't want to put divers into the water and risk their safety unless we have something to search for that looks like it could be viable," Dark said.

Dark added that joining forces with Houston PD has strengthened search capabilities.

Texas floods: Sandy Creek community voice frustrations

As Central Texas begins the long road to recovery after the deadly flooding, communities are coming together to rebuild. However, questions continue to grow about the response at the county level.

"The Houston Police Department's dive team, which is with us, has some capabilities that ours doesn't. And so, by working together, we can make the best use of each other's resources."

Deputies have been assigned to the area affected by the flood 24 hours a day to handle traffic flow, respond to 911 calls for service, prevent theft and offer general assistance to residents, volunteers and restoration crews.

TCSO says deputies also continue to be present in the Sandy Creek community during daytime and overnight hours to serve the community and prevent looters from entering the affected areas.