Real Estate Photographer in Marble Falls, TX

MARBLE FALLS, Texas — The search for Marble Falls Volunteer Fire Chief Michael Phillips is now into its fourth day, as crews continue to look for the last known missing person in Burnet County following severe flash flooding.

Phillips was responding to a water rescue early Saturday morning when rushing waters from Cow Creek swept him and his vehicle away, said Sheriff Calvin Boyd.

"We found his vehicle. We've also found some personal items down there. We still have not found Chief Phillips yet," Boyd said.

The search area includes FM 1174 and Cow Creek, where Phillips was last seen. His vehicle was discovered two miles downstream from this location.

Phillips has been a dedicated member of the Marble Falls Volunteer Fire Department for 30 years. Joe Don Dockery, Precinct 4 Commissioner for Burnet County, praised Phillips' commitment to the community.

"He had a serving heart. That's all there is to it. He was there when you needed him," Dockery said. "If I were in precinct 4, and he was in 3, it didn't matter to him. He'd come help."

Vanessa Duren has lived in Marble Falls for the last 16 years. She did not know him personally, but she said his absence leaves a big hole in the community.

"Him going out selflessly. Him going out that morning to help, and he's still gone," she said. "I think we're all in shock."

Ofelia Johnson, a waitress at the Bluebonnet Cafe, said the restaurant hosts a fish fry fundraiser for Burnet County EMS twice a year. She said in her 22 years at the cafe, Phillips had helped work it every year.

"I just remember his smiling face and just being helpful. That's how I'll always remember him," Johnson said.

As the search continues, Dockery said the goal is to bring Phillips home.

"We want to get that closure for his family, absolutely, and the city of Marble Falls," he said.

Sheriff's investigators have assured that the search efforts remain ongoing, with all agencies committed to finding Chief Phillips.

Hensel Christian Youth Camp, which is associated with Churches of Christ, sustains damages from Texas flooding.

Bruce Beaver drove across Cow Creek Bridge around 4 p.m. on Friday, July 4, after a week at Hensel Christian Youth Camp in Marble Falls, Texas. Less than 24 hours later, the bridge collapsed when Cow Creek flooded.

Beaver, youth minister for the Belton Church of Christ in Texas, was one of about 150 attendees at Hensel for Camp Koinonia Junior Week. That is the Belton church’s camp for rising fifth through eighth grade students.

The campers and staff did not experience any of the flooding while at the camp. Beaver said it rained on Thursday and Friday, but the camp schedule did not change other than moving a few activities indoors.

“When I got up Friday morning, I noticed the front wasn’t really moving,” Beaver said. “It was just hovering over central Texas. The predictions didn’t have it moving forward.”

The camp staff called the sheriff’s office multiple times Friday to ask about flash flood warnings. There were no warnings at 10 a.m. or 11:15 a.m., Beaver said, but the staff was warned in the afternoon to watch for flooding as campers prepared to leave. Beaver was the last to leave the campgrounds at 4 p.m. during a break in the rain, and he said there was no flooding when he left.

The Hensel campgrounds were not affected until the creek flooded Friday night, but Belton elder Scott Cox said he heard about the flood’s initial damage around Texas earlier in the day.

“I was starting to get reports Friday morning,” Cox said. “The magnitude of the event was really heartbreaking, even that early. It’s really just devastating.”

Hensel Christian Youth Camp is one of multiple summer camps affected by the flooding over the weekend.

“The magnitude of the event was really heartbreaking, even that early. It’s really just devastating.”

Nearly 125 miles away, campers at Camp Bandina in Bandera, Texas — also associated with Churches of Christ — were blocked from leaving the camp by floodwaters and fallen trees. Most notably, Camp Mystic — a nondenominational Christian camp in Hunt, Texas — lost over two dozen campers and counselors to the floods. Hensel is nearly 120 miles from Mystic.

“While we have lost things here, our hearts and prayers are with those who have lost loved ones and are going through unimaginable circumstances,” camp manager Dean Tomberlin said.

Camp becomes ‘a safe base for rescue teams’

Cow Creek Bridge, near the entrance to the camp, was washed out on July 5.

Search-and-rescue teams were on the campgrounds July 6 and 7 looking for victims from the bridge collapse. The camp shared on Facebook on July 7 that the teams found the body of missing 17-year-old Malaya Hammond, a Marble Falls student, near the bonfire area.

“In the midst of the storm’s aftermath, our camp became a place of purpose — a safe base for rescue teams working day and night to search, serve and save,” Tomberlin said. “We are grateful to have provided a safe staging area for those on the front lines of this crisis.”

“Through the wreckage of this tragedy, camp will continue — eventually. Hensel Camp will always remain a place where lives are changed and Christ is glorified.”

Cow Creek flooded to four times its usual level on July 5.

The creek measured at 4.98 feet from June 30 to July 4, according to data from the Lower Colorado River Authority. The authority’s river gauge in Cow Creek is near the south side of the camp’s property.

The data showed the creek rose to 19.98 feet from 3:40 a.m. to 3:55 a.m. on July 5. The creek level spiked again 12 hours later, measuring 16.77 feet at 3:10 p.m. The water gradually lowered and returned to 4.98 feet.

After the flooding, Hensel shared photos on its Facebook page of the damage — including fallen trees, erosion by the fire pit and the swimming dock that had washed away. The dining hall and cabins are at a higher elevation than the creek and were not damaged.

Cox said he knew from prior experience that the dining hall and cabins are all above the floodplain. He recalled a night at Hensel years ago with heavy rain that destroyed the swimming docks but did not reach the cabins.

“The waterfront where we go swimming is very different now,” Beaver said. “That’s the main part that got damaged from floods that I could tell from the pictures. … It makes you a little sad, just all the memories that are created there, seeing that damage happen.”

‘Committed to rebuilding’

As rescue crews continue to search for missing people, recovery efforts are beginning on the Hensel campgrounds.

Tomberlin said the camp is accepting donations to help with the cleanup and repairs on the property.

“Through the wreckage of this tragedy, camp will continue — eventually,” Tomberlin wrote. “Hensel Camp will always remain a place where lives are changed and Christ is glorified. We are committed to rebuilding, restoring and returning stronger. … Together we will rise — not by our own strength, but by His.”

KENZIE JAMES, a senior multimedia journalism major at Harding University in Searcy, Ark., is a Christian Chronicle intern working in the main office in Oklahoma City. James grew up in Tallahassee, Fla., where she attended the Timberlane Church of Christ.

Michael Phillips, the chief of Marble Falls Area Volunteer Fire Department, was swept away by floodwaters as he was attending to an emergency call in Travis County on Saturday. Burnet County Sheriff Calvin Boyd said at a presser on Monday that the county officials are continuing their search for Phillips. Boyd added that the emergency vehicle that Phillips was driving has been found, but officials have still not been able to locate Phillips.

Sheriff Boyd added that multiple search teams are actively searching for Phillips in parts of Burnet County from where Phillips and another flood victim went missing. He added that the weather has damaged roads and made several low-lying areas inaccessible for the search crew.

"I think you know we found his vehicle... we still have not found Chief Phillips yet," Sheriff Boyd said. “The other person missing is from the Burnet area. We've located his vehicle, still have not been able to locate him.”

Despite that, officials are continuing their search operations using traditional methods like search on horseback or by ATX, Texas-based ABC affiliate, KVUE reported. A lot of repair work is yet to be done which will subsequently make more areas accessible for the search operations, Sheriff Boyd added.

Who Is Michael Phillips?

As per his Facebook profile, Phillips has been volunteering as fire chief with the Marble Falls Area Volunteer Fire Department in Texas since at least 1995. A prominent name in Marble Falls, Phillips has served as the former Director of Maintenance at Marble Falls Independent School District. He studied at Columbia Southern University and graduated with a degree in Fire Science.

Also read: Melania Trump's Texas floods post sparks outrage as she offers just two things to victims; ‘You and your husband…’

The catastrophic floods in central Texas continue with a flash flood emergency issued by the National Weather Service still active for several counties, as of Monday afternoon. Over the weekend, Kerr County, through which the Guadalupe River flows, saw massive damage after the river surged on Friday after over 11 inches of rainfall over the weekend. At least 75 people have lost their lives in Kerr County, while many still remain missing.

More than 100 crossings were closed as heavy rains flooded roads and caused damage across the region.

AUSTIN, Texas — Several roads and parks are closed across Central Texas on Saturday due to flash flooding as rain continues to move through the area.

As of around 11:45 a.m., more than 100 road crossings were closed, according to ATXFloods.com, with a large number of those in western Travis and Williamson counties.

In Georgetown, officials have closed the Austin Avenue bridges to through traffic and pedestrian traffic until further notice. The closure is due to concerns about the number of people stopping on the bridges and the possibility of debris hitting the bridges, police said.

San Gabriel and Blue Hole parks are closed due to flooding of the San Gabriel River.

Due to flooding and the threat of additional flooding, all city of Leander parks and trails including Crystal Falls Golf Course are closed until further notice.

This includes all park amenities and pavilion rentals, the city said. Those with a reservation will be provided a refund.

The bridge before CR 282 at RR 1869 in Liberty Hill has been destroyed by flash flooding, according to local media reports.

The Williamson County Sheriff's Office also reported flooding on CR 279.

The road connecting Lago Vista and Marble Falls, FM 1431 near Balcones Canyonlands National Wildlife Refuge, is closed after major flood damage, Travis County ESD District 1 said.

As of 2:40 p.m., FM 1431 East at the U.S. 281 intersection is closed. The creek located at the intersection has overflowed, creating dangerous road conditions and high water in the roadway.

Officials said powerful floodwaters tore entire chunks of asphalt from the road, "hurling debris and pavement into a nearby creek."

"Guardrails were twisted and shoved over the edge, now resting on the shoulder below," Travis County ESD 1 said.

Inks Lake State Park is closed to day-use visitors on Saturday, and the boat ramp is closed to all guests.

Texas Parks and Wildlife said the lake now has a large amount of floating debris, making boating unsafe. Officials are hoping to open the park for all visitors on Sunday, but access to the lake and boat ramp may be impacted "for some time."

It's easy to check road conditions before you even get in your car. For the most up-to-date status of low-water crossings in the Austin area, check ATXFloods.com.

If you get caught in the rain while driving, remember: turn around, don't drown. Water flowing in roadways might be a lot deeper than it appears, so it's always best to err on the side of caution and find a different route. A car can get swept away in as much as 12 inches of water.

The Texas Department of Transportation's (TxDOT)'s map of highway conditions also includes information on roadways. Here's how to filter out the flooded roadways:

Once the menu is hidden, you will see "Show Menu" in the bottom right corner, which you can click to adjust the view.

Note: The TxDOT map may reset its settings if you have the page open for an extended period of time, which means you may have to set up the filters again.

One final place you can check for Central Texas closures is on KVUE.com/Traffic, where we have an interactive map.

If you must drive when it's raining hard, remember to take it slow. If a signal is dark, treat it as a four-way stop.

Williamson and Travis counties issued disaster declarations as heavy rain inundated the area.

AUSTIN, Texas — First responders across Central Texas spent the early hours on Saturday scrambling to rescue dozens of people from rising floodwaters, primarily in Burnet County along with western Travis and Williamson counties.

The heaviest rain fell near Bertram and Burnet, where a foot or more was measured in Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA) rain gauges. Emergency Management Coordinator for Burnet County Derek Marchio told KVUE first responders had conducted 25 water rescues all before 8 a.m. Saturday. By 3:30, officials had conducted more than 40 rescues.

Emergency officials in Burnet County are also searching for a fire official who appears to have been swept away by floodwaters early Saturday. The man was responding to a call when he drove into water and his vehicle was washed away.

The emergency vehicle was since recovered but the man was not inside.

Marchio also said U.S. highways 29 and 281 – major corridors through the county – were impassible due to flooding, along with many other roads.

His advice to residents was simply to stay home and not to attempt to get out on the roads.

Williamson County has issued a disaster declaration in response to the flooding on Saturday.

The Office of Emergency Management activated its Emergency Operations Center at 5 a.m. on Saturday in order to coordinate resources and request assistance from the state. Additional personnel have been called in to respond to the flooding.

Up to 25 people have been rescued in the county, the majority from homes.

At around 7 p.m., the county said there were no confirmed deaths but three people were still missing.

Williamson County emergency management officials have advised residents of mobile home parks along the San Gabriel River east of Georgetown to evacuate. Residents in Riverside, Shady River and Goodwater should evacuate to the East View High School parking lot at 4490 E. University Ave. in Georgetown. Residents in the area of Bear Creek and CR 200 and the Rio Bonita RV Park should evacuate to the Cross Tracks Church at 101 Church St. in Liberty Hill.

Sixteen people were evacuated from Hope House in Liberty Hill.

KVUE Senior Reporter Tony Plohetski also talked to sources in Austin-Travis County EMS. Officials reported dozens of water rescues, many of which were along Cow Creek, west of Lago Vista. Crews have found remnants of mobile homes that appear to have been carried downstream, but they are uncertain whether the homes were occupied when they were swept away.

ATCEMS reported a water rescue at 24411 Cottonwood Drive at 2:18 a.m. as officials were working to access three people stuck in their home with floodwaters rising. ATCEMS boat teams eventually made access to the area and found dozens of people in need of help, clinging to trees, power poles and on rooftops. Rescuers evacuated 25 people from the area, and 10 were taken to a family assistance center.

Four people were taken to local hospitals with minor injuries, ATCEMS said.

Around 3 a.m., first responders were called to the scene of a water rescue at 24316 Colorado Canyon Drive in Marble Falls after three people were reportedly on a dock that broke loose and floated downstream. By around 8:40 a.m., ATCEMS said all three people were located and moved to safety.

Just before 5 p.m., the Austin Fire Department reported a vehicle rescue in the 4800 block of E. Yager Lane, near Manor, after a car reportedly drove into a creek.

Parts of FM 1431 between Cedar Park and Marble Falls were flooded on Saturday morning as well. KVUE crews hit a road block just east of Jonestown, where Big Sandy Creek was flowing over the highway.

A disaster declaration has been declared in Travis County as well.

The flash flood threat will continue through the day Saturday as rain continues to fall over Central Texas.