KUT Radio, Austin's NPR Station
Here's what we know about the flood victims from the Austin area
By Audrey McGlinchy, Becky Fogel, Andrew Weber, Olivia Aldridge
July 8, 2025 at 2:16 PM CDT
More than 100 people died in Central Texas after historic flooding over the July Fourth weekend.
Most of the deaths were in Kerr County, two hours west of Austin. That includes roughly two dozen campers attending an all-girls’ Christian camp along the Guadalupe River. At least three of these girls were from Austin.
The Austin area also experienced catastrophic flooding, claiming over a dozen lives.
Here's what we know about the flood victims from Austin and the surrounding towns:
Ernest "Lee" Brizendine
Ernest “Lee” Brizendine, 85, served in the Navy from 1961 to 1964, then worked at the Austin State Hospital until he retired. His obituary said he found joy repairing clocks and was “always willing to lend a hand or tinker with a timepiece that needed care.”
Dan and Virginia Dailey
The Travis County Sheriff’s Office confirmed Leander residents Dan and Virginia Dailey, 67 and 66, had lost their lives in the floods.
Wesley Dailey, the couple’s son, had told KXAN earlier in the week that he was still searching for his parents, whose trailer and car had been completely washed away by floodwaters.
“They’re important in our lives,” he told the TV station. “They have grandkids. They’ve fought through medical issues. But they weren’t ready to go.”
Malaya Hammond
Seventeen-year-old Malaya Hammond was on her way to a church camp when she and her family were caught in floodwaters Saturday morning. Family friends told KVUE that Malaya was able to get the van’s door open, allowing her family to escape to safety, but she was swept away into Cow Creek.
Malaya’s obituary said “faith was the guiding force in her life,” and that she enjoyed writing, painting, dancing and singing. She was a “cherished sister” to Khalil and Surya, and “her friends and community were her extended family.”
"She invested her time and energy in nurturing these relationships, understanding the value of connection and support,” the obituary reads. “Her presence was a source of comfort and happiness to those around her.”
Braxton Jarmon
Braxton Jarmon, 15, was a rising sophomore at Glenn High School in Leander, just north of Austin. The school principal confirmed his death in an email to students and families.
Braxton Jarmon, 15, was a rising sophomore at Glenn High School in Leander and a member of the school's marching band. (1386x778, AR: 1.781491002570694)
“The void he leaves behind is immense, and he will be deeply missed,” reads an Instagram post on the school’s marching band account.
Braxton's stepmother, Alissa Martin, also died, and his sister, Felicity Jarmon, is missing, KEYE reported.
Alissa Martin
Alissa Martin, 54, died after flooding reached her family’s home near Big Sandy Creek, Seguin Today confirmed. Her stepson, Braxton Jarmon, also died in the floods.
“She took care of everything I had, and was proud to help anyone she could," her partner, Jermaine Jarmon, told The New York Times.
Linnie McCown
Linnie McCown, 8, was among the 27 campers and counselors at Camp Mystic who died in the Kerrville floods. Her father, Michael McCown, confirmed her death to the Austin American-Statesman. According to the Statesman, he wrote on Instagram that Linnie “filled our hearts with so much joy we cannot begin to explain.”
Linnie had been a student at Casis Elementary. Hundreds of people attended a vigil for her and others at the Austin ISD campus Sunday.
August Panning
The Travis County Sheriff’s Office named 50-year-old August Panning as one of the flood victims on Thursday.
Clay Parisher
Clay Parisher’s family had traveled from Austin to visit his grandparents’ house along the Guadalupe River for the Independence Day weekend when floodwaters overtook their home. He was 20 months old.
In an essay for Texas Monthly, Parisher’s uncle Aaron Parsley told the story of the family’s fight to survive the flood. Parsley described his young nephew as a blonde-haired, blue-eyed boy with an adorable smirk who was always happy to be by his big sister Rosemary's side.
Abby Pohl
Abby Pohl, an 8-year-old Casis Elementary School student, was attending Camp Mystic. In a statement to the Austin American-Statesman, her parents said she was "a magical life force that filled the room with light and laughter.”
Preston Prince
Preston Prince, 22, was swept away in his truck by floodwaters. The Burnet County Sheriff's Office announced he was found Sunday.
Walter Reed
Walter Reed, 79, lived in the Cedar Stays RV Park near Hamilton Creek. The park’s owner, Eugene Bible, said Reed was in an RV when the floodwaters rose.
Bible told KUT News the water swept some RVs away completely and that residents had to climb onto their roofs before getting rescued by helicopter crews.
Sherry Richardson
Sherry Richardson, 64, was considered the "office mom" at Hope House, a long-term residential home for children and adults with disabilities in Liberty Hill. (1536x2048, AR: 0.75)
Sherry Richardson, 64, was the office manager and human resources director for Hope House, a long-term residential home for children and adults with profound intellectual disabilities in Liberty Hill.
David Gould, the executive director of Hope House, said Richardson “was the glue that kind of held everybody together.” He described her as the “office mom.”
“She was lit up with being able to work on this mission of taking care of kids and giving them the best life ever,” he said.
Gould said Richardson was living in a cabin on the property when it flooded. He said her death is a huge loss for the organization.
“She was the one that set the tone as far as how we’re going to take care of each other and how we are going to be kind and how collectively we’re going to take care of this mission together by taking care of each other,” he said.
Mary Stevens
Eight-year-old Mary Stevens, a camper at Camp Mystic, attended Highland Park Elementary, according to KXAN.
The station reported that Mary's mother confirmed her death in a social media post.
“Our world is shattered, but I have peace getting your letters and knowing you were having the time of your life at camp and had a dance party with all of your friends before the Lord decided to take you from us,” Stacy Stevens wrote.
Kaitlyn Swallow
The Williamson County’s Sheriff's Office announced the death of Kaitlyn Swallow, 22, on Sunday. She was from the Liberty Hill area.
William Venus
William "Govani" Venus, 57, was a 33-year Army veteran and father of four who died in Burnet County. William Venus Jr. told NPR his dad, a former Army mechanic, would always help someone with car trouble on the side of the road — day or night.
"He doesn't think twice about helping people. I'm hoping that's the situation that happened. If there's a line of people that are in need of services, he's going to put himself last," he said. "That's what he's always done."
Kent Wattinger
Marble Falls resident Kent Wattinger, 36, died during flooding in the Liberty Hill area, according to The Liberty Hill Independent. The local newspaper reported in a social media post that he died saving his wife after floodwaters overtook their vehicle.
Betty West
Betty West, 84, was “hilarious and blunt," two of her children said by phone Tuesday. Sherry McCutcheon said it often took her mom hours just to leave the grocery store because the Austin-area native had friends constantly stopping to chat.
Betty West, seen here in the mid-80s. (1712x2221, AR: 0.7708239531742458)
West was living in Sandy Creek, a neighborhood in northwest Travis County that was ravaged by floodwaters early Saturday morning. She was living with her sons, Doug West and Gary Traugott. Betty West was found early Saturday, her daughters said.
West had been retired from Texas Instruments for 20 years.
Doug West
Doug West, 54, died alongside his mother, Betty, his sister confirmed to KUT News. Doug was his mother’s caretaker, along with his brother Gary, who is still missing after the flood.
This story will be updated as more information becomes available.
Most of the deaths were in Kerr County, two hours west of Austin. That includes roughly two dozen campers attending an all-girls’ Christian camp along the Guadalupe River. At least three of these girls were from Austin.
The Austin area also experienced catastrophic flooding, claiming over a dozen lives.
Here's what we know about the flood victims from Austin and the surrounding towns:
Ernest "Lee" Brizendine
Ernest “Lee” Brizendine, 85, served in the Navy from 1961 to 1964, then worked at the Austin State Hospital until he retired. His obituary said he found joy repairing clocks and was “always willing to lend a hand or tinker with a timepiece that needed care.”
Dan and Virginia Dailey
The Travis County Sheriff’s Office confirmed Leander residents Dan and Virginia Dailey, 67 and 66, had lost their lives in the floods.
Wesley Dailey, the couple’s son, had told KXAN earlier in the week that he was still searching for his parents, whose trailer and car had been completely washed away by floodwaters.
“They’re important in our lives,” he told the TV station. “They have grandkids. They’ve fought through medical issues. But they weren’t ready to go.”
Malaya Hammond
Seventeen-year-old Malaya Hammond was on her way to a church camp when she and her family were caught in floodwaters Saturday morning. Family friends told KVUE that Malaya was able to get the van’s door open, allowing her family to escape to safety, but she was swept away into Cow Creek.
Malaya’s obituary said “faith was the guiding force in her life,” and that she enjoyed writing, painting, dancing and singing. She was a “cherished sister” to Khalil and Surya, and “her friends and community were her extended family.”
"She invested her time and energy in nurturing these relationships, understanding the value of connection and support,” the obituary reads. “Her presence was a source of comfort and happiness to those around her.”
Braxton Jarmon
Braxton Jarmon, 15, was a rising sophomore at Glenn High School in Leander, just north of Austin. The school principal confirmed his death in an email to students and families.
Braxton Jarmon, 15, was a rising sophomore at Glenn High School in Leander and a member of the school's marching band. (1386x778, AR: 1.781491002570694)
“The void he leaves behind is immense, and he will be deeply missed,” reads an Instagram post on the school’s marching band account.
Braxton's stepmother, Alissa Martin, also died, and his sister, Felicity Jarmon, is missing, KEYE reported.
Alissa Martin
Alissa Martin, 54, died after flooding reached her family’s home near Big Sandy Creek, Seguin Today confirmed. Her stepson, Braxton Jarmon, also died in the floods.
“She took care of everything I had, and was proud to help anyone she could," her partner, Jermaine Jarmon, told The New York Times.
Linnie McCown
Linnie McCown, 8, was among the 27 campers and counselors at Camp Mystic who died in the Kerrville floods. Her father, Michael McCown, confirmed her death to the Austin American-Statesman. According to the Statesman, he wrote on Instagram that Linnie “filled our hearts with so much joy we cannot begin to explain.”
Linnie had been a student at Casis Elementary. Hundreds of people attended a vigil for her and others at the Austin ISD campus Sunday.
August Panning
The Travis County Sheriff’s Office named 50-year-old August Panning as one of the flood victims on Thursday.
Clay Parisher
Clay Parisher’s family had traveled from Austin to visit his grandparents’ house along the Guadalupe River for the Independence Day weekend when floodwaters overtook their home. He was 20 months old.
In an essay for Texas Monthly, Parisher’s uncle Aaron Parsley told the story of the family’s fight to survive the flood. Parsley described his young nephew as a blonde-haired, blue-eyed boy with an adorable smirk who was always happy to be by his big sister Rosemary's side.
Abby Pohl
Abby Pohl, an 8-year-old Casis Elementary School student, was attending Camp Mystic. In a statement to the Austin American-Statesman, her parents said she was "a magical life force that filled the room with light and laughter.”
Preston Prince
Preston Prince, 22, was swept away in his truck by floodwaters. The Burnet County Sheriff's Office announced he was found Sunday.
Walter Reed
Walter Reed, 79, lived in the Cedar Stays RV Park near Hamilton Creek. The park’s owner, Eugene Bible, said Reed was in an RV when the floodwaters rose.
Bible told KUT News the water swept some RVs away completely and that residents had to climb onto their roofs before getting rescued by helicopter crews.
Sherry Richardson
Sherry Richardson, 64, was considered the "office mom" at Hope House, a long-term residential home for children and adults with disabilities in Liberty Hill. (1536x2048, AR: 0.75)
Sherry Richardson, 64, was the office manager and human resources director for Hope House, a long-term residential home for children and adults with profound intellectual disabilities in Liberty Hill.
David Gould, the executive director of Hope House, said Richardson “was the glue that kind of held everybody together.” He described her as the “office mom.”
“She was lit up with being able to work on this mission of taking care of kids and giving them the best life ever,” he said.
Gould said Richardson was living in a cabin on the property when it flooded. He said her death is a huge loss for the organization.
“She was the one that set the tone as far as how we’re going to take care of each other and how we are going to be kind and how collectively we’re going to take care of this mission together by taking care of each other,” he said.
Mary Stevens
Eight-year-old Mary Stevens, a camper at Camp Mystic, attended Highland Park Elementary, according to KXAN.
The station reported that Mary's mother confirmed her death in a social media post.
“Our world is shattered, but I have peace getting your letters and knowing you were having the time of your life at camp and had a dance party with all of your friends before the Lord decided to take you from us,” Stacy Stevens wrote.
Kaitlyn Swallow
The Williamson County’s Sheriff's Office announced the death of Kaitlyn Swallow, 22, on Sunday. She was from the Liberty Hill area.
William Venus
William "Govani" Venus, 57, was a 33-year Army veteran and father of four who died in Burnet County. William Venus Jr. told NPR his dad, a former Army mechanic, would always help someone with car trouble on the side of the road — day or night.
"He doesn't think twice about helping people. I'm hoping that's the situation that happened. If there's a line of people that are in need of services, he's going to put himself last," he said. "That's what he's always done."
Kent Wattinger
Marble Falls resident Kent Wattinger, 36, died during flooding in the Liberty Hill area, according to The Liberty Hill Independent. The local newspaper reported in a social media post that he died saving his wife after floodwaters overtook their vehicle.
Betty West
Betty West, 84, was “hilarious and blunt," two of her children said by phone Tuesday. Sherry McCutcheon said it often took her mom hours just to leave the grocery store because the Austin-area native had friends constantly stopping to chat.
Betty West, seen here in the mid-80s. (1712x2221, AR: 0.7708239531742458)
West was living in Sandy Creek, a neighborhood in northwest Travis County that was ravaged by floodwaters early Saturday morning. She was living with her sons, Doug West and Gary Traugott. Betty West was found early Saturday, her daughters said.
West had been retired from Texas Instruments for 20 years.
Doug West
Doug West, 54, died alongside his mother, Betty, his sister confirmed to KUT News. Doug was his mother’s caretaker, along with his brother Gary, who is still missing after the flood.
This story will be updated as more information becomes available.