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.

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

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said Saturday that the federal response to the deadly floods in Texas Hill Country last weekend was a good indication of the improved disaster response the Trump administration is committed to providing.

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.

In the Austin area, 12 people are still missing and 16 are known to have perished after rain swept away homes along rivers and creeks.

Search efforts continue at site of Central Texas flood At least 120 people are dead and dozens are still missing after devastating flash floods slammed Texas Hill Country, with water rescues ...

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,