KERRVILLE — It could take six months to find the bodies of all the people swept away in the July 4 floods in Kerr County, and it could take years for the region to fully recover from the disaster, county officials said Monday

Meeting for the first time since the flooding, the Kerr County Commissioners Court received a briefing on the progress of the search operations and acknowledged the daunting cleanup and rebuilding process the county faces.

The Kerr County death toll from the Guadalupe River flooding is now at 106 — 70 adults and 36 children —  and Gov. Greg Abbott said last week that as many as 161 people remain unaccounted for.

Crews have been searching for victims along the Guadalupe River since July 4, and state and local officials have repeatedly said the searches will continue until every missing person is found. Kerr County Sheriff Larry Leitha told commissioners on Monday it could take six months. He said more than 2,200 people have been deployed to assist with the search.

With heavy rains falling and a flash flood warning issued for parts of Kerr County on Monday, county officials paused the search operations about mid-day.  “Due to the incoming threatening weather, all volunteers should vacate the river area, and MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND for their safety,” officials posted on the Kerr County Facebook page. “Only teams working under the direction of Kerr County Emergency Operations Center Unified Command are permitted in the response zone.”

Kerr County Judge Rob Kelly said officials know how many people were missing from summer camps and how many county residents are missing. What’s uncertain is the number of people who were in the area over the Fourth of July weekend and were swept away by the floods.

“We don’t know how many came. We don’t know where they are. We don’t know how many we’ve lost,” Kelly said.

Commissioner Don Harris, whose precinct includes the towns of Ingram and Hunt, said there are plans to drain Nimitz Lake and New Ingram Lake to “see what’s under there.” Nimitz Lake is in Kerrville and New Ingram Lake is in Ingram. Both were created by damming the Guadalupe River.

Asked Monday by commissioners what resources he’ll need to keep the sheriff’s office operating when state and federal agencies pull their personnel out of the county, Leith replied: “I truly don’t know.”

Recovery could take ‘months, if not years’

One of the key challenges for the county will be debris removal and disposal in the wake of the floods.  Kelly said the state will pay for the “lion’s share” of debris removal in the county. He said the state and federal government “have our backs.”

“We’re going to get through this, and it’s going to be one process at a time,” Kelly said.

Commissioner Tom Jones said it will take the county “months, if not years” to recover from the effects of the flooding.

He said many residents have questions about the flood and recovery efforts, and asked for patience as the county works through the process.

“I know y’all need a lot of answers, and we can’t give you all those answers from up here,” Jones said.

Commissioner Rich Paces said he’s received death threats and been cursed at by residents “for decisions that we never had a chance to make,” referring to previous commissioners courts deciding against moving ahead with installing a system of warning sirens along the Guadalupe River.

But Paces and other county officials said they are proud of the strength and community spirit many residents have shown throughout the disaster.

“Despite this tragedy, this event, we have seen the best of humanity,” Paces said.”We truly see God’s hand at work.”