Military Drones Support Lone Star State Flood Recovery

MQ-9 Reaper UAVs aid search and rescue operations as record floods devastate Central Texas.

Ryan Ewing

Monday, July 07, 2025 at 04:00 PM ET

Verified

Edited By:

Travis Tingle

An MQ-9 drone. [Credit: Texas Military Department]

Key Takeaways:

The Texas Military Department deployed an MQ-9 Reaper drone for search and rescue efforts following severe flooding in Kerr County and Central Texas.
The drone provided critical "eye in the sky" situational awareness, assisting in 525 rescues and evacuations, with the FAA approving a temporary lower-altitude flight path due to weather conditions.
The catastrophic flash flooding in Central Texas from July 4-7 led to at least 91 confirmed deaths and over 41 missing persons, with rescue operations saving over 850 individuals across the region.

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The Texas Military Department has deployed unmanned aerial systems (UAVs) to assist in search and rescue efforts following severe flooding in Kerr County and surrounding regions. The floods have caused significant damage and prompted widespread evacuations as emergency teams continue operations across affected areas.

In a statement delivered during a press briefing on Sunday, Major General Thomas Suelzer, who serves as the adjutant general of Texas, detailed the deployment of an MQ-9 Reaper remotely piloted aircraft.