At least 24 people have died after heavy rain pounded Kerr County, Texas, early Friday, leading to "catastrophic" flooding, the sheriff said.

Teams conducted dozens of rescues, and the emergency response continued as an unknown number of people remained unaccounted for.

A "catastrophic" and deadly flooding emergency was unfolding in Texas on the Fourth of July as heavy rains caused the Guadalupe River to rapidly rise. People have died in Kerr County and roads were flooding in Kerrville, a city of 25,000 people about 60 miles northwest of San Antonio, authorities said.