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.

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.

Officials warned that the full extent of the catastrophe is unknown and unaccounted victims could still be found amid the massive piles of debris.

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 ...

This page is a summary of news on Texas floods for Friday, July 11. For the latest news on the Texas flooding, read USA TODAY's coverage for Saturday, July 12. President Donald Trump on Friday said he’d never seen destruction from a disaster as bad as what he saw in Texas after he surveyed the damage of catastrophic flooding that tore across the state's Hill Country and as authorities and volunteers continued to search for the missing.

Follow for live updates in the Texas flooding as the death toll rises to 120, as rescue operations start to shift to recovery phase