Matthew McConaughey; the flooding in Kerrville, Texas.Credit : Rick Kern/FilmMagic; Eric Vryn/Getty

NEED TO KNOW

Matthew McConaughey is sending love to his fellow Texans amid the destructive and deadly flooding in his home state
The actor said in an emotional Instagram message that countless people were “hurting – inside and out” as the death toll continues to rise
At least 82 people, including 28 children, have died following the flooding, per the Associated Press

Matthew McConaughey is speaking out amid the devastating flooding in his home state of Texas.

On Sunday, July 6, McConaughey, 55, from Uvalde, acknowledged that “countless Texans” were “hurting – inside and out” following the Fourth of July floods in an emotional message posted to Instagram.

“At least 70 lives have been lost, many more are unaccounted for, and countless Texans are hurting – inside and out,” his statement read.

As of Monday, July 7, the death toll had risen to at least 82, including 28 children, per the Associated Press. Flooding occurred after nearly unprecedented rainfall swelled the Guadalupe River — drowning portions of the state’s Hill Country.

“If you’re able, please lend a helping hand where and how you can,” theactor urged in the post.

He continued, “It’s gonna be a long road ahead, but right now the shock, the pain, and the chaos need the steady hand of a neighbor.”

“Texans are some of the most resilient and generous people on the planet,” McConaughey concluded, tagging his wife Camila, 42, their son Levi, 17, and their nonprofit organization, the Just Keep Livin’ Foundation.

A large truck is impaled onto a tree amid the flooding in Center Point, Texas. Jim Vondruska/Getty

In an update shared on Sunday, the Kerr County Sheriff’s Office confirmed on Facebook that they had recovered 68 people in total — 40 adults and 28 children — while multiple others remained missing or were yet to be identified.

Camp Mystic, in Hunt, has become a major site of the devastation. The camp confirmed on its website that they were “grieving the loss of 27 campers and counselors following the catastrophic flooding on the Guadalupe River.”

In the early hours of Monday, July 7, the US National Weather Service for Austin-San Antonio shared an update warning of more rain to come through the day.

“There remains a threat of flash flooding from slow moving heavy rains overnight and through the day on Monday somewhere over the watch area,” the update read, adding that a flood watch has been issued through 7 p.m. local time.

Matthew McConaughey.Rick Kern/FilmMagic

Two to four inches of additional rainfall have been predicted, along with isolated amounts up to 10 inches. “Rainfall rates will be very intense in the heaviest showers and storms,” the statement added. “Any additional heavy rainfall over hardest hit areas of the past few days will lead to rapid runoff and flash flooding.”