Texas floods resulted in the deaths of at least 51 individuals, including 15 children. KERRVILLE, Texas— On Saturday, rescuers conducted an
increasingly bleak search for survivors, including 27 girls who have not been seen since their camp was slammed with a wall of water in a historic flash flood, in a devastated central Texas landscape of mangled trees, overturned cars, and muck-filled detritus. The flooding in Kerr County resulted in the deaths of at least 43 individuals, including 15 minors, and at least eight individuals in neighboring counties.
Authorities have yet to disclose the number of individuals who remain unaccounted for, in addition to the children from Camp Mystic, a Christian summer camp situated along a river in Kerr County, where the majority of the deceased were located. Homes and vehicles were washed away as the Guadalupe River’s swiftly rising waters rose 26 feet in just 45 minutes before daybreak on Friday.
Flash flood warnings and watches were still in effect, and rains continued to pelt communities outside of San Antonio on Saturday. The threat was not over. In order to locate victims and rescue individuals who were stranded in trees or shelters that were isolated by washed-out roads, searchers employed drones, boats, and helicopters. Greg Abbott, the governor, has pledged that authorities
will continue to work continuously and that new areas are being searched as the water recedes. He designated Sunday as a day of devotion for the state. “I implore all Texans to join me in prayer this Sunday—for the safety of those on the front lines, for the recovery of our communities, for the lives lost, and for those still missing,” he stated in a statement.
Authorities were being questioned regarding the extent to which the camps and residents of areas that have been susceptible to inundation were adequately warned and whether sufficient preparations were implemented. Generations of families have visited the century-old youth camps and campgrounds that dot the hills along the Guadalupe River in central Texas to swim and appreciate the environment.
The region is particularly popular during the July Fourth holiday, which complicates the determination of the number of individuals who are missing. Dalton Rice, the City Manager of Kerrville, stated earlier, “We are not even interested in initiating an estimation at this time.” Camp was struck by a violent storm in the middle of the night. Elinor Lester, 13, one of the hundreds of campers, stated,
“The camp was completely destroyed.” “A helicopter touched down and began transporting individuals.” Truly, it was a terrifying experience. Friday, shortly after midnight, her cabin was awakened by a violent tempest that was exacerbated by an extraordinary quantity of moisture. She stated that the rescuers secured a rope for the girls to grasp onto as they traversed a bridge with water lapping at their ankles.
Parents and families in a state of panic shared photographs of their missing loved ones and appeals for information. An 8-year-old girl from Mountain Brook, Alabama, who was attending Camp Mystic, and the director of another camp located nearby were among the confirmed deceased. Many residents, campers, and officials were taken aback by the flooding that occurred in the midst of the night.
AccuWeather stated that the National Weather Service and the private forecasting company issued warnings regarding potential flash inundation hours in advance. “AccuWeather stated in a statement that these warnings should have given officials sufficient time to evacuate camps like Camp Mystic and transport individuals to safety.”
The Hill Country was identified as one of the most susceptible to sudden floods in the United States due to its terrain and numerous water crossings. Several hundred campers and attendees at a church youth conference were relocated to a higher location at the Mo-Ranch Camp in the Hunt community, where officials had been monitoring the weather. The day before the conclusion of their second summer session on Thursday,
administrators at Camps Rio Vista and Sierra Vista in the vicinity had also indicated on social media that they were monitoring the weather. Authorities and elected officials have expressed their surprise at the intensity of the deluge, which is equivalent to months’ worth of rainfall in the region.
Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas), whose district encompasses the affected region, referred to the flood as a once-in-a-century event and acknowledged that there would be second-guessing and finger-pointing as individuals seek to assign responsibility.
Drones and helicopters are employed in a frantic search. Rice stated that search personnel were confronted with challenging circumstances as they “investigated every feasible location.” In the past 36 hours, officials reported that over 850 individuals had been rescued, and there were heroic efforts to save minors at the camps.
Upon her arrival, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem assured that the Trump administration would employ all available resources. The Coast Guard provided assistance by means of helicopters and aircraft to guarantee that operations could continue in the event of darkness. After accommodating hundreds of evacuees the previous day, a reunification center at an elementary school was largely unoccupied.
“We continue to receive individuals who are seeking their relatives.” Bobby Templeton, superintendent of the Ingram Independent School District, stated, “We have achieved some success, but it has been minimal.” Individuals clung to trees and fled to attics. Erin Burgess was awakened in the middle of the night by thunder and rain in Ingram.
She stated that water began to flood into her residence within twenty minutes. She recounted an agonizing hour in which she and her teenage son were clinging to a tree. “My boyfriend and my dog floated away, while my son and I clung to a tree.” “He was temporarily disoriented; however, we eventually located him,” she stated.
Barry Adelman stated that the water had forced all occupants of his three-story residence, including his 94-year-old grandmother and 9-year-old grandson, into the attic. “I was compelled to tell my grandson that everything would be fine, but I was frightened to death,” he stated. Locals refer to the area as “flash flood alley.” “The Community Foundation of the Texas Hill Country,
which was soliciting donations, stated that water does not penetrate the soil during rainfall,” stated Austin Dickson, its CEO. “It accelerates as it descends the slope.” ‘Nobody had anticipated this’ Overnight Friday, a flood watch was upgraded to a warning for a minimum of 30,000 individuals, as the weekend forecast had anticipated rain. “We are aware that we receive precipitation.”
We are aware that the river is rising. However, this was not anticipated,” stated Kerr County Judge Rob Kelly, the county’s highest-ranking elected official. Kelly stated that the county had contemplated a flood warning system on the river, which would have been similar to a tornado warning siren, approximately six to seven years ago. However, the concept was never implemented, and the cost would have been a concern.
Kelly expressed his profound sorrow upon witnessing the devastation on the ground and the corpse bags at the funeral home during a helicopter tour. “The rescue has proceeded as anticipated.” “The recovery process is now getting underway,” he stated. “And that will be a long, arduous task for us.”
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