The death toll from flooding in Texas rose to 50 Saturday evening as rescuers continued to search for 27 girls missing at a summer camp in the US state.
Several flood warnings remained in place across Central Texas as the Guadalupe River rose 26 feet (8 meters) in just 45 minutes.
Chaos erupted at the Kerr County summer camp, which hosted hundreds of girls, with mud covering blankets, toys, and other belongings.
"We have recovered 43 bodies in Kerr County, including 28 adults and 15 children," said County Sheriff Larry Leza at a press conference.
Several victims were found in other counties, bringing the death toll to 50.
Texas Emergency Management Director Nim Kidd confirmed that air, land, and water rescue crews were combing the Guadalupe River for survivors and bodies.
"We will continue to search until all of the missing are found," he added.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott said at a press conference that he would expand the state's disaster declaration and request additional federal resources from President Donald Trump.
The flooding began Friday, with months of rainfall falling in just a few hours.
The National Weather Service warned of further flooding as more rain was expected.
In Kerrville on Saturday, the normally sluggish Guadalupe River appeared to be running fast as its waters filled with debris.
"The water was above the tree line. About 10 meters," said resident Gerardo Martinez, 61. "The rivers swept away entire cars and homes."
While flooding, caused by the ground's inability to absorb rainwater, is not uncommon, scientists say human-induced climate change is making flooding, drought, and heat waves more frequent and severe.
Letha reported Saturday that 27 girls from the Mystic camp in Kerr County are still missing. About 750 girls were at the camp on the banks of the Guadalupe River.
US media reported that four of the missing girls were killed, citing their families.
The windows of the camp rooms were apparently shattered by the force of the water.
Michael, who gave his first name to AFP, was searching the camp for his eight-year-old daughter.
"I was in Austin and came here yesterday morning when we heard about it," he said, adding that he was hoping for a "miracle."
The Heart of the Hills summer camp, located about a mile and a half from Mystic, confirmed on Saturday that its director, Jane Ragsdale, was among the dead.
Tributes to the victims, including Mystic owner and director Dick Eastland, filled the obituaries section of the Kerrville news site.
Elsewhere in Texas, four people were confirmed dead in Travis County, northeast of Kerr, while 13 people were listed as missing, according to Hector Nieto, director of the public information office, told AFP. The body of a 62-year-old woman was found in San Angelo, Tom Grebe County, along the Concho River, police said.
Two people also died in Burnett County, according to Derek Marchow, the county's emergency coordinator, who spoke to AFP. This brings the statewide death toll to 50.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said at a press conference that Trump wants to "modernize the technology" of the National Weather Service and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
"We need to revamp this antiquated system," she added.
The Trump administration has faced criticism from scientists and agencies for cutting staff and funding for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which is responsible for forecasting and disaster preparedness.
When asked about allegations that residents were not receiving adequate warning of flooding, Noem promised to convey these concerns to the federal government.
Officials said the speed and extent of the flooding were shocking.
"We didn't know this flooding was coming," Kerr County Sheriff Rob Kelly confirmed Friday.
"The forecast was definitely wrong," said Dalton Rice, a Kerrville city official, and the rainfall "was double what was predicted."
He added that rescuers were facing "very difficult" conditions, declining to disclose the total number of missing.
"It's been years since we've seen a flood, and nothing like this," said Suela Reyna, a 55-year-old Kerrville resident who works at a local church helping people who lost their belongings.
"I've never seen anything so catastrophic, with children and people losing their homes... It's unbelievable," she added.
.jpg)
0 Comments