At the very least 109 folks died in flash floods that hit central Texas over the weekend, with a minimum of 161 nonetheless lacking, authorities stated in an replace on Tuesday afternoon.
Gov. Greg Abbott advised reporters in a July 8 press briefing that these figures are more likely to rise, due partly to the realm’s recognition with campers.
Kerr County Sheriff Larry Leitha stated that lots of of first responders are on the scene in flooded areas across the Guadalupe River, with native, federal, and state personnel working to get better our bodies or find lacking folks.
5 campers and one counselor from Camp Mystic are nonetheless lacking, the sheriff additionally stated. The camp, which is positioned in Hunt, confirmed Monday that a minimum of 27 youngsters and counselors died within the floods. Identification is pending for 19 adults and 7 youngsters who had been discovered useless.
When requested about those that are lacking, Leitha stated, “It’s exhausting to know that quantity. I do know the numbers that now we have discovered, and that’s all I do know.”
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott deliberate to make one other go to on Tuesday to the century-old, Christian summer season camp for ladies. Officers stated on Monday that 10 campers and one counselor had been nonetheless lacking.
“Our hearts are damaged alongside our households which can be enduring this unimaginable tragedy. We’re praying for them always,” the camp stated in a press release. “We’ve got been in communication with native and state authorities who’re tirelessly deploying intensive assets to seek for our lacking ladies.
“We’re deeply grateful for the outpouring of assist from group, first responders, and officers at each stage.”
On Sunday, President Donald Trump signed a significant catastrophe declaration for Kerr County and directed the Federal Emergency Administration Company (FEMA) to answer the floods.
Trump stated he’s planning to go to Texas on Friday and advised reporters that he would have gone sooner however he would have been “of their manner” throughout the response.
Nineteen deaths had been reported in Travis, Burnet, Kendall, Tom Inexperienced, and Williamson counties, native officers stated on Monday.
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) stated that it’s “a miracle extra youngsters didn’t lose their lives” within the flooding. “I’ve by no means seen something as horrific. The cabins had eight toes of water in them,” Cruz advised KPRC.
“The Hill Nation is an unimaginable a part of Texas, a part of the nation,“ he stated throughout a Monday press convention. ”The pure magnificence right here is unimaginable. The camps which have raised generations of little ladies and little boys and instilled character and love and religion are extraordinary establishments.”
Questions are mounting about what native officers did to warn campers and residents who had been spending the July Fourth vacation weekend within the scenic space lengthy recognized to locals as “flash flood alley.”
Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) on Monday despatched a letter to the Commerce Division, which oversees the Nationwide Climate Service (NWS), about whether or not staffing cuts impacted flood warnings being issued.
NWS issued a flood watch round 2 p.m. on July 3, greater than 12 hours earlier than the flood, for Kerr County, adopted by a flash flood warning for the realm about three hours earlier than the river began surging quickly.
Savannah Pointer and The Related Press contributed to this report.
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