‘Multiple dead' in Texas as flash flooding threatens communities
Judge Rob Kelly, the chief elected official in the county, confirmed fatalities from the flooding and dozens of water rescues so far.
He said he was advised not to cite specific numbers and said authorities are still working to identify those whose lives were lost.
'Most of them, we don't know who they are,' Mr Kelly said during a news conference.
'One of them was completely naked, he didn't have any ID on him at all. We're trying to get the identity of these folks, but we don't have it yet.'
Officials conducted dozens of rescues, and the emergency response continued as an unknown number or people remained unaccounted for, Mr Kelly said.
A flood watch issued on Thursday afternoon estimated isolated amounts up to seven inches (17 centimetres) of rising water.
That shifted to a flood warning for at least 30,000 people overnight.
When asked about the suddenness of the flash flooding overnight, Mr Kelly said 'we do not have a warning system' and that 'we didn't know this flood was coming', even as local reporters pointed to the warnings and pushed him for answers about why more precautions were not taken.
Water rises from severe flooding along the Guadalupe river in Texas (KSAT via AP)
'Rest assured, no one knew this kind of flood was coming,' he said. 'We have floods all the time. This is the most dangerous river valley in the United States.'
Texas governor Greg Abbott said the state was providing resources to Hill Country communities dealing with the flooding, including in Kerrville, Ingram and Hunt.
'I urge Texans to heed guidance from state and local officials and monitor local forecasts to avoid driving into flooded areas,' Mr Abbott said in a statement.
The Guadalupe's river gauge at the unincorporated community of Hunt, where the river forks, recorded a 22 foot rise (6.7 metres) in just about two hours, according to Bob Fogarty, meteorologist with the National Weather Service's Austin/San Antonio office.
Mr Fogarty said the gauge failed after recording a level of 29 and a half feet (nine metres).
'We think the river's higher than that,' Mr Fogarty said. 'The gauge is completely underwater.
'This is the kind of thing that will catch you unaware. The water's moving so fast, you're not going to recognise how bad it is until it's on top of you.'
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The Herald Scotland
4 hours ago
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