‘Nothing like this': Texas floods leave 43 dead, dozens of girls missing from riverside summer camp
'We have recovered 43 deceased individuals in Kerr County. Among these who are deceased we have 28 adults and 15 children,' said Kerr Country Sheriff Larry Leitha.
Leitha earlier put the number of evacuated people at 850, including eight reported injured.
Addressing a press conference, Texas Governor Greg Abbott said he was expanding a state disaster declaration and was requesting additional federal resources from US President Donald Trump.
Texas Department of Emergency Management chief Nim Kidd said air, ground and water-based crews were scouring the length of the Guadalupe River for survivors and the bodies of the dead.
'We will continue the search until all those who are missing are found,' he said.
The flooding began Friday — the start of the fourth of July holiday weekend — as months' worth of rain fell in a matter of hours, causing the Guadalupe River to rise by 26 feet (eight meters) in 45 minutes.
The National Weather Service (NWS) warned that more rain was forecast, and that 'excessive runoff may result in flooding of rivers, creeks, streams, and other low-lying and flood-prone locations.'
Multiple flash flood warnings remained in place over the weekend in central Texas.
In Kerrville yesterday, the usually calm Guadalupe was flowing fast, its murky waters filled with debris.
'The water reached the top of the trees. About 10 meters or so,' said local resident Gerardo Martinez, 61. 'Cars, whole houses were going down the river.'
Flash floods, which occur when the ground is unable to absorb torrential rainfall, are not unusual.
But scientists say that in recent years human-driven climate change has made extreme weather events like floods, droughts and heat waves more frequent and more intense.
Devastation at Camp Mystic
Yesterday, Sheriff Leitha said 27 children from the Camp Mystic Christian summer camp in the flooded Kerr County were still missing. Around 750 girls were enrolled at the camp.
US media reported that four of the missing girls were dead, citing their families.
The camp, located along the banks of the Guadalupe, was a picture of disarray, with blankets, mattresses, teddy bears and other belongings caked in mud.
The windows of camp cabins were shattered, apparently by the force of the water.
Michael, who only gave AFP his first name, was searching the camp for his eight-year-old daughter.
'I was in Austin and drove down yesterday morning, once we heard about it,' he said, adding that he was hoping for a 'miracle.'
The Heart O' The Hills summer camp, located about a mile from Camp Mystic, confirmed yesterday that its director Jane Ragsdale was among the dead.
'Catastrophic'
Department of Homeland Security head Kristi Noem told a press conference that Trump wanted to 'upgrade the technologies' at the weather service and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
Trump's administration has faced criticism from scientists and disaster management agencies after cutting funding and hundreds of staff at the NOAA, in charge of weather forecasts and preparedness, and the NWS.
'We need to renew this ancient system,' Noem said.
When asked about claims that residents were given insufficient warning of the floods, Noem said she would 'carry your concerns back to the federal government.'
Officials have said the speed and level of flooding was shocking.
'We didn't know this flood was coming,' Kerr County official Rob Kelly said Friday.
Kerrville city official Dalton Rice said rescuers were facing 'very difficult' conditions, warning people against traveling to the site.
Rice added it was not known how many people may have been visiting the popular camping area, and declined to give an overall figure for how many were missing.
Soila Reyna, 55, a Kerrville resident who works at a local church helping people who lost their belongings, witnessed the devastation unfold.
'It has been years since we had a flood, but nothing like this,' Reyna said.
'Nothing like as catastrophic as this, where it involved children, people and just the loss of people's houses... It's just crazy,' she added.
With rescuers fanning out across the region, Kerrville Mayor Joe Herring urged the community to come together.
'People need to know today will be a hard day,' he said. — AFP
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Free Malaysia Today
2 hours ago
- Free Malaysia Today
Death toll from Texas floods reaches 69, including 21 children
First responders search the banks of the Guadalupe River for people swept away by floodwaters in Ingram, Texas. (AP pic) HUNT : The death toll from catastrophic floods in Texas reached at least 69 on Sunday, including at least 21 children, as the search for girls missing from a summer camp entered a third day. Texas governor Greg Abbott, speaking at a press conference on Sunday afternoon, said the death toll in Kerr county, the epicentre of the flooding, had reached 59, while another 10 had died elsewhere in Texas and 41 remained missing. Among the most devastating impacts of the flooding occurred at Camp Mystic summer camp, a nearly century-old Christian girls camp, where 11 girls and a counselor are still missing. 'It was nothing short of horrific to see what those young children went through,' said Abbott, who said he toured the area on Saturday and pledged to continue efforts to locate the missing. The flooding occurred after the nearby Guadalupe River broke its banks after torrential rain fell in the central Texas area on Friday, the US Independence Day holiday. Larry Leitha, the Kerr County Sheriff in Texas Hill Country, said earlier that 21 children have died in the flooding. Officials speaking at the press conference on Sunday afternoon said the destruction killed three people in Burnet County, one in Tom Green county, five in Travis county and one in Williamson county. Officials said on Saturday that more than 850 people had been rescued, including some clinging to trees, after a sudden storm dumped up to 15 inches (38cm) of rain across the region, about 85 miles (140km) northwest of San Antonio. 'Everyone in the community is hurting,' Leitha told reporters. The national weather service issued flood warnings and advisories for central Texas that were to last until 4.15pm local time (2115 GMT) as rains fell, potentially complicating rescue efforts. The federal emergency management agency was activated on Sunday and is deploying resources to first responders in Texas after President Donald Trump issued a major disaster declaration, the department of homeland security said in a statement. US coast guard helicopters and planes are helping the search and rescue efforts, the department said. Trump has previously outlined plans to scale back the federal government's role in responding to natural disasters, leaving states to shoulder more of the burden themselves. Some experts questioned whether cuts to the federal workforce by the Trump administration, including to the agency that oversees the national weather service, led to a failure by officials to accurately predict the severity of the floods and issue appropriate warnings ahead of the storm. Trump's administration has overseen thousands of job cuts from the national weather service's parent agency, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), leaving many weather offices understaffed, former NOAA director Rick Spinrad said. Spinrad said he did not know if those staff cuts factored into the lack of advance warning for the extreme Texas flooding, but that they would inevitably degrade the agency's ability to deliver accurate and timely forecasts. Homeland security secretary Kristi Noem, who oversees NOAA, said a 'moderate' flood watch issued on Thursday by the national weather service had not accurately predicted the extreme rainfall and said the Trump administration was working to upgrade the system. Joaquin Castro, a Democratic US congressman from Texas, told CNN's 'State of the Union' programme that fewer personnel at the weather service could be dangerous. 'When you have flash flooding, there's a risk that if you don't have the personnel … to do that analysis, do the predictions in the best way, it could lead to tragedy,' Castro said. 'Complete devastation' Camp Mystic had 700 girls in residence at the time of the flooding. Katharine Somerville, a counselor on the Cypress Lake side of Camp Mystic, on higher ground than the Guadalupe River side, said her 13-year-old campers were scared as their cabins sustained damage and lost power in the middle of the night. 'Our cabins at the tippity top of hills were completely flooded with water. I mean, y'all have seen the complete devastation, we never even imagined that this could happen,' Somerville said in an interview on Fox News on Sunday. Somerville said the campers in her care were put on military trucks and evacuated, and that all were safe. The disaster unfolded rapidly on Friday morning as heavier-than-forecast rain drove river waters rapidly to as high as 29 feet (9m). A day after the disaster struck, the summer camp was a scene of devastation. Inside one cabin, mud lines indicating how high the water had risen were at least six feet (1.83m) from the floor. Bed frames, mattresses and personal belongings caked with mud were scattered inside. Some buildings had broken windows, one had a missing wall.
The Sun
19 hours ago
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Rescuers search for missing girls as Texas flood death toll hits 50
HUNT: Rescuers searched Saturday for 27 girls missing from a riverside summer camp in Texas, after torrential rains caused devastating floods that killed 50 people in the US state. Multiple flash flood warnings remained in place across central Texas after water surged through communities, with the Guadalupe River rise by 26 feet (eight meters) in just 45 minutes. The Kerr County summer camp where hundreds were staying was left in disarray, with blankets, teddy bears and other belongings caked in mud. 'We have recovered 43 deceased individuals in Kerr County. Among these who are deceased we have 28 adults and 15 children,' said Larry Leitha, the sheriff of the flood-ravaged region. Multiple victims were also found in other counties, bringing the death toll to 50. Texas Department of Emergency Management chief Nim Kidd said air, ground and water-based crews were scouring the length of the Guadalupe River for survivors and the bodies of the dead. 'We will continue the search until all those who are missing are found,' he said. Texas Governor Greg Abbott said he was expanding a state disaster declaration and was requesting additional federal resources from President Donald Trump. The flooding began Friday -- the start of the Fourth of July holiday weekend -- as months' worth of rain fell in a matter of hours. The National Weather Service (NWS) warned that more rain was forecast, and that 'excessive runoff may result in flooding of rivers, creeks, streams, and other low-lying and flood-prone locations.' In Kerrville on Saturday, the usually calm Guadalupe was flowing fast, its murky waters filled with debris. 'The water reached the top of the trees. About 10 meters or so,' said resident Gerardo Martinez, 61. 'Cars, whole houses were going down the river.' Flash floods, which occur when the ground is unable to absorb torrential rainfall, are not unusual. But scientists say that in recent years human-driven climate change has made extreme weather events such as floods, droughts and heatwaves more frequent and more intense. Devastation at Camp Mystic On Saturday, Sheriff Leitha said 27 children from Camp Mystic in flooded Kerr County were still missing. Around 750 girls were attending the camp along the banks of the Guadalupe. US media reported that four of the missing girls were dead, citing their families. The windows of camp cabins were shattered, apparently by the force of the water. Michael, who only gave AFP his first name, was searching the camp for his eight-year-old daughter. 'I was in Austin and drove down yesterday morning, once we heard about it,' he said, adding that he was hoping for a 'miracle.' The obituary section of the Kerrville community news site was dotted with tributes to victims, including Camp Mystic's owner and director Dick Eastland. The director of Heart O' The Hills summer camp located about a mile from Camp Mystic, Jane Ragsdale, was also confirmed dead. Elsewhere in Texas, four people were confirmed dead in Travis County, northeast of Kerr, and 13 people were missing, public information office director Hector Nieto told AFP. A 62-year-old woman's body was found in the city of San Angelo in Tom Green County, along the Concho River, police said. Two more people died in Burnet County, the area's emergency management coordinator Derek Marchio told AFP, bringing the state-wide death toll to 50. 'Catastrophic' Department of Homeland Security head Kristi Noem said Trump wanted to 'upgrade the technologies' at the weather service and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). 'We need to renew this ancient system,' Noem told a press conference. Scientists and disaster management agencies have criticized Trump for cutting funding and staffing at the NOAA, in charge of weather forecasts and preparedness, and the NWS. When asked about claims that residents were given insufficient warning of the floods, Noem said she would 'carry your concerns back to the federal government.' Officials and residents alike were shocked by the speed and intensity of the flooding. 'We didn't know this flood was coming,' Kerr County official Rob Kelly said Friday. 'The predictions were definitely off,' and the rain was 'double of what was anticipated,' Kerrville city official Dalton Rice said. Rice added that rescuers were facing 'very difficult' conditions, and declined to give an overall figure for how many were missing. Soila Reyna, 55, a Kerrville resident who works at a church helping people who lost their belongings, witnessed the devastation unfold. 'It has been years since we had a flood, but nothing like this,' Reyna said. 'Nothing like as catastrophic as this, where it involved children, people and just the loss of people's houses... It's just crazy,' she added.
The Star
a day ago
- The Star
Floods turned Texas camp into a nightmare, 27 girls still missing
KERRVILLE (AP): As floodwaters began to recede from Camp Mystic, a torrent of grief remained as the identities of some of the campers who died in the flash floods began to emerge on Saturday (July 5). At least 43 people, including 15 children, died in Kerr County after a storm unleashed nearly 0.3m of rain on Friday (July 4) and sent floodwaters gushing out of the Guadalupe River through the hilly region known for its century-old summer camps. Another eight people died in nearby counties. State officials said 27 girls from Camp Mystic, a riverside Christian camp for girls in Hunt, Texas, still were unaccounted for about 36 hours after the flood. An eight-year-old girl from Mountain Brook, Alabama, who was at Camp Mystic, and the director of another camp just up the road were among those confirmed dead Saturday. Gov Greg Abbott, who toured the camp Saturday with rescue crews, vowed that authorities will work around the clock to find the missing girls and others swept away in the storm that caught many residents, campers and officials by surprise. Many more are still missing, and authorities said about 850 people had been rescued so far. The National Weather Service said a flood watch would remain in effect for the Hill Country region through late Saturday night. The camp was established in 1926. It grew so popular over the following decades that families are now encouraged to put prospective campers on the waitlist years in advance. Photos and videos taken before the flood are idyllic, showing large cabins with green-shingled roofs and names like "Wiggle Inn," tucked among sturdy oak and cypress trees that grow on the banks of the Guadalupe River. In some social media posts, girls are fishing, riding horses, playing kickball or performing choreographed dance routines in matching T-shirts. Girls ranging in age from eight to 17 years old pose for the camera with big smiles, arms draped across the shoulders of their fellow campers. But the floodwaters left behind a starkly different landscape: A pickup truck is balanced precariously on two wheels, its side lodged halfway up a tree. A wall is torn entirely off one building, the interior empty except for a Texas flag and paintings hung high along one side. A twisted bit of metal – perhaps a bedframe – is stacked next to colourful steamer trunks and broken tree limbs. First responders are scouring the riverbanks in hopes of finding survivors. Social media posts are now focused on the faces of the missing. State and county officials defended their actions Saturday amid scrutiny over whether the camps and residents in towns long vulnerable to flooding received proper alerts. The National Weather Service issued a flood warning for the region on Thursday, and it sent out a series of flash-flood warnings in the early hours Friday. The federal agency had predicted 7.6cm to 15.2 cm rain in the region northwest of San Antonio, but 25.4cm fell. The Guadalupe River rose to 7.9m within about 45 minutes in the early morning hours, submerging its flood gauge. It was not immediately clear what kind of evacuation plans Camp Mystic might have had. The county itself does not have a warning system, Kerr County Judge Rob Kelly said. He maintained that no one knew a flood of this magnitude was coming. By Friday afternoon, Texas Game Wardens had arrived at Camp Mystic and were evacuating campers. A rope was tied so girls could hang on as they walked across a bridge, the floodwaters rushing around their knees. Elinor Lester, 13, said she was evacuated with her cabinmates by helicopter after wading through floodwaters. She recalled startling awake around 1.30am as thunder crackled and water pelted the cabin windows. Lester was among the older girls housed on elevated ground known as Senior Hill. Cabins housing the younger campers, who can start attending at age eight, are situated along the riverbanks and were the first to flood, she said. "The camp was completely destroyed," she said. "It was really scary." Her mother, Elizabeth Lester, said her son was nearby at Camp La Junta and also escaped. A counselor there woke up to find water rising in the cabin, opened a window and helped the boys swim out. Camp La Junta and nearby Camp Waldemar said in Instagram posts that all campers and staff were safe. Elizabeth Lester sobbed when she saw her daughter, who was clutching a small teddy bear and a book. "My kids are safe, but knowing others are still missing is just eating me alive," she said. Dozens of families shared in local Facebook groups that they received devastating phone calls from safety officials informing them that their daughters had not yet been located among the washed-away camp cabins and downed trees. Camp Mystic said in an email to parents of the roughly 750 campers that if they have not been contacted directly, their child is accounted for. Camp Mystic sits on a strip known to locals as "flash flood alley." "When it rains, water doesn't soak into the soil," said Austin Dickson, CEO of the Community Foundation of the Texas Hill Country, which was collecting donations. "It rushes down the hill." Decades prior, floodwaters engulfed a bus of teenage campers from another Christian camp along the Guadalupe River during devastating summer storms in 1987. A total of 10 campers from Pot O' Gold Christian camp drowned after their bus was unable to evacuate in time from a site near Comfort, 53km east of Hunt. Chloe Crane, a teacher and former Camp Mystic counsellor, said her heart broke when a fellow teacher shared an email from the camp about the missing girls. "To be quite honest, I cried because Mystic is such a special place, and I just couldn't imagine the terror that I would feel as a counsellor to experience that for myself and for 15 little girls that I'm taking care of," she said. "And it's also just sadness, like the camp has been there forever and cabins literally got washed away." Crane said the camp is a haven for young girls looking to gain confidence and independence. She recalled happy memories teaching her campers about journalism, making crafts and competing in a camp-wide canoe race at the end of each summer. Now for many campers and counsellor, their happy place has turned into a horror story, she said. – AP
