Terrifying vid shows Texas river swallow bridge & swell to bursting in just 2 MINUTES as 51 dead & 27 children missing
At least 51 people have died and two dozens girls are missing after
homes
and
summer
camps - and dozens are still missing.
10
The bridge seen before the floods arrived
Credit: Twitter
10
The bridge along with the road and lots of trees were soon completely submerged
Credit: Twitter
10
Locals watched from the road as the bridge disappeared
Credit: Twitter
Timelapse footage of the Llano river shows the terrifying pace at which the water rose.
A road bridge crosses the river, which is filled with rocks, islands and trees.
Suddenly, a wall of water cascades down the river.
The surface level rises sharply - and in under two minutes the bridge is totally submerged.
read more in us news
All but the top leaves of the very tallest trees along the river disappear as thousands of tons of water flood through the valley.
Locals on the ground - including public safety officials - captured the bridge disappearing from ground level.
They are repeatedly forced to seek higher ground as the torrent climbs up the river bank.
Rescuers are still scouring the devastated landscape in central Texas, but hopes of finding survivors are fast dwindling.
Most read in The US Sun
About a third of a year's worth of rain fell in a few short hours, completely overwhelming the waterways and creating an "extraordinary catastrophe".
Catastrophic scenes after freak deluge wipes out vast area & several still missing
Larry Leitha, Kerr County sheriff, said: "We have recovered 43 deceased individuals in Kerr County. Among these who are deceased we have 28 adults and 15 children."
Dalton Rice, Kerville city manager, said on Saturday: "We've been rescuing people out of these camps by the hundreds. There's a lot of folks that are shelter in place, so we leave them in place to make sure that we get them food, water."
Multiple people lost their lives in other counties, bringing the current confirmed death toll to 51 - though this is sadly expected to rise.
The most desperate search is for a group of school-age girls who went missing from Camp Mystic - a Christian summer camp near the river.
10
The heartbreaking scene in Camp Mystic, from dozens of girls went missing
Credit: AFP
10
Damage to a home near the Guadeloupe River
Credit: AFP
Heartbreaking photos from the wrecked site show sodden mattresses and teddies strewn across dormitories.
On Saturday, Sheriff Leitha said 27 of the children were still missing.
The parents of all
the missing
children have been notified - and many turned to social media to share desperate pleas for information about their girls.
Local reports suggest that up to five girls have been confirmed as dead, citing their families.
Janie Hunt, 9, was among the dead, her distraught mother told
A relative of nine-year-old Renee Smajstrla revealed on Facebook that the girls's body had been found.
10
Campers and families hug after being reunited at a center
Credit: AP
10
People comfort each other outside a community center in Kerr County
Credit: AP
Shawna Salta wrote: "We are thankful she was with her friends and having the time of her life, as evidenced by this picture from yesterday."
Lila Bonner's
family
also statement confirming her death.
They wrote: "In the midst of our unimaginable grief, we ask for privacy and are unable to confirm any details at this time.
"We ache with all who loved her and are praying endlessly."
Lila shared a cabin with her best friend Eloise Peck, 8, who also lost her life.
10
The countryside was gutted by the force of the floods
Credit: EPA
10
Rescue teams comb the area along the river on Saturday
Credit: Getty
Her mom, Missy Peck, told
dogs
and animals.
'She passed away with her cabinmate and best friend Lila Bonner who also died.
"Eloise had a family who loved her fiercely for the 8 years she was with us. Especially her Mommy.'
Camp Mystic's owner and director Dick Eastland is amongst those confirmed to have died.
Elsewhere in Texas, four people were confirmed dead in Travis County, northeast of Kerr, and 13 people were missing, according to public information office director Hector Nieto.
The total number of people missing is still unknown.
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RTÉ News
10 hours ago
- RTÉ News
Trump to visit Texas this week as death toll rises to 78
The death toll from catastrophic floods in the US state of Texas reached at least 78, including at least 28 children, as the search for girls missing from a summer camp entered a third day and fears of more flash flooding as rain fell on saturated ground prompted fresh evacuations. Larry Leitha, the Kerr County Sheriff in Texas Hill Country, said 68 people had died in flooding in his county, the epicentre of the flooding, among them 28 children. Texas Governor Greg Abbott, speaking at a press conference yesterday afternoon, said another 10 had died elsewhere in Texas and 41 confirmed missing. The governor did not say how many of the dead outside Kerr were children. Among the most devastating impacts of the flooding occurred at Camp Mystic summer camp, a nearly century-old Christian girls camp. Sheriff Leitha said that 10 Camp Mystic campers and one counsellor were still missing. "It was nothing short of horrific to see what those young children went through," said Mr 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, 4 July. Texas Division of Emergency Management Chief Nim Kidd said at the press conference on Sunday afternoon the destruction killed three people in Burnet County, one in Tom Green County, five in Travis County and one in Williamson County. "You will see the death toll rise today and tomorrow," said Freeman Martin, director of the Texas Department of Public Safety said. Officials said on Saturday that more than 850 people had been rescued, including some clinging to trees, after a sudden storm dumped up to 38 cm of rain across the region, about 140 km northwest of San Antonio. "Everyone in the community is hurting," Mr Leitha told reporters. Mr Kidd said he was receiving unconfirmed reports of "an sdditional wall of water" flowing down some of the creeks in the Guadalupe Rivershed, as rain continued to fall on soil in the region already saturated from Friday's rains. He said aircraft were sent aloft to scout for additional floodwaters, while search-and-rescue personnel who might be in harm's way were alerted to pull back from the river in the meantime. The National Weather Service issued flood warnings and advisories for central Texas that were to last until 4.15local time (10.15pm Irish time) as rains fell, potentially complicating rescue efforts. The Federal Emergency Management Agency was activated yesterday 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. Mr Trump, who said he would visit the disaster scene, probably on Friday, 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. The Trump 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. Mr 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 todeliver 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," Mr Castro said. Camp Mystic had 700 girls in residence at the time of the flooding. Katharine Somerville, a counsellor 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," Ms Somerville said in an interview on Fox News. Ms 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 nine metres. 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 1.83m from the floor. Bed frames, mattresses and personal belongings caked with mud were scattered inside.
Irish Examiner
a day ago
- Irish Examiner
Death toll rises after devastating flooding in central Texas
The death toll from the devastating flooding in Texas has risen again as rescuers continue to search for 11 missing campers and a camp worker. Dozens of people have been killed since raging floodwaters slammed into central Texas on Friday. The death toll rose to nearly 70 on Sunday after searchers found more more bodies in the hardest-hit Kerr County. The victims include children who were camping along the banks of the Guadalupe River. Officials have said they will not stop searching until every person is found. Besides the 59 dead in Kerr County — 38 adults and 21 children — additional deaths were reported in Travis, Burnet and Kendall counties. Rescuers dealt with broken trees, overturned cars and muck-filled debris in a difficult task to find survivors. Authorities still have not said how many people are missing beyond the children from Camp Mystic, a Christian summer camp where most of the dead were recovered. With each passing hour, the outlook became more bleak. Volunteers and some families of the missing who drove to the disaster zone began searching the riverbanks despite being asked not to do so. Authorities faced growing questions about whether enough warnings were issued in an area vulnerable to flooding and whether enough preparations were made. The destructive, fast-moving waters rose 26ft on the river in only 45 minutes before daybreak on Friday, washing away homes and vehicles. The danger was not over as flash flood watches remained in effect and more rain fell in central Texas on Sunday. Debris on a bridge over the Guadalupe River after the flooding (Julio Cortez/AP) Searchers used helicopters, boats and drones to look for victims and to rescue people stranded in trees and from camps isolated by washed-out roads. Officials said more than 850 people were rescued in the first 36 hours. Governor Greg Abbott vowed that authorities will work around the clock and said new areas were being searched as the water receded. He declared Sunday a day of prayer for the state. 'I urge every Texan to join me in prayer this Sunday — for the lives lost, for those still missing, for the recovery of our communities, and for the safety of those on the front lines,' he said in a statement. In Rome, Pope Leo XIV offered special prayers for those touched by the disaster. History's first American pope spoke in English at the end of his Sunday noon blessing, saying 'I would like to express sincere condolences to all the families who have lost loved ones, in particular their daughters who were in summer camp, in the disaster caused by the flooding of the Guadalupe River in Texas in the United States. We pray for them.' The hills along the Guadalupe River are dotted with youth camps and campgrounds where generations of families have come to swim and enjoy the outdoors. The area is especially popular around the Independence Day holiday, making it more difficult to know how many are missing. 'We don't even want to begin to estimate at this time,' Kerrville City manager Dalton Rice said on Saturday. Fast-moving waters rose 26 feet in 45 minutes, washing away homes and vehicles (Eric Gay/AP) Survivors shared terrifying stories of being swept away and clinging to trees as rampaging floodwaters carried trees and cars past them. Others fled to attics inside their homes, praying the water would not reach them. At Camp Mystic, a cabin full of girls held onto a rope strung by rescuers as they walked across a bridge with water whipping around their legs. Among those confirmed dead were an eight-year-old girl from Mountain Brook, Alabama, who was at Camp Mystic, and the director of another camp up the road. Locals know the area as ' flash flood alley' but the flooding in the middle of the night caught many campers and residents by surprise even though there were warnings. The National Weather Service on Thursday advised of potential flooding and then sent out a series of flash flood warnings in the early hours of Friday before issuing flash flood emergencies — a rare alert notifying of imminent danger.
The Irish Sun
a day ago
- The Irish Sun
Terrifying vid shows Texas river swallow bridge & swell to bursting in just 2 MINUTES as 51 dead & 27 children missing
WATCH the terrifying video of a Texas river swallowing a whole bridge in just two minutes as killer floods engulfed parts of the state. At least 51 people have died and two dozens girls are missing after homes and summer camps - and dozens are still missing. 10 The bridge seen before the floods arrived Credit: Twitter 10 The bridge along with the road and lots of trees were soon completely submerged Credit: Twitter 10 Locals watched from the road as the bridge disappeared Credit: Twitter Timelapse footage of the Llano river shows the terrifying pace at which the water rose. A road bridge crosses the river, which is filled with rocks, islands and trees. Suddenly, a wall of water cascades down the river. The surface level rises sharply - and in under two minutes the bridge is totally submerged. read more in us news All but the top leaves of the very tallest trees along the river disappear as thousands of tons of water flood through the valley. Locals on the ground - including public safety officials - captured the bridge disappearing from ground level. They are repeatedly forced to seek higher ground as the torrent climbs up the river bank. Rescuers are still scouring the devastated landscape in central Texas, but hopes of finding survivors are fast dwindling. Most read in The US Sun About a third of a year's worth of rain fell in a few short hours, completely overwhelming the waterways and creating an "extraordinary catastrophe". Catastrophic scenes after freak deluge wipes out vast area & several still missing Larry Leitha, Kerr County sheriff, said: "We have recovered 43 deceased individuals in Kerr County. Among these who are deceased we have 28 adults and 15 children." Dalton Rice, Kerville city manager, said on Saturday: "We've been rescuing people out of these camps by the hundreds. There's a lot of folks that are shelter in place, so we leave them in place to make sure that we get them food, water." Multiple people lost their lives in other counties, bringing the current confirmed death toll to 51 - though this is sadly expected to rise. The most desperate search is for a group of school-age girls who went missing from Camp Mystic - a Christian summer camp near the river. 10 The heartbreaking scene in Camp Mystic, from dozens of girls went missing Credit: AFP 10 Damage to a home near the Guadeloupe River Credit: AFP Heartbreaking photos from the wrecked site show sodden mattresses and teddies strewn across dormitories. On Saturday, Sheriff Leitha said 27 of the children were still missing. The parents of all the missing children have been notified - and many turned to social media to share desperate pleas for information about their girls. Local reports suggest that up to five girls have been confirmed as dead, citing their families. Janie Hunt, 9, was among the dead, her distraught mother told A relative of nine-year-old Renee Smajstrla revealed on Facebook that the girls's body had been found. 10 Campers and families hug after being reunited at a center Credit: AP 10 People comfort each other outside a community center in Kerr County Credit: AP Shawna Salta wrote: "We are thankful she was with her friends and having the time of her life, as evidenced by this picture from yesterday." Lila Bonner's family also statement confirming her death. They wrote: "In the midst of our unimaginable grief, we ask for privacy and are unable to confirm any details at this time. "We ache with all who loved her and are praying endlessly." Lila shared a cabin with her best friend Eloise Peck, 8, who also lost her life. 10 The countryside was gutted by the force of the floods Credit: EPA 10 Rescue teams comb the area along the river on Saturday Credit: Getty Her mom, Missy Peck, told dogs and animals. 'She passed away with her cabinmate and best friend Lila Bonner who also died. "Eloise had a family who loved her fiercely for the 8 years she was with us. Especially her Mommy.' Camp Mystic's owner and director Dick Eastland is amongst those confirmed to have died. Elsewhere in Texas, four people were confirmed dead in Travis County, northeast of Kerr, and 13 people were missing, according to public information office director Hector Nieto. The total number of people missing is still unknown. 10
