Scores drowned in Texas flash floods
US search teams waded through mud-laden riverbanks and flew over the flood-stricken landscape on the fourth day of the search for survivors after Friday's flash floods.
The Guadalupe River that runs through Kerrville was transformed by pre-dawn torrential downpours into a raging torrent in less than an hour on Friday.
The dead there included 27 campers and counsellors at the Camp Mystic summer camp, a nearly century-old Christian girls' retreat on the banks of the Guadalupe River, the camp said in a statement.
Richard "Dick" Eastland, 70, the co-owner and director of Camp Mystic, died trying to save the children at his camp during the flood, multiple media including the Austin American-Statesman reported.
"Our hearts are broken alongside our families that are enduring this unimaginable tragedy," the camp said in a statement on Monday.
Ten girls and a camp counsellor are still missing, officials said on Monday.
"Texas is grieving right now," US Senator Ted Cruz said.
"The pain, the shock of what has transpired these past few days has broken the heart of our state."
Freeman Martin, director of the Texas Department of Public Safety, predicted the death toll would rise further as flood waters receded and the search gained momentum.
Authorities also warned that continued rainfall, even if lighter than Friday's deluge, could unleash additional flash floods because the landscape was so saturated.
The National Weather Service said that heavy rains and thunderstorms could cause more flooding across the area on Monday.
State emergency management officials had warned on Thursday, ahead of the July Fourth holiday, that parts of central Texas faced the possibility of heavy showers and flash floods.
But twice as much rain as was predicted ended up falling over two branches of the Guadalupe just upstream of the fork where they converge, sending all of that water racing into the single river channel where it slices through Kerrville, City Manager Dalton Rice said.
Search and rescue operations are continuing around the clock, with hundreds of emergency personnel on the ground contending with a myriad of challenges.
"It's hot, there's mud, they're moving debris, there's snakes," Martin told reporters on Sunday.
Officials said on Saturday that more than 850 people had been rescued, some clinging to trees, after a sudden storm dumped up to 38 centimetres of rain across the region, about 140 km northwest of San Antonio.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency was activated on Sunday and was deploying resources to Texas after President Donald Trump issued a major disaster declaration, the Department of Homeland Security said.
US Coast Guard helicopters and planes were aiding search and rescue efforts.
Trump said on Sunday he would visit the disaster scene, probably this Friday.
He 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, leaving many weather offices understaffed, former NOAA director Rick Spinrad said.
Rescue teams are grappling with more rain as the search continues for dozens of people still missing after flash floods hit central Texas, with the death toll climbing past 80.
US search teams waded through mud-laden riverbanks and flew over the flood-stricken landscape on the fourth day of the search for survivors after Friday's flash floods.
The Guadalupe River that runs through Kerrville was transformed by pre-dawn torrential downpours into a raging torrent in less than an hour on Friday.
The dead there included 27 campers and counsellors at the Camp Mystic summer camp, a nearly century-old Christian girls' retreat on the banks of the Guadalupe River, the camp said in a statement.
Richard "Dick" Eastland, 70, the co-owner and director of Camp Mystic, died trying to save the children at his camp during the flood, multiple media including the Austin American-Statesman reported.
"Our hearts are broken alongside our families that are enduring this unimaginable tragedy," the camp said in a statement on Monday.
Ten girls and a camp counsellor are still missing, officials said on Monday.
"Texas is grieving right now," US Senator Ted Cruz said.
"The pain, the shock of what has transpired these past few days has broken the heart of our state."
Freeman Martin, director of the Texas Department of Public Safety, predicted the death toll would rise further as flood waters receded and the search gained momentum.
Authorities also warned that continued rainfall, even if lighter than Friday's deluge, could unleash additional flash floods because the landscape was so saturated.
The National Weather Service said that heavy rains and thunderstorms could cause more flooding across the area on Monday.
State emergency management officials had warned on Thursday, ahead of the July Fourth holiday, that parts of central Texas faced the possibility of heavy showers and flash floods.
But twice as much rain as was predicted ended up falling over two branches of the Guadalupe just upstream of the fork where they converge, sending all of that water racing into the single river channel where it slices through Kerrville, City Manager Dalton Rice said.
Search and rescue operations are continuing around the clock, with hundreds of emergency personnel on the ground contending with a myriad of challenges.
"It's hot, there's mud, they're moving debris, there's snakes," Martin told reporters on Sunday.
Officials said on Saturday that more than 850 people had been rescued, some clinging to trees, after a sudden storm dumped up to 38 centimetres of rain across the region, about 140 km northwest of San Antonio.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency was activated on Sunday and was deploying resources to Texas after President Donald Trump issued a major disaster declaration, the Department of Homeland Security said.
US Coast Guard helicopters and planes were aiding search and rescue efforts.
Trump said on Sunday he would visit the disaster scene, probably this Friday.
He 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, leaving many weather offices understaffed, former NOAA director Rick Spinrad said.
Rescue teams are grappling with more rain as the search continues for dozens of people still missing after flash floods hit central Texas, with the death toll climbing past 80.
US search teams waded through mud-laden riverbanks and flew over the flood-stricken landscape on the fourth day of the search for survivors after Friday's flash floods.
The Guadalupe River that runs through Kerrville was transformed by pre-dawn torrential downpours into a raging torrent in less than an hour on Friday.
The dead there included 27 campers and counsellors at the Camp Mystic summer camp, a nearly century-old Christian girls' retreat on the banks of the Guadalupe River, the camp said in a statement.
Richard "Dick" Eastland, 70, the co-owner and director of Camp Mystic, died trying to save the children at his camp during the flood, multiple media including the Austin American-Statesman reported.
"Our hearts are broken alongside our families that are enduring this unimaginable tragedy," the camp said in a statement on Monday.
Ten girls and a camp counsellor are still missing, officials said on Monday.
"Texas is grieving right now," US Senator Ted Cruz said.
"The pain, the shock of what has transpired these past few days has broken the heart of our state."
Freeman Martin, director of the Texas Department of Public Safety, predicted the death toll would rise further as flood waters receded and the search gained momentum.
Authorities also warned that continued rainfall, even if lighter than Friday's deluge, could unleash additional flash floods because the landscape was so saturated.
The National Weather Service said that heavy rains and thunderstorms could cause more flooding across the area on Monday.
State emergency management officials had warned on Thursday, ahead of the July Fourth holiday, that parts of central Texas faced the possibility of heavy showers and flash floods.
But twice as much rain as was predicted ended up falling over two branches of the Guadalupe just upstream of the fork where they converge, sending all of that water racing into the single river channel where it slices through Kerrville, City Manager Dalton Rice said.
Search and rescue operations are continuing around the clock, with hundreds of emergency personnel on the ground contending with a myriad of challenges.
"It's hot, there's mud, they're moving debris, there's snakes," Martin told reporters on Sunday.
Officials said on Saturday that more than 850 people had been rescued, some clinging to trees, after a sudden storm dumped up to 38 centimetres of rain across the region, about 140 km northwest of San Antonio.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency was activated on Sunday and was deploying resources to Texas after President Donald Trump issued a major disaster declaration, the Department of Homeland Security said.
US Coast Guard helicopters and planes were aiding search and rescue efforts.
Trump said on Sunday he would visit the disaster scene, probably this Friday.
He 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, leaving many weather offices understaffed, former NOAA director Rick Spinrad said.
Rescue teams are grappling with more rain as the search continues for dozens of people still missing after flash floods hit central Texas, with the death toll climbing past 80.
US search teams waded through mud-laden riverbanks and flew over the flood-stricken landscape on the fourth day of the search for survivors after Friday's flash floods.
The Guadalupe River that runs through Kerrville was transformed by pre-dawn torrential downpours into a raging torrent in less than an hour on Friday.
The dead there included 27 campers and counsellors at the Camp Mystic summer camp, a nearly century-old Christian girls' retreat on the banks of the Guadalupe River, the camp said in a statement.
Richard "Dick" Eastland, 70, the co-owner and director of Camp Mystic, died trying to save the children at his camp during the flood, multiple media including the Austin American-Statesman reported.
"Our hearts are broken alongside our families that are enduring this unimaginable tragedy," the camp said in a statement on Monday.
Ten girls and a camp counsellor are still missing, officials said on Monday.
"Texas is grieving right now," US Senator Ted Cruz said.
"The pain, the shock of what has transpired these past few days has broken the heart of our state."
Freeman Martin, director of the Texas Department of Public Safety, predicted the death toll would rise further as flood waters receded and the search gained momentum.
Authorities also warned that continued rainfall, even if lighter than Friday's deluge, could unleash additional flash floods because the landscape was so saturated.
The National Weather Service said that heavy rains and thunderstorms could cause more flooding across the area on Monday.
State emergency management officials had warned on Thursday, ahead of the July Fourth holiday, that parts of central Texas faced the possibility of heavy showers and flash floods.
But twice as much rain as was predicted ended up falling over two branches of the Guadalupe just upstream of the fork where they converge, sending all of that water racing into the single river channel where it slices through Kerrville, City Manager Dalton Rice said.
Search and rescue operations are continuing around the clock, with hundreds of emergency personnel on the ground contending with a myriad of challenges.
"It's hot, there's mud, they're moving debris, there's snakes," Martin told reporters on Sunday.
Officials said on Saturday that more than 850 people had been rescued, some clinging to trees, after a sudden storm dumped up to 38 centimetres of rain across the region, about 140 km northwest of San Antonio.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency was activated on Sunday and was deploying resources to Texas after President Donald Trump issued a major disaster declaration, the Department of Homeland Security said.
US Coast Guard helicopters and planes were aiding search and rescue efforts.
Trump said on Sunday he would visit the disaster scene, probably this Friday.
He 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, leaving many weather offices understaffed, former NOAA director Rick Spinrad said.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Perth Now
2 days ago
- Perth Now
Texas flood death toll rises to 131 as new storms loom
The official toll of flood-related deaths across Texas has risen to 131 as authorities warned of another round of heavy rains 10 days after a flash flood that transformed the Guadalupe River into a killer torrent. A National Weather Service flood watch forecasting heavy downpours of up to 152mm of rain was posted until Tuesday morning for a wide swath of central Texas extending from the Rio Grande east to San Antonio and Austin. The advisory included Kerr County and other parts of Texas Hill Country along the Guadalupe still recovering from the July 4 flood disaster, which ravaged the county seat of Kerrville and a riverside Christian summer camp for girls in the nearby town of Hunt. Riverfront residents as well as search teams still combing the banks of the waterway were advised to seek higher ground until the latest danger had passed. The search for additional victims along the Guadalupe was likewise suspended due to flood concerns on Sunday. Texas Governor Greg Abbott said storms had claimed at least 131 lives in Texas since July 4, the bulk of those deaths in and around Kerrville, up from 120 reported on Friday. He said 97 people were still listed as missing in the greater Kerrville area, down from the 160-plus who authorities said were unaccounted for last week. About a third of the Kerr County fatalities are children, most of whom perished at Camp Mystic when floodwaters raged through the girls-only summer retreat before dawn on July 4. Authorities have not rescued anyone alive since the day of the floods, when more than 300mm of rain fell in less than an hour in the heart of a region known as "flash flood alley," sending a deadly wall of water down the Guadalupe River basin. Abbott said state politicians would investigate the circumstances of the flooding, disaster preparedness and emergency response to the flooding at a special legislative session set to convene later this month. The high casualty toll, ranking as one of the deadliest US flood events in decades, has raised questions about the lack of flash-flood warning sirens in Kerr County and vacancies left at National Weather Service offices amid staffing cuts under the Trump administration. with AP
The Age
5 days ago
- The Age
‘Only a very evil person would ask': Trump lashes out at reporter while visiting Texas flood zone
'I'll tell you some other time,' Trump said on Tuesday, when asked by a reporter about FEMA. Before the most recent flooding, Kerr County declined to install an early-warning system after failing to secure state money to cover the cost. Lawrence Walker, 67, and a nearly three-decade veteran resident of Kerrville, said the county and state had not spent enough on disaster prevention, including an early-warning system. Asked about the quality of the government response, he said, 'It's been fine since the water was at 8 feet.' The Texas state legislature will convene in a special session later this month to investigate the flooding and provide disaster relief funding. Abbott has dismissed questions about whether anyone was to blame, calling that the 'word choice of losers.' Dozens still unaccounted for Search teams on Friday were still combing through muddy debris littering parts of the Hill Country in central Texas, looking for the dozens still listed as missing, but no survivors have been found since the day of the floods. Heavy rains sent a wall of water raging down the Guadalupe River early on July 4, causing the deadliest disaster of the Republican president's nearly six-month term in office. As sun poked through dark clouds on Friday morning, search crews in hard hats painstakingly walked inch-by-inch along the ruined banks of the river, marking damage and looking through wreckage. After the president arrived in Kerr County in the early afternoon, Trump, first lady Melania Trump and Texas Governor Greg Abbott drove to an area near the river, where Trump received a briefing from first responders amid debris left in the wake of the flood. The county is located in what is known as 'flash flood alley,' a region that has seen some of the country's deadliest floods. More than a foot of rain fell in less than an hour on July 4. Flood gauges showed the river's height rose from about a foot to 34 feet (10.4 meters) in a matter of hours, cascading over its banks and sweeping away trees and structures in its path. Kerr County officials say more than 160 people remain unaccounted for, although experts say that the number of people reported missing in the wake of disasters is often inflated. The dead include at least 36 children, many of whom were campers at the nearly century-old Camp Mystic, an all-girls Christian summer retreat on the banks of the river. Jon Moreno, 71, a longtime Kerrville resident whose property on high ground was spared, praised the government response - local and federal. He has heard the debate about what more could have been done - including sirens - but said he did not think it would have made much difference, given people's desire to build along the flood-prone riverbanks. Loading 'It's unavoidable,' he said. 'All those people along the river - I wouldn't want to live there ... It's too dangerous.' At Stripes, a gas station in Kerrville, the building was tagged in large white letters, accusing 'Trump's Big Beautiful Bill' of cutting 'our emergency funding.' The president's massive legislative package, which cut taxes and spending, won approval from the Republican-controlled Congress last week and was signed into law by Trump on the same day that the flooding hit Texas.
Sydney Morning Herald
5 days ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
‘Only a very evil person would ask': Trump lashes out at reporter while visiting Texas flood zone
'I'll tell you some other time,' Trump said on Tuesday, when asked by a reporter about FEMA. Before the most recent flooding, Kerr County declined to install an early-warning system after failing to secure state money to cover the cost. Lawrence Walker, 67, and a nearly three-decade veteran resident of Kerrville, said the county and state had not spent enough on disaster prevention, including an early-warning system. Asked about the quality of the government response, he said, 'It's been fine since the water was at 8 feet.' The Texas state legislature will convene in a special session later this month to investigate the flooding and provide disaster relief funding. Abbott has dismissed questions about whether anyone was to blame, calling that the 'word choice of losers.' Dozens still unaccounted for Search teams on Friday were still combing through muddy debris littering parts of the Hill Country in central Texas, looking for the dozens still listed as missing, but no survivors have been found since the day of the floods. Heavy rains sent a wall of water raging down the Guadalupe River early on July 4, causing the deadliest disaster of the Republican president's nearly six-month term in office. As sun poked through dark clouds on Friday morning, search crews in hard hats painstakingly walked inch-by-inch along the ruined banks of the river, marking damage and looking through wreckage. After the president arrived in Kerr County in the early afternoon, Trump, first lady Melania Trump and Texas Governor Greg Abbott drove to an area near the river, where Trump received a briefing from first responders amid debris left in the wake of the flood. The county is located in what is known as 'flash flood alley,' a region that has seen some of the country's deadliest floods. More than a foot of rain fell in less than an hour on July 4. Flood gauges showed the river's height rose from about a foot to 34 feet (10.4 meters) in a matter of hours, cascading over its banks and sweeping away trees and structures in its path. Kerr County officials say more than 160 people remain unaccounted for, although experts say that the number of people reported missing in the wake of disasters is often inflated. The dead include at least 36 children, many of whom were campers at the nearly century-old Camp Mystic, an all-girls Christian summer retreat on the banks of the river. Jon Moreno, 71, a longtime Kerrville resident whose property on high ground was spared, praised the government response - local and federal. He has heard the debate about what more could have been done - including sirens - but said he did not think it would have made much difference, given people's desire to build along the flood-prone riverbanks. Loading 'It's unavoidable,' he said. 'All those people along the river - I wouldn't want to live there ... It's too dangerous.' At Stripes, a gas station in Kerrville, the building was tagged in large white letters, accusing 'Trump's Big Beautiful Bill' of cutting 'our emergency funding.' The president's massive legislative package, which cut taxes and spending, won approval from the Republican-controlled Congress last week and was signed into law by Trump on the same day that the flooding hit Texas.
