Mexico sends aid to Texas following deadly flooding
The Mexican city of Acuña — which is across the Rio Grande from Texas and more than 140 miles from the most devastated flooding areas — said in a social media post on Tuesday that it has sent a rescue team from its civil protection and firefighting units to Kerr County, Texas, to assist teams from the U.S. with search and rescue efforts.
Posts have also circulated on social media of volunteers from Mexico assisting with the disaster response.
More than 20 inches of rain fell in and around Texas's Hill Country overnight Friday, flooding and washing away structures in the area. At least 100 people have been killed, including more than two dozen children and counselors from the all-girls Camp Mystic. Authorities said Tuesday that 19 adult and seven children's bodies have been recovered but not yet identified.
'It's very tragic whenever you see human life, but to see a child and that loss of life is extremely tragic,' Texas Game Warden Lt. Colonel Ben Baker said during a Tuesday update.
Nine members of an Acuña water rescue team and four members of a Mexico-based non-profit called Foundation 911 travelled to Texas on Sunday to assist with rescue and recovery efforts, according to the update on Facebook from the city's emergency leaders.
They add to state and local authorities, as well as federal assistance from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and aid from private volunteer groups.
President Trump, who signed a disaster declaration for the area on Sunday, is set to travel to the Lone Star State later this week.
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Boston Globe
23 minutes ago
- Boston Globe
On the anniversary of Vermont's summer floods, one village seeks to rebuild on higher ground
'It's like looking at a dollhouse, you know?' said neighbor Lauren Geiger as she gestured toward the wreckage. 'It's so traumatizing for the people who've lived there to have to walk by this place all the time. It's just heartbreaking, really.' Much of Vermont continues to reckon with the damage from the Advertisement 'The joke is we're gonna just not have July 10 this year,' said Patricia Moulton, the state's flood recovery officer for central Vermont. A chair sat on the edge of collapsed river bank in Plainfield, Vt., which was badly hit by a flash flood the night before, July 11, 2024. Dmitry Belyakov/Associated Press As that grim anniversary approached, many Vermonters felt 'this sort of creeping anxiety,' according to Plainfield's volunteer emergency management director, Michael Billingsley. They're aware that human-caused climate change is likely to deliver more frequent and intense deluges to the state's mountainous terrain, prompting rising rivers and flash floods. Advertisement At the same time, Vermont officials are eyeing with alarm President Trump's The administration In recent days, following far deadlier flooding in Texas, critics of the Trump administration have begun questioning whether federal cuts left emergency responders less prepared in that state. 'We're in a place where we don't have definitive answers about what's going on,' said Eric Forand, director of Vermont Emergency Management. 'We don't know where we're going to have to step in and we don't know how much we're going to have to step in.' Community groups from around Vermont have stepped into that void in search of local solutions to a planetary problem. Residents of Plainfield — a town of about 1,200 people best known for Goddard College, the recently shuttered hippie enclave — have come up with perhaps the most audacious plan: to relocate their village center to higher ground. They're working to buy 24 acres of nearby land to subdivide into lots for those whose homes were destroyed or remain imperiled. Advertisement Like many New England towns, Plainfield was built around a series of mills — in its case, at the confluence of Great Brook and the Winooski River. Now a bedroom community about 10 miles from the state capital, Montpelier, it features just a handful of businesses and public facilities in the village, surrounded by farms and forests. The plan to relocate the village, locals say, is a recognition the waterways that once fueled Plainfield's growth now threaten its future. The $5 million project, which organizers hope to pay for with federal disaster recovery funds, would connect town water, sewer, and waste water systems to the new village. Individuals would then buy the parcels and build on them — some with assistance from affordable housing agencies. Already, organizers say, 50 people have expressed interest in buying and building on the 30 to 60 potential lots. 'This felt like something we could actually do to be more in control of our own destiny, rather than be a flood victim with no agency,' said Arion Thiboumery, who owns the Heartbreak Hotel and is helping to lead the East Village Expansion Project. A man in waders navigated the flooded streets in downtown Montpelier on July 11, 2023. Jessica Rinaldi/Globe Staff Patrick Lafaso tossed couch cushions out of the window as he helped Jessica Anthony clean up from the historic flooding in Johnson, Vt., on July 12, 2023. Jessica Rinaldi/Globe Staff Thiboumery, an entrepreneur in the renewable energy business, recalls feeling that the effects of climate change had reached Vermont after that first storm in July 2023, when 3 to 9 inches of rain soaked Vermont — devastating towns along the spine of the Green Mountains and flooding Montpelier and Barre. That year, the swollen Winooski cut off much of the village in Plainfield and irreparably damaged several houses, but the Heartbreak Hotel suffered only a flooded basement. A year later, it was not so lucky. Advertisement The remnants of Hurricane Beryl dropped up to 7 inches of rain in July 2024, sweeping sediment, tree trunks, and even cars down steep slopes into Great Brook. The debris formed a logjam at the bridge just upstream of the Heartbreak. When one side of the bridge broke free, the wall of water tore two-thirds of the building downstream. An overwhelmed resident surveyed the damage following flooding caused by the remnants of Hurricane Beryl, July 11, 2024, in Plainfield, Vt. Dmitry Belyakov/Associated Press 'It was really a cinematic event,' said Billingsley, the emergency management director. Hope Metcalf, a resident of the Heartbreak, was there that night with two of her children. By the time they heard the 'big crack' of the building breaking apart, they had fled to their car. Her kids, 11 and 8, remain traumatized, according to Metcalf. 'Every time there's a thunderstorm or heavy rain, they get worried,' she said. The family is now renting a home just upstream, but that too was damaged last July and is on a list of properties the state hopes to buy with federal funding and demolish to reduce the risk of flooding. On a recent summer day, Metcalf and her children played outside their rented house on the banks of Great Brook. They set up a tent and dug a fire pit. Metcalf, a kindergarten teacher, said she didn't have the energy to take the kids camping. 'This time of year — it's just bringing up a lot of emotions for me,' she said. 'What does life look like now? What do we do to be happy and move forward?' Debris was strewn about a damaged bridge over the Winooski River following flooding caused by the remnants of Hurricane Beryl July 11, 2024, in Plainfield, Vt. Dmitry Belyakov/Associated Press The same house in Plainfield remained covered in dirt and silt as their owners await word on government buyout programs on June 27. Paul Heintz for The Boston Globe All told, 42 Plainfield residents lost housing in the 2024 floods, according to Billingsley. Twenty-eight homes damaged in the 2023 and 2024 floods are on the state's buyout list. Advertisement That's prompted locals to reconsider the viability of the village in its current location. 'For anyone who wasn't convinced this was a problem, they're convinced now,' said Karl Bissex, who chairs the Plainfield Selectboard. 'We've got to move our downtown.' Unlike most of Vermont's flood-battered municipalities, Plainfield has a place to go. Two landowners are willing to sell a combined 24 acres that sit on a plateau about 85 feet above the current village. It is well outside the floodplain, but close enough to connect to town infrastructure. Geiger, the Heartbreak Hotel neighbor, is among the volunteers behind the vision. 'People who love Plainfield want to see it thrive,' she said as she walked toward the relocation site, which features panoramic views. 'Having this rise up out of the flood and from local residents is just a beautiful thing.' Community organizers in Vermont point to Plainfield as an example of how informal networks of neighbors can fill gaps left by more traditional entities, particularly in times of crisis. Throughout the state, 'long-term recovery groups' have been established — often serving multiple towns in a watershed. Lauren Geiger gestured toward an undeveloped property where some residents hope to relocate the village of Plainfield. Paul Heintz for The Boston Globe 'These community-based organizations are nimble and responsive and allow people to step into roles in less formal ways to serve their neighbors in a way that's really powerful,' said Jon Copans, executive director of the Montpelier Commission for Recovery and Resilience. Moulton, the state recovery officer, lauds the Plainfield project but questions whether it's reasonable to expect residents to take the lead on such endeavors. 'I think it's exciting what they're doing,' she said. 'Is it sustainable in the long term to have volunteers do all this work? I'm not sure.' Advertisement Many Vermont towns have only a couple of part-time employees, Moulton noted, while the rest of the municipal load is handled by residents 'wearing two and three hats.' Case in point: Billingsley, Plainfield's emergency management director, has been volunteering full time for the past year — helping to clean up the last storm while preparing for the next. At 79, he said he's burning out. 'It's past the point of being reasonable,' he said of his workload. 'It's just how much can I put up with.' Critics of the East Village Expansion Project wonder whether its leaders are biting off more than they can chew. Already, the estimated cost has more than doubled and the timeline has slipped from selling the lots this year to next. The swollen Great Brook rushed by the remains of the Heartbreak Hotel last year in Plainfield, Vt., on July 12, 2024, after flood waters and debris caused by the aftermath of Hurricane Beryl. Ted Shaffrey/Associated Press 'My real concern is that they haven't shown that they understand the complexity and pitfalls that come with it,' said Riley Carson, a former selectboard chair. 'There's just so much rush and so much pressure to get this done.' But for displaced residents such as Metcalf, there's little time to waste. If her rental is bought out, she doesn't know where she'll go next. Quite possibly, it won't be in Plainfield. 'I'm not gonna wait around for that,' she said of the new village. 'I need to find a place to live now. Right now.'
Forbes
an hour ago
- Forbes
Texas Floods: Preparation Is Key To Protecting Who And What We Love
CENTER POINT, TEXAS: Salvaged photographs are displayed on a table after homes flooded in Center ... More Point, Texas. Heavy rainfall caused severe flooding along the Guadalupe River causing loss of life and devastation to homes and property. (Photo by) Over the July 4th weekend, flood water surged through central Texas with devastating force. In parts of the Hill Country, more than 20 inches of rain fell in just a few hours. The Guadalupe River rose nearly 30 feet in under 60 minutes. Campgrounds and homes were torn apart. At Camp Mystic, an all-girls summer retreat, cabins were swept away in the dark. More than 100 people are dead, including at least 28 children, with dozens still missing. As search-and-rescue efforts continue, for many families the pain is only just beginning. Homes have been lost. Lives have been altered beyond recognition. This is a terrible, heartbreaking tragedy. But it is not a surprise. Texas has suffered flash floods before - most notably the 2015 Memorial Day floods and Hurricane Harvey in 2017. But the pace and scale of extreme rainfall events are changing. What was considered 'once in a century' is now happening far more often. The conditions that led to this disaster - intense moisture in the atmosphere from the remnants of Tropical Storm Barry and slow-moving storm systems, meeting specific geography of steep terrain and lack of vegetation - are textbook examples of how a warming world amplifies risk. Scientists have warned of this for decades. A hotter atmosphere holds more water. That means heavier rainfall. Add in population growth in flood-prone areas, ageing infrastructure, and limited preparation, and the result is catastrophe. Nor is this pattern confined to Texas. In October 2024, the Spanish region of Valencia was struck by an extreme weather event known locally as a gota fría. In a matter of hours, up to 500mm of rain fell in some areas - more than a typical year's total. The floods killed more than 200 people, with widespread destruction to homes, roads and farmland. In May last year, the state of Rio Grande do Sul in Brazil endured one of its worst natural disasters on record. Torrential rains killed 184 people, displaced hundreds of thousands and left entire cities submerged. Last year central Europe also faced record flooding, straining emergency response services and exposing how quickly systems can become overwhelmed. These are not coincidences. They are the outcomes of a global climate system under stress. And yet, too often, our public infrastructure, planning processes and emergency services are still operating on assumptions made for a cooler, more stable past. Reducing emissions is the most effective way to prevent the escalating risks, loss of life and economic devastation caused by climate change. Addressing the root cause is crucial. In addition, we must also take on the challenge of preparing better for climate impacts. We must shift from reacting to rebuilding. From hoping disasters don't strike to assuming they will - and preparing accordingly. This does not mean giving up. It means facing reality squarely. The world is already 1.2°C warmer than pre-industrial levels. That warming is locked in for the near term. More intense floods, fires, storms and heatwaves are now part of the landscape of risk. Adaptation must become a priority and that means: Spain offers a useful case study. Following the Valencia floods, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez announced a major push for climate resilience. Investments have increased in natural flood defences and regional emergency coordination has been improved. The government is treating adaptation as a national imperative, not a side issue. In contrast, the United States - while rich in expertise - has seen cuts and instability in some of the very agencies designed to keep people safe. NOAA, the National Weather Service, and FEMA all play critical roles, yet face ongoing political turmoil and budgetary cuts. Meanwhile, misinformation about cloud seeding and 'weather control' continues to spread online, muddying the waters of public understanding. Science and planning cannot prevent every tragedy. But they can limit the damage. When systems work, people are warned earlier. They evacuate sooner. Fewer lives are lost. Recovery is faster and less costly. Adaptation is not a sign of weakness - it is a mark of responsibility. This must become the core of how we think about climate risk. It is about towns, rivers, homes and lives. Ultimately, it is about protecting the things we love. From a business perspective, it is not only about physical assets but about ensuring supply chains and communities in which business operates are resilient. Business continuity depends on the ability of people and small businesses that are part of supply chains to recover quickly from extreme events. Business continuity and resilient communities are fundamental pillars on which economic prosperity depends. It is estimated the world will face $145 billion in insured losses in 2025, up 6% on last year, and that companies themselves estimate a total of $162 billion in potential financial costs tied to supply chain climate-related risks. Communities, governments and businesses must work hand-in-hand to drive the preparation and planning needed to manage our changing climate. The floods in Texas are devastating. But they were predictable. The science and risks are clear and the tools to help exist. The next storm will come - whether in Texas, Valencia, Porto Alegre, or somewhere else entirely. The real question is whether we will be ready.
New York Times
2 hours ago
- New York Times
As Texas Flood Raged, Camp Mystic Was Left to Fend for Itself
In the first three hours after the National Weather Service sent out an alert at 1:14 a.m. on July 4, warning of 'life-threatening flash flooding' near Kerrville, Texas, the Guadalupe River would rise 20 feet. Yet local leaders would remain largely unheard from, raising questions about both local preparedness and whether the state of Texas should be doing more to notify flood-prone rural counties when they are in danger. Camp Mystic, a girls' camp along the river where at least 27 people lost their lives, experienced severe flooding sometime between 2 and 3 a.m., according to accounts from parents whose children were at the camp. Counselors in one cabin had to force open windows to help young girls get out. 'The girls were saying it was a rushing river,' said Lisa Miller, whose 9-year-old daughter, Birdie, had to climb onto a counselor's back to escape. At the nearby Presbyterian Mo-Ranch Assembly camp, a facilities manager was awake around 1 a.m. when he saw the rising waters and alerted his boss, which prompted a quick effort to move people to higher ground, camp officials said. No lives were lost. Yet even as these dramas were unfolding, many of the key local leaders in Kerr County were still asleep or had not been alerted to the danger. The survival of people in local camps and low-lying areas in many cases depended not on official evacuations, but on whether they were paying attention, on their own, to weather alerts in the middle of the night. After the flood alert shortly after 1 a.m., the National Weather Service went on to put out a series of warnings of mounting intensity, with one at 4:03 a.m. warning of 'catastrophic' flooding. 'This came at night when people were asleep, in bed,' Kerrville's mayor, Joe Herring Jr., said at a news conference. He later told CNN that he had not received the weather alert and was not awakened until 5:30 a.m. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
