Texas officials grilled about emergency alerts before deadly floods as searches continue
Hope of finding survivors of the catastrophic flooding in Texas dimmed Tuesday, a day after the death toll surpassed 100, as crews kept up the search for people missing in the aftermath.
The search efforts benefited from improving weather. The storms that battered the Hill Country for the past four days began to lighten up, although isolated pockets of heavy rain were still possible.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott planned to make another visit Tuesday to Camp Mystic, the century-old all-girls Christian summer camp where at least 27 campers and counsellors died during the flash floods.
Officials said Tuesday that five campers and one counsellor have still not been found.
A wall of water slammed into camps and homes along the edge of the Guadalupe River before daybreak Friday, pulling people out of their cabins, tents and trailers and dragging them for kilometres past floating tree trunks and cars. Some survivors were found clinging to trees.
WATCH | Former camper at Camp Mystic describes 'unimaginable' tragedy:
'It's unthinkable what has happened,' says former Camp Mystic attendee
14 hours ago
Duration 5:17
Olivia Marrus, a former camper at Camp Mystic, says the news of the flooding in Texas has been 'hard to watch.' The owners of the all-girls Christian camp in Kerr County, confirmed early Monday that more than two dozen of their campers and counsellors had died in the catastrophic flood that swept the area.
Questions are mounting about what, if any, actions local officials took to warn campers and residents who were spending the July Fourth holiday weekend in the scenic area long known to locals as "flash flood alley."
At another public briefing Tuesday, officials in hard-hit Kerr County faced repeated questions about what preparations and warnings were made as forecasters warned of life-threatening conditions.
"We will get answers. Right now, all of our resources are focused to recovery," said Lt.-Col. Ben Baker of the Texas Game Wardens.
Some camps were aware of the dangers and monitoring the weather. At least one moved several hundred campers to higher ground before the floods. But many were caught by surprise.
Searchers in Kerry County have found the bodies of 87 people, including 30 children, officials said Tuesday. The county is home to Camp Mystic and several other summer camps near the river.
Nineteen deaths were reported in Travis, Burnet, Kendall, Tom Green and Williamson counties, local officials said.
WATCH | Owner describes chaotic rescue as floodwaters rushed into RV park:
'Throw me your baby': Texas RV park owner describes flood rescue attempt
14 hours ago
Duration 4:17
Among those confirmed dead were eight-year-old sisters from Dallas who were at Camp Mystic and a former soccer coach and his wife who were staying at a riverfront home. Their daughters were still missing.
Elizabeth Lester, a mother of children who were at Camp Mystic and nearby Camp La Junta during the flood, said her young son had to swim out a cabin window to escape. Her daughter fled up the hillside as floodwaters whipped against her legs. Both survived.
Search and rescue teams used heavy equipment to untangle trees and move large rocks as part of the massive search for missing people. Hundreds of volunteers have shown up to help with one of the largest rescue operations in Texas history.
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Why Canada may not be ready for 'new reality' of flash flooding and severe storms
Social Sharing Ryan Ness of the Canadian Climate Institute says he's been following the "terrible tragedy" of deadly flash flooding unfolding in Texas, where more than 100 people have died. But he's also worried Canada isn't doing enough to prevent such disasters here, saying the country needs to invest in flood mapping, infrastructure and early warning systems. "Luckily, there are many ways that we can protect ourselves, but we have to make the effort," said Ness, the research director for adaptation at the policy research organization. "You know, first of all, we have to understand where the risk is." He said many parts of Canada don't have flood maps, "so, it's hard to know where to protect or where to send warnings." Flood warning systems are also needed to help people in the path of flash floods "prepare or get away, if they can," while long-term infrastructure upgrades are needed to protect risk zones. "In some cases, that means putting things in the houses like backflow valves that keep sewers from backing up," he said. "Or it can mean building flood walls along rivers to keep flooding from happening. Or it can mean making sure that city planning doesn't allow more new housing in flood risk zones." WATCH | How flood warnings failed in Texas: Texas flash flooding: How the warnings failed | About That 2 hours ago Duration 9:49 Catastrophic floods in Texas have killed more than 100 people and dozens are still missing. Andrew Chang gives a timeline of the floods to explain why the warning systems in place may not have been enough. Images provided by Getty Images, The Canadian Press and Reuters. The raging flash floods in Texas — among the worst in the United States in decades — slammed into camps and homes along the Guadalupe River before daybreak Friday. Some survivors were found clinging to trees. The disaster has put a focus on both the risk of flash flooding as well as how to predict or prevent it. 'Building the political will' Jason Thistlethwaite, professor in the School of Environment at the University of Waterloo, agrees with Ness on the need to limit development in the high-risk areas, calling this the "biggest line of defence" in Canada. He said there was a potential "conflict of interest" for municipal governments that could garner property taxes from developments in flood-risk zones. But he said there had been "emerging signs" of leadership, citing the city of Grand Forks, B.C., which is buying out residents in high-risk areas with the help of provincial and federal funding, after a devastating 2018 flood. "There are plenty of examples out there in Canada about how we do this properly," he said. "It's really just a matter of getting the information out and building the political will and [having] upper-tier governments who are willing to sign the cheques." 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In Montreal and Toronto, flash floods are usually due to paved areas with no soil to soak up heavy rain, Ness said. "And the water rises very quickly in rivers and streams that run through those areas, and it also rises very quickly in sewers, and that's what backs up into people's basements most often, and causes basement flooding," said Ness. He said Toronto has a multibillion-dollar strategy to improve storm sewers. But it takes a long time to find that much funding, and the type of disruptive construction required isn't an easy fix. "That's another reason to start making these investments as soon as possible, because it is going to take some time. But climate change isn't going to wait," said Ness. He said Canada needs to adapt for flash flooding much more quickly. "There are many smart engineers and government officials who know what to do, but we need to support and invest in the projects to adapt to this new reality. Otherwise, we are not going to be ready."
Toronto Star
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Texas governor says more than 160 people are still missing after deadly floods
HUNT, Texas (AP) — More than 160 people are believed to be missing in Texas in the aftermath of the flash floods that killed more than 100 over the July Fourth weekend, Gov. Greg Abbott said Tuesday. Abbot said many of those who are not accounted for were staying in state's Hill Country but did not register at a camp or hotel. He spoke at a news conference after taking a helicopter tour of the affected area.
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