‘Multiple dead' in Texas as flash flooding threatens communities
He said he was advised not to cite specific numbers and said authorities are still working to identify those whose lives were lost.
'Most of them, we don't know who they are,' Mr Kelly said during a news conference.
'One of them was completely naked, he didn't have any ID on him at all. We're trying to get the identity of these folks, but we don't have it yet.'
Officials conducted dozens of rescues, and the emergency response continued as an unknown number or people remained unaccounted for, Mr Kelly said.
A flood watch issued on Thursday afternoon estimated isolated amounts up to seven inches (17 centimetres) of rising water.
That shifted to a flood warning for at least 30,000 people overnight.
When asked about the suddenness of the flash flooding overnight, Mr Kelly said 'we do not have a warning system' and that 'we didn't know this flood was coming', even as local reporters pointed to the warnings and pushed him for answers about why more precautions were not taken.
Water rises from severe flooding along the Guadalupe river in Texas (KSAT via AP)
'Rest assured, no one knew this kind of flood was coming,' he said. 'We have floods all the time. This is the most dangerous river valley in the United States.'
Texas governor Greg Abbott said the state was providing resources to Hill Country communities dealing with the flooding, including in Kerrville, Ingram and Hunt.
'I urge Texans to heed guidance from state and local officials and monitor local forecasts to avoid driving into flooded areas,' Mr Abbott said in a statement.
The Guadalupe's river gauge at the unincorporated community of Hunt, where the river forks, recorded a 22 foot rise (6.7 metres) in just about two hours, according to Bob Fogarty, meteorologist with the National Weather Service's Austin/San Antonio office.
Mr Fogarty said the gauge failed after recording a level of 29 and a half feet (nine metres).
'We think the river's higher than that,' Mr Fogarty said. 'The gauge is completely underwater.
'This is the kind of thing that will catch you unaware. The water's moving so fast, you're not going to recognise how bad it is until it's on top of you.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Herald Scotland
20 minutes ago
- The Herald Scotland
Search for missing girls from summer camp after Texas floods kill at least 24
There were hundreds of rescues around Kerr County, including at least 167 by helicopter, authorities said, after nearly a foot of rain fell. The total number of missing is not known, but the sheriff said between 23 and 25 of them were girls who had been attending Camp Mystic, a Christian summer camp along the river. Families are reunited at a reunification centre after flash flooding hit the area (AP/Eric Gay) On social media, parents and families posted desperate pleas for information about loved ones caught in the flood zone. 'The camp was completely destroyed,' said Elinor Lester, 13, one of hundreds of campers at Camp Mystic. 'A helicopter landed and started taking people away. It was really scary.' She said a raging storm woke up her cabin around 1.30am on Friday (7.30am on Friday BST). When rescuers arrived, they tied a rope for the girls to hold as the children in her cabin walked across the bridge with floodwaters whipping around their knees. The flooding in the middle of the night on the July 4 US holiday caught many residents, campers and officials by surprise. First responders scan the banks of the Guadalupe River for individuals swept away by flooding in Ingram, Texas (Michel Fortier/The San Antonio Express-News via AP) Officials defended their preparations for severe weather and their response, but said they had not expected such an intense downpour that was, in effect, the equivalent of months' worth of rain for the area. One US National Weather Service forecast this week had called for only between three and six inches of rain, said Nim Kidd, the chief of the Texas Division of Emergency Management. 'It did not predict the amount of rain that we saw,' he said. At a news conference late on Friday, Kerr County Sheriff Larry Leitha said 24 people had been confirmed killed. Authorities said 237 people had been rescued so far.
Glasgow Times
25 minutes ago
- Glasgow Times
Search for missing girls from summer camp after Texas floods kill at least 24
The destructive force of the flash floods after the Guadalupe River burst its banks just before dawn on Friday washed out homes and swept away vehicles in Texas Hill Country. There were hundreds of rescues around Kerr County, including at least 167 by helicopter, authorities said, after nearly a foot of rain fell. The total number of missing is not known, but the sheriff said between 23 and 25 of them were girls who had been attending Camp Mystic, a Christian summer camp along the river. Families are reunited at a reunification centre after flash flooding hit the area (AP/Eric Gay) On social media, parents and families posted desperate pleas for information about loved ones caught in the flood zone. 'The camp was completely destroyed,' said Elinor Lester, 13, one of hundreds of campers at Camp Mystic. 'A helicopter landed and started taking people away. It was really scary.' She said a raging storm woke up her cabin around 1.30am on Friday (7.30am on Friday BST). When rescuers arrived, they tied a rope for the girls to hold as the children in her cabin walked across the bridge with floodwaters whipping around their knees. The flooding in the middle of the night on the July 4 US holiday caught many residents, campers and officials by surprise. First responders scan the banks of the Guadalupe River for individuals swept away by flooding in Ingram, Texas (Michel Fortier/The San Antonio Express-News via AP) Officials defended their preparations for severe weather and their response, but said they had not expected such an intense downpour that was, in effect, the equivalent of months' worth of rain for the area. One US National Weather Service forecast this week had called for only between three and six inches of rain, said Nim Kidd, the chief of the Texas Division of Emergency Management. 'It did not predict the amount of rain that we saw,' he said. At a news conference late on Friday, Kerr County Sheriff Larry Leitha said 24 people had been confirmed killed. Authorities said 237 people had been rescued so far.
Western Telegraph
an hour ago
- Western Telegraph
Search for missing girls from summer camp after Texas floods kill at least 24
The destructive force of the flash floods after the Guadalupe River burst its banks just before dawn on Friday washed out homes and swept away vehicles in Texas Hill Country. There were hundreds of rescues around Kerr County, including at least 167 by helicopter, authorities said, after nearly a foot of rain fell. The total number of missing is not known, but the sheriff said between 23 and 25 of them were girls who had been attending Camp Mystic, a Christian summer camp along the river. Families are reunited at a reunification centre after flash flooding hit the area (AP/Eric Gay) On social media, parents and families posted desperate pleas for information about loved ones caught in the flood zone. 'The camp was completely destroyed,' said Elinor Lester, 13, one of hundreds of campers at Camp Mystic. 'A helicopter landed and started taking people away. It was really scary.' She said a raging storm woke up her cabin around 1.30am on Friday (7.30am on Friday BST). When rescuers arrived, they tied a rope for the girls to hold as the children in her cabin walked across the bridge with floodwaters whipping around their knees. The flooding in the middle of the night on the July 4 US holiday caught many residents, campers and officials by surprise. First responders scan the banks of the Guadalupe River for individuals swept away by flooding in Ingram, Texas (Michel Fortier/The San Antonio Express-News via AP) Officials defended their preparations for severe weather and their response, but said they had not expected such an intense downpour that was, in effect, the equivalent of months' worth of rain for the area. One US National Weather Service forecast this week had called for only between three and six inches of rain, said Nim Kidd, the chief of the Texas Division of Emergency Management. 'It did not predict the amount of rain that we saw,' he said. At a news conference late on Friday, Kerr County Sheriff Larry Leitha said 24 people had been confirmed killed. Authorities said 237 people had been rescued so far.
