‘Simply staggering': CNN correspondent describes floodwater impacts in Texas
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Yahoo
8 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Texas floods leave at least 51 dead, 27 girls missing as rescuers search devastated landscape
Rescuers on Saturday combed devastated riverbanks and overturned debris in search of those still missing after flash floods swept through Texas the day prior, killing at least 51 people – including 15 children. A day and a half after the floods, authorities have still not said how many people are missing beyond 27 children from Camp Mystic, a Christian summer camp. Most of the dead were found nearby. The Guadalupe river surged more than eight metres in just 45 minutes on Friday, destroying homes, camps and vehicles. The disaster unfolded as heavy rains continued across Texas into the weekend, prompting more flash floods warnings. Search and rescue operations intensified Saturday, with helicopters, boats and drones deployed to retrieve stranded residents and locate the missing. 'We will find every one of them,' Governor Greg Abbott County sheriff Larry Leitha confirmed 32 fatalities in the Hill Country region: 18 adults and 14 children. Additional deaths were reported in Travis County and Burnet County. Authorities have come under scrutiny over whether proper warnings were issued to camps and residents in an area long known for severe flash flooding. Officials defended their actions while saying they had not expected such an intense downpour that was the equivalent of months' worth of rain for the area. The hills along the Guadalupe River in central Texas are dotted with youth camps and campgrounds. The area is especially popular around the July Fourth holiday, making it more difficult to know how many are missing. 'We don't even want to begin to estimate at this time,' said Dalton Rice, the city manager. Private forecaster AccuWeather said that it and the National Weather Service had sent warnings about potential flash flooding hours before the devastation. Rescue efforts are expected to continue through the weekend as authorities work to account for the missing and assess the full extent of the damage.
Yahoo
8 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Deadly Texas flood exposes 'neglected' weather alert system Trump aims to modernize
After a Texas flood killed at least 32 people Friday, Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem addressed criticism about notification prior to the flood, saying the administration is working on updating the National Weather Service and NOAA's "neglected" and "ancient" systems. Citing her time in Congress and as governor of South Dakota, Noem said that while the weather is difficult to predict, there have been instances when officials and citizens expressed the need for quicker warning and clearer notification before deadly weather. "That is one of the reasons that, when President [Donald] Trump took office, he said he wanted to fix and is currently upgrading the technology," Noem said during a news conference with state officials Saturday afternoon. "The National Weather Service has indicated that with that and the [National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration] (NOAA), we needed to renew this ancient system that has been left in place with the federal government for many, many years." Parents Desperately Seeking Answers On Missing Campers After Texas Flood Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., said in March that at least 880 workers at NOAA were fired as part of the Department of Government Efficiency's (DOGE) spending cuts, Fox News Digital previously reported. Read On The Fox News App Cantwell, at the time, said the firings would jeopardize the government's ability to "forecast and respond to extreme weather events like hurricanes, wildfires and floods," and would be "putting communities in harm's way." While the agency would not confirm the number of layoffs, a NOAA spokesperson previously told Fox News Digital the agency "remains dedicated to its mission, providing timely information, research and resources that serve the American public and ensure our nation's environmental and economic resilience." Texas River Flood Leaves At Least 6 Dead As Emergency Crews Race To Find Others Missing; Camp Evacuated The National Weather Service told Noem its notifications department started to look at expansion of its limited flood impact area at 1:18 p.m. local time Thursday, about 12 hours before the tragedy. Though a flood watch was issued, Noem described it as a "moderate" alert. "When the [weather] system came over the area, it stalled," she said. "It was much more water, much like [what] we experienced during [Hurricane] Harvey, with the same type of system that was unpredictable in the way that it reacted in the way that it stopped right here and dumped unprecedented amounts of rain that caused a flooding event like this." Initial reports indicated heavy rain Friday morning caused the Guadalupe River to rise nearly 30 feet in 45 minutes. Weather service employees told Noem they continued to elevate notifications, though those alerts likely would have come through in the early morning hours when local residents were asleep. Texas officials in Kerr County on Saturday confirmed at least 43 deaths, including 14 children. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem Hospitalized After Allergic Reaction One of the hardest hit areas was Camp Mystic, an all-girls private Christian camp in Hunt, Texas. As of Saturday afternoon, 27 young girls remain missing. "I do carry your concerns back to the federal government, to President Trump, and we will do all we can to fix those kinds of things that may have felt like a failure to you and to your community members," Noem told a reporter. "We know that everybody wants more warning time, and that's why we're working to upgrade the technologies that have been neglected for far too long, to make sure that families have as much advanced notice as possible," she added. Noem said reform is ongoing, though she did not announce a specific timeline. Fox News Digital's Aubrie Spady contributed to this article source: Deadly Texas flood exposes 'neglected' weather alert system Trump aims to modernize
Yahoo
13 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Madre Fire, now California's largest of the year, in images
The Madre Fire, which began last week in Los Padres National Forest, about 100 miles North of Los Angeles, has now burned more than 79,000 acres. It's an unwelcome distinction as the largest of any blaze this year in the state. As of Saturday, the wildfire was at 10% containment, with approximately 50 structures at risk and numerous residents in the San Luis Obispo County region under evacuation. Images from the battle show just how powerful the fire has been … This article originally appeared on The List Wire: California's massive Madre Fire in images
