Texas flash flooding: 21 children among at least 79 killed; DNA being collected to identify the dead

Sky News

2 days ago

22:07:22
Number of dead is now 79 - but that figure is still likely to change
There are now 79 people dead across Texas following the flash flooding on 4 July.
Below are the numbers in each county - Kerr county remains the worst affected, with 27 dead at Camp Mystic alone.
Kerr: 69
Williamson: 1
Burnet: 4
Tom Green: 1
Kendall: 1
Travis: 4
Officials have repeatedly warned that this figure is likely to change (and it has changed throughout the day), as rescuers work night and day to find survivors and recover bodies.
21:57:43
'We know questions are being asked about emergency notifications'
There are still ten children and one camp counsellor missing from Camp Mystic, the county's sheriff has said.
Sheriff Larry Leitha says there have been 68 deaths in Kerr County, including 40 adults and 28 children.
Of those, eighteen adults and ten children have yet to be identified.
Officials will undertake a full review of warning systems in place.
"We know questions are being asked about the emergency notifications," city manager Dalton Rice adds.
"We will take clear steps to strengthen future preparedness," he said.
The next update from Kerr County officials will take place at 4pm tomorrow UK time (10am local time), unless there is a "major update" before then, officials said as they drew the press conference to a close.
21:37:01
Camp Mystic counsellor 'lost everything' in flash floods as she rushed to save her campers
by Megan Harwood-Baynes, news reporter
A Camp Mystic counsellor, who woke up to her cabin of young girls screaming at 3am, has "lost everything" in the flash floods, her friend has told Sky News.
London Smith, 19, was working at the camp for the second summer in a row.
"She lost her family a couple of years ago so lives at this camp during the summer because she has nowhere else to go," her friend Alexis Lambert said.
"Camp has become her community and support system."
This meant everything she owned was inside the cabin when the flood water swept through in the middle of the night.
But London "stayed calm" and made sure her 17 campers evacuated safely.
A GoFundMe is raising money to try and replace some of her belongings, including her phone, ID and laptop - although it cannot replace the sentimental items she lost, including those from her father.
"She has worked so hard to build her life and support herself through college," the fundraiser says.
"She spends her summers at Camp Mystic mentoring young girls and using what she earns to help pay for school at [Dallas Baptist University] in the fall."
It has raised more than $15,000 (£10,980) in just a matter of hours.
21:09:58
Camp Mystic confirms 27 people died at the site in first statement since tragedy struck
At least 27 people at Camp Mystic in Texas died from the flooding of the Guadalupe River, the camp confirmed in a statement to Sky's US partner NBC News.
It is the first official statement from the camp since the tragedy struck.
An unknown number of others connected to the camp remain unaccounted for.
The camp said it is working with local and state officials to try to locate the 11 girls who remain missing.
"This tragedy has devastated us and our entire community. Our hearts are broken alongside the families that are enduring this tragedy, and we share their hope and prayers," the camp's statement said.
21:06:55
Authorities are collecting DNA from families for rapid tests to identify the dead
Police are collecting DNA from family members to help identify those who have died in the floods, officials have said.
Colonel Freeman Martin, from the Texas Department of Public Safety, says there are several "unidentified" people at funeral homes, both adults and children.
Authorities are collecting the DNA from family members and having it flown to the University of North Texas in Dallas.
"We will have rapid DNA in hours, not days, to get some closure and information back to those families."
21:03:32
Warning issued to Texas drivers for next 48 hours
More rainfall could lead to "rapid flash flooding events", the governor is urging.
He says some lives lost across Texas happened when people were swept away in vehicles.
"Rising water on roads can occur very rapidly. You may think you can drive through it, only to find out when you're in there that it is too late and you are getting swept away."
He is urging people to be "extraordinarily cautious" for the next 48 hours.
"You don't need to get from point A to point B if you are going to risk your life," he says, telling people to "turn around, don't drown".
20:57:17
'We don't know who they are': Still not known how many are missing in floods
Greg Abbott is asking relatives of people who may have been camping in Kerr County to contact local authorities.
In Kerr County, 59 people have died, and 11 children are still missing from Camp Mystic. In central Texas, a further ten are dead - this is the same death figure we were told earlier.
Across the state, there are 41 known people missing.
But due to the number of people who may have been camping unofficially in the area, it is difficult to know just who is missing, Gov. Abbott says.
"There are people who are missing who are not on the 'known confirmed missing' because we do not know who they are," he says.
But he urged people to call "only if you have specific information".
Gov. Abbott described his visit to Camp Mystic as "nothing short of horrific to see what those children had gone through".
He says officials are working to get "accurate information" to parents.
20:51:00
Texas governor now speaking
Greg Abbott is now giving an update - it had been due to start at 8.30pm UK time but was delayed.
He is speaking from Austin, Texas, not Kerrville, due to more expected storms that will pose life-threatening danger.
Yesterday, he was pictured visiting Camp Mystic, where 11 young girls and one camp counsellor are still missing.
20:06:27
Texas governor pictured visiting summer camp
Greg Abbott was pictured visiting the summer camp yesterday, where 11 girls and one camp counsellor are still missing.
Originally, 27 young girls were missing from the camp after flash floods swept through the area.
Buildings are missing walls, while soaking bedding is seen piled up outside one cabin.
The Texas Governor previously said efforts remain focused on finding survivors.
"There's a need for speed, not just every hour, every minute counts, which is why there are people in the air, people in the water, people on the ground right now, because they're looking to save every last life," he said.
19:39:01
Texas-based football teams and NFL donate $1.5m to relief efforts
Two Texas-based football teams are donating half a million dollars to aid relief efforts.
The Dallas Cowboys and Houston Texans are each donating $500,000.
It is part of a wider £1.5m donation that is being made alongside the NFL foundation.
In a statement, the Dallas Cowboys said it was "standing side by side with The Salvation Army's critical response" and was donating half a million dollars to provide "immediate resources for rescue, relief and long-term recovery efforts".