Texas floods: Death toll at 51, over 850 rescued; authorities warn ‘danger not over yet'
More than 800 people have been evacuated from the flood-affected areas around the Guadalupe River, located roughly 137 km northwest of San Antonio, as water levels began to recede. Despite this, the authorities have warned that the danger was not over as rains continued pounding communities outside San Antonio on Saturday and flash flood warnings and watches remained in effect.
A significant number of the victims were found near Camp Mystic, a Christian summer camp situated along a river in Kerr County, the epicenter of the flooding. The authorities have yet to confirm how many individuals remain missing, particularly among the children who attended the camp.
Search and rescue teams are using helicopters, boats, and drones to locate missing persons and evacuate those trapped by floodwaters.
According to an AP report, more than 850 people have been rescued in the past 36 hours. Social media has been flooded with posts from anxious families sharing pictures of missing loved ones and pleading for information.
On Friday, the US National Weather Service stated that the flash flood emergency in Kerr County largely ended after thunderstorms dumped up to 12 inches of rain. However, flooding and rain continue to threaten surrounding areas.
Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump said that the federal government is working with state and local officials to respond to the flooding. Sharing a post on social media, Trump said, 'Melania and I are praying for all of the families impacted by this horrible tragedy. Our Brave First Responders are on site doing what they do best.'
Prime Minister Narendra Modi stated that he was deeply saddened to learn about the loss of lives, especially children, in the devastating floods in Texas and offered his condolences to the US government.
In a post on X on Saturday evening, PM Modi said, 'Deeply saddened to learn about loss of lives, especially children in the devastating floods in Texas. Our condolences to the US Government and the bereaved families.'
(With inputs from Reuters, AP)
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Time of India
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Death toll from catastrophic flooding in Texas over July Fourth weekend surpasses 100
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Kerr County officials said Monday 10 campers and one counselor have still not been found. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Nhu Quynh: Unsold Furniture Liquidation 2024 (Prices May Surprise You) Unsold Furniture | Search Ads Learn More Undo Searchers have found the bodies of 84 people, including 28 children, in the county home to Camp Mystic and several other summer camps, officials said. With additional rain on the way, more flooding still threatened saturated parts of central Texas. Authorities said the death toll was sure to rise. Live Events The raging flash floods - among the nation's worst in decades - slammed into camps and homes along the edge of the Guadalupe River before daybreak Friday, pulling sleeping people out of their cabins, tents and trailers and dragging them for miles past floating tree trunks and cars. Some survivors were found clinging to trees. Piles of twisted trees sprinkled with mattresses, refrigerators and coolers littered the riverbanks Monday. The debris included reminders of what drew so many to the campgrounds and cabins in the Hill Country - a volleyball, canoes and a family portrait. Nineteen deaths were reported in Travis, Burnet, Kendall, Tom Green and Williamson counties, local officials said. Among those confirmed dead were 8-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. Calls for finding why warnings weren't heard Authorities vowed that one of the next steps would be investigating whether enough warnings were issued and why some camps did not evacuate or move to higher ground in a place long vulnerable to flooding that some local residents refer to as "flash flood alley." That will include a review of how weather warnings were sent out and received. One of the challenges is that many camps and cabins are in places with poor cellphone service, Kerrville City Manager Dalton Rice said. "We definitely want to dive in and look at all those things," he said. "We're looking forward to doing that once we can get the search and rescue complete." Some camps were aware of the dangers and monitoring the weather. At least one moved several hundred campers to higher ground before the floods. Sen. Ted Cruz, a Texas Republican, said recent government spending cuts to the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the National Weather Service did not delay any warnings. "There's a time to have political fights, there's a time to disagree. This is not that time," Cruz said. "There will be a time to find out what could been done differently. My hope is in time we learn some lessons to implement the next time there is a flood." 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Greg Abbott said Sunday. Search-and-rescue crews at one staging area said Monday that more than 1,000 volunteers had been directed to Kerr County. Kerrville city officials urged people to stop flying drones over the area after they said a private drone operating illegally Monday afternoon collided with a helicopter involved in emergency operations. The helicopter was forced to make an emergency landing and is out of service until further notice. Little time to escape floods Reagan Brown said his parents, in their 80s, managed to escape uphill as water inundated their home in the town of Hunt. When the couple learned that their 92-year-old neighbor was trapped in her attic, they went back and rescued her. "Then they were able to reach their tool shed up higher ground, and neighbors throughout the early morning began to show up at their tool shed, and they all rode it out together," Brown said. 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Hans India
an hour ago
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First Post
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Texas flash floods: Death toll crosses 100; questions grow over warnings and camp evacuations
More than 100 people have died in Texas after devastating flash floods swept through the state over the July Fourth weekend. Rescue teams are still searching for the missing as questions grow about whether enough warnings were issued. read more The death toll from severe flooding in Texas over the July Fourth weekend rose above 100 on Monday, as rescue crews continued searching swollen rivers and clearing debris to find people still missing. Authorities said they were not yet ready to answer questions about weather warnings or why some summer camps didn't evacuate before the floods hit. So far, at least 104 people have died. Camp Mystic, a historic all-girls Christian summer camp in the Texas Hill Country, announced it had lost 27 campers and counselors to the floodwaters. Kerr County officials said that as of Monday, 10 campers and one counselor were still missing. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Search teams have recovered the bodies of 84 people in the county, including 28 children, where Camp Mystic and several other camps are located. With more rain forecast, officials warned that flooding could worsen in parts of central Texas. They said the death toll is expected to rise. The devastating flash floods — among the worst in decades — struck early Friday, sweeping through camps and homes along the Guadalupe River. People were pulled from their cabins, tents, and trailers and carried away by fast-moving water filled with tree trunks and cars. Some survivors were rescued from trees. On Monday, riverbanks were strewn with tangled trees, mattresses, refrigerators, coolers, and personal items like a volleyball, canoes, and a family photo — reminders of the area's popular campgrounds and cabins. Nineteen deaths were also reported in nearby counties, including Travis, Burnet, Kendall, Tom Green, and Williamson. Among the victims were 8-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 are still missing. Questions about warnings Officials said an investigation will follow to find out whether enough warnings were issued and why some camps didn't evacuate or move people to higher ground in an area known as 'flash flood alley.' Poor cellphone service in many remote camps and cabins may have been a factor, said Kerrville City Manager Dalton Rice. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'We definitely want to dive in and look at all those things,' Rice said. 'We're looking forward to doing that once we can get the search and rescue complete.' Some camps did act on weather alerts and moved campers to higher ground before the flooding began. Senator Ted Cruz said recent federal budget cuts did not cause delays in issuing warnings. 'There's a time to have political fights, there's a time to disagree. This is not that time,' Cruz said. 'There will be a time to find out what could have been done differently. My hope is in time we learn some lessons to implement the next time there is a flood.' The National Weather Service began warning of possible flooding on Thursday and issued several flash flood warnings early Friday, later declaring flash flood emergencies — a rare step signaling imminent danger.
