Pope Leo XIV's touching message to families of Texas flood victims
Pope Leo XIV has broken his silence following the devastating floods in Texas that have claimed the lives of at least 79 pople.
Kerr county remains the worst affected area, with a total of 68 deaths including 28 dead at Camp Mystic alone - four are in Travis County, two in Kendall County, three in Burnet County, one in Williamson County, and one in Tom Green County.
Texas National Guard has so far rescued 520 people but Texas Governor Greg Abbott said around 41 people were still missing, as search and rescue missions continue in the area where floods destroyed entire homes.
Search teams are using helicopters, boats and drones to look for victims in flash floods that have torn across central Texas since the at the start of the July Fourth weekend.
According to the Guardian an official has received unconfirmed reports of 'an additional wall of water' flowing down some of the creeks in the Guadalupe Rivershed, as rain continued to fall on soil in the region already saturated from Friday's rains.
Pope Leo XIV took to X yesterday to say: "I would like to express sincere condolences to all the families who have lost loved ones, in particular their daughters, who were at the summer camp, in the disaster caused by flooding of the Guadalupe River in Texas in the United States. We pray for them."
Donald Trump has said he will "probably" visit Texas on Friday, following the flash flooding that killed 79 people in the state. "We want to leave a little time," he told reporters this afternoon. "I would have done it today, but we would just be in their way, probably Friday." He said he has been in touch with the Texas governor.
The Guadalupe River surged by 30ft above its typical level with racing watering destroying Camp Mystic, a Christian summer camp in Hunt. Several young girls remain missing as a huge rescue effort continues to find those still unaccounted for. Many of the missing girls are younger children who had been sleeping just yards away from the river. They had been sleeping on the low-laying "flats" in the camp's cabins, with the older girls sleeping in cabins on higher grounds.
The director of the camp, Richard Eastland, 70, died as he tried to save girls. US President Donald Trump said those affected by the floods were "enduring an unimaginable tragedy."
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& Erin Keller Devastating floods in Central Texas have resulted in at least 51 fatalities, including 15 children, with 27 attendees of Camp Mystic still unaccounted for. Texas officials are questioning the accuracy of National Weather Service (NWS) forecasts, saying that predicted rainfall amounts were significantly lower than what actually occurred. The NWS issued a "life-threatening flash flooding" warning over three hours before the first reports of flooding, and meteorologists are defending the agency's actions despite the difficulty of pinpointing exact rainfall. Concerns have been raised that previous staff reductions at the NWS, implemented by President Donald Trump 's administration, may have impacted the agency's forecasting capabilities, despite claims of adequate staffing. Local lawmakers are anticipating "finger-pointing" over the response, while Donald Trump has described the floods as a "shocking" tragedy and pledged federal aid.
Sky News
2 hours ago
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At least 82 dead in Texas floods as search continues for 10 missing girls
Why you can trust Sky News At least 82 people have died in flash flooding in Texas as the search continues for dozens still missing. At least 41 people remain missing, including at least 10 girls and one councillor still unaccounted for from Camp Mystic in Kerr County, a Christian summer camp for girls along the Guadalupe River. At Camp Mystic at least 27 people died, the camp confirmed in a statement to Sky's US partner NBC News. It said it is working with local and state officials to try to locate those 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," Camp Mystic added. The director of the camp, Dick Eastland, was among those killed in the floods. He died trying to save the campers "he so loved and cared for", his grandson George said on social media. Water burst from the banks of the Guadalupe River and began sweeping into Kerr County and other areas around 4am local time on Friday, killing at least 68 people, including at least 28 children and 40 adults. In nearby Kendall County, two people have died. At least six people were killed in Travis County, while at least four people died in Burnet County. In both Williamson and Tom Green counties, at least one person has died. US President Donald Trump has signed a "major disaster declaration" for Kerr County to ensure that rescuers get the resources they need. Rescue crews have already saved hundreds of people and would work around the clock to find those still unaccounted for, Texas governor Greg Abbott pledged, adding that there were at least 41 people confirmed to be missing. Mr Abbott asked relatives of people who may have been camping in Kerr County to contact local authorities, as it was difficult to know just who is missing due to the number of people who may have been camping in the area unofficially. "There are people who are missing who are not on the 'known confirmed missing' because we do not know who they are," he said at a news conference last night. Meanwhile, police are collecting DNA from family members to help identify those who have died in the floods. Colonel Freeman Martin, from the Texas Department of Public Safety, said there are several "unidentified" people at funeral homes, both adults and children. The DNA collected from relatives was 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," Colonel Freeman Martin said. He also said the death toll is certain to rise over the next few days. This comes as Mr Abbott indicated that the danger wasn't over yet either, as additional rounds of heavy rains lasting into Tuesday could produce more "rapid flash flooding events", especially in places already saturated. The governor urged drivers to be "extraordinarily cautious" for the next 48 hours due to the potential floods, as some people across Texas died when they 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 said. "You don't need to get from point A to point B if you are going to risk your life," he added, telling people to "turn around, don't drown".
Daily Mirror
6 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
Pope Leo XIV's touching message to families of Texas flood victims
Search teams are using helicopters, boats and drones to look for victims in flash floods that have torn across central Texas since the at the start of the July Fourth weekend Pope Leo XIV has broken his silence following the devastating floods in Texas that have claimed the lives of at least 79 pople. Kerr county remains the worst affected area, with a total of 68 deaths including 28 dead at Camp Mystic alone - four are in Travis County, two in Kendall County, three in Burnet County, one in Williamson County, and one in Tom Green County. Texas National Guard has so far rescued 520 people but Texas Governor Greg Abbott said around 41 people were still missing, as search and rescue missions continue in the area where floods destroyed entire homes. Search teams are using helicopters, boats and drones to look for victims in flash floods that have torn across central Texas since the at the start of the July Fourth weekend. According to the Guardian an official has received unconfirmed reports of 'an additional wall of water' flowing down some of the creeks in the Guadalupe Rivershed, as rain continued to fall on soil in the region already saturated from Friday's rains. Pope Leo XIV took to X yesterday to say: "I would like to express sincere condolences to all the families who have lost loved ones, in particular their daughters, who were at the summer camp, in the disaster caused by flooding of the Guadalupe River in Texas in the United States. We pray for them." Donald Trump has said he will "probably" visit Texas on Friday, following the flash flooding that killed 79 people in the state. "We want to leave a little time," he told reporters this afternoon. "I would have done it today, but we would just be in their way, probably Friday." He said he has been in touch with the Texas governor. The Guadalupe River surged by 30ft above its typical level with racing watering destroying Camp Mystic, a Christian summer camp in Hunt. Several young girls remain missing as a huge rescue effort continues to find those still unaccounted for. Many of the missing girls are younger children who had been sleeping just yards away from the river. They had been sleeping on the low-laying "flats" in the camp's cabins, with the older girls sleeping in cabins on higher grounds. The director of the camp, Richard Eastland, 70, died as he tried to save girls. US President Donald Trump said those affected by the floods were "enduring an unimaginable tragedy."
