Latest toll shows 14 children among 32 dead in Texas flooding
The storm killed at least 32 people, including 14 children.
The destructive fast-moving waters rose 26 feet (eight metres) in just 45 minutes before daybreak Friday, washing away homes and vehicles.
The danger was not over as torrential rains continued pounding communities outside San Antonio on Saturday and flash flood warnings and watches remained in effect.
Searchers used helicopters, boats and drones to look for victims and to rescue stranded people in trees and from camps isolated by washed-out roads.
'We will not stop until we find everyone who is missing,' Nim Kidd, chief of Texas Department of Emergency Management, said at a press conference on Saturday afternoon.
Kerr County Sheriff Larry Leitha said the bodies of 32 people had been recovered so far: 18 adults and 14 children.
Authorities were coming under growing scrutiny Saturday over whether the camps and residents in places long vulnerable to flooding received proper warning and whether enough preparations were made.
The hills along the Guadalupe River in central Texas are dotted with century-old youth camps and campgrounds where generations of families have come to swim and enjoy the outdoors.
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 City Manager Dalton Rice said on Saturday morning.
Some 27 children were among the missing from Camp Mystic, a Christian summer camp along the river, he said.
'The camp was completely destroyed,' said Elinor Lester, 13, one of hundreds of campers. 'A helicopter landed and started taking people away. It was really scary.'
A raging storm fuelled by incredible amounts of moisture woke up her cabin just after midnight Friday, and when rescuers arrived, they tied a rope for the girls to hold as they walked across a bridge with water whipping around their legs, she said.
Frantic parents and families posted photos of missing loved ones and pleas for information.
On Saturday, the camp was mostly deserted.
Helicopters roared above as a few people looked at the damage, including a pickup vehicle tossed onto its side and a building missing its entire front wall.
Among those confirmed dead were an eight-year-old girl from Mountain Brook, Alabama, who was staying at Camp Mystic, and the director of another camp just up the road.
The flooding in the middle of the night caught many residents, campers and officials by surprise in the Hill Country, which sits northwest of San Antonio.
AccuWeather said the private forecasting company and the National Weather Service sent warnings about potential flash flooding hours before the devastation.
'These warnings should have provided officials with ample time to evacuate camps such as Camp Mystic and get people to safety,' AccuWeather said in a statement that called the Hill Country one of the most flash-flood-prone areas of the US because of its terrain and many water crossings.
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.
One National Weather Service forecast earlier in the week 'did not predict the amount of rain that we saw', said Nim Kidd, chief of the Texas Division of Emergency Management.
Search crews were facing harsh conditions while 'looking in every possible location,' Mr Rice said.
Authorities said about 850 people had been rescued.
US Coast Guard helicopters were flying in to assist.
One reunification centre at an elementary school was mostly quiet Saturday after taking in hundreds of evacuees the day before.
'We still have people coming here looking for their loved ones. We've had a little success, but not much,' said Bobby Templeton, superintendent of Ingram Independent School District.
President Donald Trump said Saturday that Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem was travelling to Texas and his administration was working with officials on the ground.
'Melania and I are praying for all of the families impacted by this horrible tragedy,' Mr Trump said in a statement on his social media network.
In Ingram, Erin Burgess woke to thunder and rain in the middle of the night Friday. Just 20 minutes later, water was pouring into her home, she said. She described an agonizing hour clinging to a tree with her teenage son.
'My son and I floated to a tree where we hung onto it, and my boyfriend and my dog floated away. He was lost for a while, but we found them,' she said.
Barry Adelman said water pushed everyone in his three-story house into the attic, including his 94-year-old grandmother and nine-year-old grandson.
'I was having to look at my grandson in the face and tell him everything was going to be OK, but inside I was scared to death,' he said.
'When it rains, water doesn't soak into the soil,' said Austin Dickson, chief executive of the Community Foundation of the Texas Hill Country, which was collecting donations.
'It rushes down the hill.'
The forecast for the weekend had called for rain, with a flood watch upgraded to a warning overnight Friday for at least 30,000 people.
Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick said the potential for heavy rain and flooding covered a large area.
'Everything was done to give them a heads up that you could have heavy rain, and we're not exactly sure where it's going to land,' Mr Patrick said.
'Obviously as it got dark last night, we got into the wee morning of the hours, that's when the storm started to zero in.'
Kerr County Judge Rob Kelly, the county's chief elected official, said: 'We do not have a warning system.'
When pushed on why more precautions were not taken, Mr Kelly said no one knew this kind of flood was coming.
The slow-moving storm is bringing more rain Saturday, with the potential for pockets of heavy downpours and more flooding, said Jason Runyen, of the National Weather Service.
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Reuters
2 hours ago
- Reuters
Death toll from Texas floods reaches 78; Trump plans visit
HUNT, Texas, July 6 (Reuters) - The death toll from catastrophic floods in Texas reached at least 78 on Sunday, including at least 28 children, as the search for girls missing from a summer camp entered a third day and fears of more flash flooding as rain fell on saturated ground prompted fresh evacuations. Larry Leitha, the Kerr County Sheriff in Texas Hill Country, said 68 people had died in flooding in his county, the epicenter of the flooding, among them 28 children. Texas Governor Greg Abbott, speaking at a press conference on Sunday afternoon, said another 10 had died elsewhere in Texas and 41 confirmed missing. The governor did not say how many of the dead outside Kerr were children. Among the most devastating impacts of the flooding occurred at Camp Mystic summer camp, a nearly century-old Christian girls camp. Sheriff Leitha said on Sunday that 10 Camp Mystic campers and one counselor were still missing. "It was nothing short of horrific to see what those young children went through," said Abbott, who said he toured the area on Saturday and pledged to continue efforts to locate the missing. The flooding occurred after the nearby Guadalupe River broke its banks after torrential rain fell in the central Texas area on Friday, the U.S. Independence Day holiday. Texas Division of Emergency Management Chief Nim Kidd said at the press conference on Sunday afternoon the destruction killed three people in Burnet County, one in Tom Green County, five in Travis County and one in Williamson County. "You will see the death toll rise today and tomorrow," said Freeman Martin, director of the Texas Department of Public Safety, also speaking on Sunday. Officials said on Saturday that more than 850 people had been rescued, including some clinging to trees, after a sudden storm dumped up to 15 inches (38 cm) of rain across the region, about 85 miles (140 km) northwest of San Antonio. "Everyone in the community is hurting," Leitha told reporters. Kidd said he was receiving 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. He said aircraft were sent aloft to scout for additional floodwaters, while search-and-rescue personnel who might be in harm's way were alerted to pull back from the river in the meantime. The National Weather Service issued flood warnings and advisories for central Texas that were to last until 4:15 p.m. local time (2115 GMT) as rains fell, potentially complicating rescue efforts. The Federal Emergency Management Agency was activated on Sunday and is deploying resources to first responders in Texas after President Donald Trump issued a major disaster declaration, the Department of Homeland Security said in a statement. U.S. Coast Guard helicopters and planes are helping the search and rescue efforts, the department said. Trump, who said on Sunday he would visit the disaster scene, probably on Friday, has previously outlined plans to scale back the federal government's role in responding to natural disasters, leaving states to shoulder more of the burden themselves. Some experts questioned whether cuts to the federal workforce by the Trump administration, including to the agency that oversees the National Weather Service, led to a failure by officials to accurately predict the severity of the floods and issue appropriate warnings ahead of the storm. Trump's administration has overseen thousands of job cuts from the National Weather Service's parent agency, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, leaving many weather offices understaffed, former NOAA director Rick Spinrad said. Spinrad said he did not know if those staff cuts factored into the lack of advance warning for the extreme Texas flooding, but that they would inevitably degrade the agency's ability to deliver accurate and timely forecasts. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, who oversees NOAA, said a "moderate" flood watch issued on Thursday by the National Weather Service had not accurately predicted the extreme rainfall and said the Trump administration was working to upgrade the system. Joaquin Castro, a Democratic U.S. congressman from Texas, told CNN's "State of the Union" program that fewer personnel at the weather service could be dangerous. "When you have flash flooding, there's a risk that if you don't have the personnel ... to do that analysis, do the predictions in the best way, it could lead to tragedy," Castro said. Camp Mystic had 700 girls in residence at the time of the flooding. Katharine Somerville, a counselor on the Cypress Lake side of Camp Mystic, on higher ground than the Guadalupe River side, said her 13-year-old campers were scared as their cabins sustained damage and lost power in the middle of the night. "Our cabins at the tippity top of hills were completely flooded with water. I mean, y'all have seen the complete devastation, we never even imagined that this could happen," Somerville said in an interview on Fox News on Sunday. Somerville said the campers in her care were put on military trucks and evacuated, and that all were safe. The disaster unfolded rapidly on Friday morning as heavier-than-forecast rain drove river waters rapidly to as high as 29 feet (9 meters). A day after the disaster struck, the summer camp was a scene of devastation. Inside one cabin, mud lines indicating how high the water had risen were at least six feet (1.83 m) from the floor. Bed frames, mattresses and personal belongings caked with mud were scattered inside. Some buildings had broken windows, one had a missing wall.
NBC News
2 hours ago
- NBC News
Search for missing continues after catastrophic Texas floods: Weekend Rundown
Catastrophic flooding struck central Texas on Friday, causing a surge of 20 to 26 feet on the Guadalupe River near Kerrville, leading to widespread damage and washing out roads. Dozens of people were killed over the weekend; the death toll at 5 p.m. ET Sunday was 79 across six counties. In Kerr County, officials reported 68 deaths — including those of 28 children — and 11 children were still missing from Camp Mystic. Meanwhile, the National Weather Service extended the flood watch over much of south-central Texas as several inches of rain fell on the region. President Donald Trump signed a major disaster declaration for Kerr County. The declaration will allow first responders to have access to the resources they need as they continue search and recovery efforts. Were the warnings adequate? Critics blamed recent cuts by the Trump administration for damaging officials' ability to properly warn residents about incoming flood conditions. A White House spokesperson pushed back against the claims, telling NBC News the accusations were 'disgusting' lies to target political opponents. On Saturday, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem also was challenged about whether the federal government did enough to warn Texans. 'I had to swim through the window': The flash floods left residents to escape through rising waters with nothing but their lives. Trump signs 'big, beautiful bill' into law Trump on Friday signed into law his sweeping tax cut and spending package, which he has called the 'big, beautiful bill,' in a Fourth of July ceremony packed with patriotic pomp and symbolism. The White House ceremony took place alongside a military picnic. It included an armed forces flyover, and it was attended by jubilant Republican lawmakers, including House Speaker Mike Johnson and Majority Leader Steve Scalise, both of Louisiana, who helped muscle the legislation through the House by a razor-thin margin. 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The Independent
3 hours ago
- The Independent
At least 70 have died after catastrophic flooding in Texas - as officials warn ‘wall of water' could batter region
Three days after flash floods first ravaged south-central Texas and claimed more than 70 lives, local officials are still searching for 10 missing campers as another 'wall of water' heads to the area. Flash floods slammed Kerr County and its surrounding areas at the start of the holiday weekend, leaving locals, campers, and July 4th visitors swept up in the catastrophic floods. Rescue efforts were still in full force Sunday as emergency crews raced against the clock to find 11 girls from Camp Mystic, an all-girls Christian camp along the Guadalupe River that was devastated by the floods. 'We won't stop until we find every girl who was in those cabins,' Governor Greg Abbott said in a Saturday evening statement. The region is now bracing for more heavy rainfall, potentially complicating the search efforts and endangering even more people. There are reports of an additional 'wall of water' heading toward Kerr County, Nim Kidd, Chief of the Texas Division of Emergency Management, said at a Sunday afternoon press conference. Kidd warned: 'Because the ground is already saturated, any rain that falls can be perceived as life-threatening rain.' The National Weather Service had predicted between 1 and 3 inches of rain, with some areas possibly getting 5 to 7 inches. But the reality was a torrential downpour along the Guadalupe River late Thursday that led to unexpected flash floods, with parts of Kerr County getting pummeled with 10 to 15 inches in just a short span. The river surged from 8 feet to 29 feet in a matter of hours early Friday morning. Camp Mystic, which sits along the river, was 'horrendously ravaged,' Abbott said. At least 27 people at Camp Mystic have died as a result of the floods, the camp told NBC News in a statement. "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 statement read. The search for 10 missing girls and one counselor continues. In total, at least 40 people across Texas counties were missing as of Sunday afternoon, the governor said, while dozens of others have died due to the flash floods. Who are the victims? The death toll rose to 79 people on Sunday. Dick Eastland, the director of Camp Mystic, and Chloe Childress, an 18-year-old counselor at the camp, both lost their lives in the floods, according to reports. Jonathan Eades, head of the Kinkaid School from where Childress recently graduated, told the New York Times that she lost her life upholding a 'selfless and fierce commitment to others.' Several campers, not even 10 years old, also died in the floods, their families confirmed. Julian Ryan, a 27-year-old dishwasher in Ingram, Texas, lost his life after water poured into his trailer home. The rest of his family was spared. 'He was the best father, and was always such a happy person who was never above helping people, no matter what it cost,' his fiancee Christinia Wilson told the Times. 'He died trying to save us.' Jane Ragsdale, camp director and co-owner of Heart O' the Hills, a summer camp along the Guadalupe River, was killed in the floods, the camp said in a statement. 'She embodied the spirit of Heart O' the Hills and was exactly the type of strong, joyful woman that the camp aimed to develop with the girls entrusted to us each summer,' the statement read. More than two dozen other victims, including children, have yet to be identified, officials said Sunday. What's the scale of the search? Federal, state and local entities have been working on search and rescue efforts for a third day. On Saturday, officials said more than 850 people had been rescued or evacuated. The Texas Military Department has conducted 525 rescues and evacuations, both by air and by ground, an official said at a Sunday afternoon press conference. The Coast Guard has saved or assisted in saving 223 lives, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said Saturday. As of Sunday, there are 230 Texas Military Department personnel working on the response. They are operating eight helicopters as well as some high-profile military vehicles to help evacuate people from high-water areas, officials said. The personnel are still in Kerrville and have expanded their operations to include San Saba and Burnet. There are also some behavior health officers and chaplains working in those areas. In Kerr County alone, there were 400 first responders working on Sunday, with more than 100 air, water, and ground vehicles conducting search and rescue efforts, the sheriff's office said. What has the political response been? President Donald Trump signed a Major Disaster Declaration for Kerr County, Texas on Sunday, providing federal resources to the ravaged area, he said in a statement Sunday morning. 'These families are enduring an unimaginable tragedy, with many lives lost, and many still missing. The Trump Administration continues to work closely with State and Local Leaders. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem was on the ground yesterday with Governor Greg Abbott, who is working hard to help the people of his Great State,' the president wrote. 'Our incredible U.S. Coast Guard, together with State First Responders, have saved more than 850 lives. GOD BLESS THE FAMILIES, AND GOD BLESS TEXAS!' Former President George W. Bush, who served as the 46th governor of Texas, offered his condolences in a statement shared to social media on Sunday. "On this day of prayer, Laura and I are holding up our fellow Texans who are hurting. We are heartbroken by the loss of life and the agony so many are feeling. Those who have lost their precious children are facing a grief no parents should ever know,' the former president said. 'We are grateful to the first responders and volunteers who are working to find the missing and comfort the grieving at Camp Mystic and along the Guadalupe. We know our words cannot help, but we believe the prayers of so many Americans will,' the statement continued. Former President Barack Obama also said he was praying for those affected by the floods, calling the disaster 'heartbreaking.' 'The flash flooding in Central Texas is absolutely heartbreaking. Michelle and I are praying for everyone who has lost a loved one or is waiting for news — especially the parents. And we're grateful to the first responders and rescue teams working around the clock to help,' he wrote.
