Latest news with #missingChildren
The Independent
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Independent
Noem says first responders in Texas 'still looking for a lot of little girls' missing after flood
Her voice breaking, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said Tuesday that emergency responders in Texas are 'still looking for a lot of little girls' who remain missing after a catastrophic flood during the holiday weekend. Noem described the scene at Camp Mystic in Kerrville, Texas, at the urging of President Donald Trump as he opened a meeting with his Cabinet at the White House. Noem visited on Saturday, a day after floodwaters swept away the camp. She said Texans are strong but 'they've gone through something that is absolutely horrific, and it is heartbreaking to watch these families suffer the way that they are.' Trump announced during the meeting that he and his wife, Melania, will visit on Friday. Noem said she was 'surprised' when she arrived at the camp and saw the devastation. 'The parents that were looking for their children and picking up their daughters' stuffed animals out of the mud and finding their daughter's shoe that might be laying in the cabin and, just hugging and comforting people matters a lot,' the secretary said. 'I'm extremely grateful for God's hand in that whole situation because hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of people were saved,' she said. 'And and this is a time for all of us in this country to remember that we were created to serve each other.' A wall of water slammed into camps and homes along the edge of the Guadalupe River before daybreak Friday, pulling 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. More than 100 people were killed, including at least 27 campers and counselors. Officials said Monday that 10 campers and one counselor still have not been found. The flood and its devastation appear to have, for the moment, tamped down talk by Trump and Noem of scaling back the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which helps states respond to natural disasters by providing water and other supplies and federal assistance. Trump declined earlier this week to discuss his plans to shrink FEMA when a reporter asked if that was still his intent. Noem said Tuesday that FEMA supports states during disasters like this 'and that's exactly what we did here in this situation.'
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
As Kerr County's death toll rises to 75, Cruz says recent federal agency cuts to didn't impact flood warnings
The bodies of 27 children are among those that have been recovered, officials said during a news conference. Ten campers and one counselor remain missing. Senator Ted Cruz of Texas says the situation in Kerr County is 'every parent's nightmare.'
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Rescue efforts are underway near Camp Mystic as Texas experiences mass flooding
Rescuers were searching Saturday for more than two dozen children from a girls' camp and many others who are still missing after a wall of water blasted down a river in the Texas Hill Country. (AP video by Julio Cortez)
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Nine children among at least 27 killed in Texas flooding
Rescuers were searching for children from a girls' camp and many others who were still missing after a wall of water rushed down a river in the Texas Hill Country during a powerful storm that killed at least 27 people, officials said. Among the dead were nine children. The destructive fast-moving waters along the Guadalupe River rose 26 feet (eight metres) in just 45 minutes before dawn Friday, washing away homes and vehicles. The danger was not over as more heavy rains were expected Saturday and flash flood warnings and watches remained in effect for parts of central Texas. Some 27 people were missing from Camp Mystic, Dalton Rice, city manager, said at a press conference on Saturday. An unknown number of people at other locations were still unaccounted for. 'People need to know today will be a hard day,' said Kerrville Mayor Joe Herring, Jr. Searchers used helicopters, boats and drones to look for victims and to rescue stranded people. The total number of missing was not known but one sheriff said about 24 of them were girls who had been attending Camp Mystic, a Christian summer camp along the river. Frantic parents and families posted photos of missing loved ones and pleas for information. 'The camp was completely destroyed,' said Elinor Lester, 13, one of hundreds of campers at Camp Mystic. 'A helicopter landed and started taking people away. 'It was really scary.' A raging storm 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 floodwaters whipping around their legs, she said. Kerr County Sheriff Larry Leitha said 27 were confirmed dead, including nine children. Authorities said about 850 people had been rescued. The flooding in the middle of the night on the Fourth of July holiday caught many residents, campers and officials by surprise. The Texas Hill Country, which sits northwest of San Antonio, is a popular destination for camping and swimming, especially around the summertime holiday. 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 Texas Hill County one of the most flash-flood-prone areas of the US because of its terrain and many water crossings. Officials defended their actions on Friday 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 had called for up to six inches of rain, said Nim Kidd, chief of the Texas Division of Emergency Management. 'It did not predict the amount of rain that we saw,' he said. A river near Camp Mystic recorded a 22 foot rise in about two hours, said Bob Fogarty, meteorologist with the National Weather Service's Austin/San Antonio office. The gauge failed after recording a level of 29 and a half feet. 'The water's moving so fast, you're not going to recognise how bad it is until it's on top of you,' Mr Fogarty said. More than 1,000 rescuers were on the ground. Rescue teams, helicopters and drones were being used, with some people being plucked from trees. US Coast Guard helicopters were flying in to assist.
Sky News
5 days ago
- Climate
- Sky News
At least 24 people confirmed dead and more than 20 missing from girls camp in Texas flooding
At least 24 people have been killed in the US state of Texas after heavy rain caused flash flooding, according to local media reports. Officials have also said 23 children are missing from a girls' camp in Texas. As much as 10 inches (25 centimetres) of heavy rain fell in just a few hours overnight in central Kerr County, causing flash flooding of the Guadalupe River. An official in the city of Kerville told reporters the flooding struck before dawn "over a very short period of time that could not be predicted, even with the radar". Judge Rob Kelly, the chief elected official in the county, confirmed fatalities from the flooding and dozens of water rescues so far. The judge told reporters at a news conference that "most" of the bodies are yet to be identified. "We're trying to get the identity of these folks, but we don't have it yet," he said. More than 20 girls unaccounted for Emergency services are continuing a frantic search to find those missing - including 23 girls. The children were among more than 700 who were at a summer camp when floodwaters swept through at around 4am local time. Most of the campers are safe but they could not be immediately evacuated because high waters have made local roads unusable, authorities said. "Everybody is doing everything in their power to get these kids out," Judge Kelly said. Asked why more precautions were not taken amid forecasts for stormy weather, Judge Kelly insisted a disaster of such magnitude was unforeseen. "We have floods all the time. This is the most dangerous river valley in the United States," he said, adding, "We had no reason to believe this was going to be anything like what's happened here. None whatsoever." Search teams are flying 14 helicopters and a dozen drones over the area, while hundreds of emergency personnel are on the ground conducting rescues. People desperately searching for their loved ones have posted comments on a Facebook post from the Kerr County sheriff's office. One woman said she couldn't reach her daughter, who had rented a cabin with her husband and two children.
