A minimum of 109 individuals died in flash floods that hit central Texas over the weekend, with at the least 161 nonetheless lacking, authorities mentioned in an replace on Tuesday afternoon.
Gov. Greg Abbott instructed reporters in a July 8 press briefing that these figures are prone to rise, due partly to the world’s reputation with campers.
Kerr County Sheriff Larry Leitha mentioned that lots of of first responders are on the scene in flooded areas across the Guadalupe River, with native, federal, and state personnel working to get well our bodies or find lacking individuals.
5 campers and one counselor from Camp Mystic are nonetheless lacking, the sheriff additionally mentioned. The camp, which is situated in Hunt, confirmed Monday that at the least 27 youngsters and counselors died within the floods. Identification is pending for 19 adults and 7 youngsters who had been discovered useless.
When requested about those that are lacking, Leitha mentioned, “It’s exhausting to know that quantity. I do know the numbers that now we have discovered, and that’s all I do know.”
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott deliberate to make one other go to on Tuesday to the century-old, Christian summer time camp for ladies. Officers mentioned on Monday that 10 campers and one counselor had been nonetheless lacking.
“Our hearts are damaged alongside our households which might be enduring this unimaginable tragedy. We’re praying for them continually,” the camp mentioned in a press release. “We’ve been in communication with native and state authorities who’re tirelessly deploying in depth assets to seek for our lacking women.
“We’re deeply grateful for the outpouring of assist from group, first responders, and officers at each degree.”
On Sunday, President Donald Trump signed a significant catastrophe declaration for Kerr County and directed the Federal Emergency Administration Company (FEMA) to answer the floods.
Trump mentioned he’s planning to go to Texas on Friday and instructed reporters that he would have gone sooner however he would have been “of their approach” through the response.
Nineteen deaths had been reported in Travis, Burnet, Kendall, Tom Inexperienced, and Williamson counties, native officers mentioned on Monday.
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) mentioned that it’s “a miracle extra youngsters didn’t lose their lives” within the flooding. “I’ve by no means seen something as horrific. The cabins had eight ft of water in them,” Cruz instructed KPRC.
“The Hill Nation is an unbelievable a part of Texas, a part of the nation,“ he mentioned throughout a Monday press convention. ”The pure magnificence right here is unbelievable. The camps which have raised generations of little women and little boys and instilled character and love and religion are extraordinary establishments.”
Questions are mounting about what native officers did to warn campers and residents who had been spending the July Fourth vacation weekend within the scenic space lengthy identified to locals as “flash flood alley.”
Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) on Monday despatched a letter to the Commerce Division, which oversees the Nationwide Climate Service (NWS), about whether or not staffing cuts impacted flood warnings being issued.
NWS issued a flood watch round 2 p.m. on July 3, greater than 12 hours earlier than the flood, for Kerr County, adopted by a flash flood warning for the world about three hours earlier than the river began surging quickly.
Savannah Pointer and The Related Press contributed to this report.
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