A Christian girls’ summer camp located in central Texas has reported that at least 27 campers and counselors were among those who lost their lives in the devastating flooding over the weekend. Emergency responders are still searching for dozens of missing individuals and are now facing the threat of more heavy rains and thunderstorms.
The death toll from the floods that occurred on Friday has surpassed 80, with officials anticipating further increases as search teams navigate through muddy riverbanks and survey the flood-impacted area, all while hoping to find additional survivors.
“This will be a challenging week,” Mayor Joe Herring Jr. stated during a briefing this morning.
The camp indicated that it has been in contact with local and state authorities.
The majority of the fatalities — 48 adults and 27 children — occurred in Kerr County, where the Guadalupe River transformed into a violent torrent within less than an hour due to pre-dawn torrential rain on Friday.
“Our hearts are shattered alongside the families enduring this unimaginable tragedy,” the camp said in a statement today.
Officials reported that ten girls and one camp counselor are still unaccounted for.
A US flag is seen near the area where the Guadalupe River in Texas overflowed, leading to the deadly flooding.
US Senator Ted Cruz informed reporters that the death toll continues to rise.
“Texas is in mourning at this moment — the pain and shock from the events of the past few days has broken the heart of our state,” Mr. Cruz remarked.
“The loss of the children, especially the little girls at Camp Mystic, is every parent’s worst nightmare,” he added.
Richard “Dick” Eastland, 70, co-owner and director of Camp Mystic, tragically lost his life while attempting to save the children at his camp during the flood, as reported by multiple outlets including the Austin American-Statesman.
According to the camp’s website, Mr. Eastland and his wife, Tweety Eastland, have managed the camp since 1974.
“If he wasn’t destined to die of natural causes, this was the only other way it could happen — while saving the girls that he cherished so deeply,” Eastland’s grandson, George Eastland, wrote on Instagram.
In Hill Country, where the worst flooding was recorded, 2 to 4 inches of additional rain is anticipated, with isolated sectors potentially receiving up to 10 inches, stated Allison Santorelli, a meteorologist from the National Weather Service’s Weather Prediction Center in College Park, Maryland.
Ms. Santorelli added that the possibility of further flooding could be particularly dangerous due to the already saturated ground and the debris present in and around the river.
State emergency management officials had issued warnings on Thursday, in advance of the July Fourth holiday, about the likelihood of flash floods in central Texas based on forecasts from the National Weather Service.
Mr. Trump indicated yesterday that he plans to visit the disaster area, likely on Friday. He has previously mentioned intentions to reduce the federal government’s involvement in natural disaster responses, transferring more responsibility to the states.
Some experts questioned whether the budget cuts to the federal workforce under the Trump administration hindered officials from accurately assessing the flood severity and issuing timely warnings.
During Mr. Trump’s administration, thousands of job cuts were made at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), which oversees the National Weather Service, resulting in many weather offices operating understaffed, according to former NOAA director Rick Spinrad.
Rescue teams are actively searching through the debris for survivors.
Mr. Trump pushed back when questioned yesterday about whether federal cutbacks impeded disaster response or created key job vacancies within the service.
“That water situation is all part of what happened, and it was really set up by Biden,” he stated, referring to his Democratic successor, Joe Biden. “But I wouldn’t attribute the blame solely to Biden. This is simply a 100-year catastrophe.”
Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer called upon a government watchdog today to investigate if budget cuts contributed to any delays or inaccuracies in forecasting the floods.
A time-lapse video shows the rapid rise of water levels in the Llano River, Texas.
