At least 24 individuals have lost their lives due to flash floods in Texas, as rescuers continue to search for several girls who are missing from a riverside summer camp, officials have reported.
Authorities have indicated that between 23 and 25 people are currently unaccounted for at the all-girls Christian summer camp situated along the banks of the Guadalupe River.
During a news conference late last night, nearly 18 hours after the onset of the crisis, Texas Governor Greg Abbott announced that search-and-rescue efforts would continue through the night and into today.
Governor Abbott emphasized that resources dedicated to this operation would be “limitless”.
The US National Weather Service has issued a flash flood emergency for areas in Kerr County in south-central Texas Hill Country, located about 105 km northwest of San Antonio, following thunderstorms that released up to a foot of rain.
Dalton Rice, the city manager of Kerrville, the county seat, informed reporters that the severe flooding occurred before dawn without sufficient warning, preventing authorities from issuing advance evacuation orders as the Guadalupe swiftly exceeded major flood stages.
“This occurred very rapidly, over a very short time frame that could not be anticipated, even with radar,” Mr. Rice stated.
“It happened in less than a two-hour window.”
State emergency management officials had warned as early as Thursday that west and central Texas would face heavy rains and flash flood risks “over the next couple of days,” based on National Weather Service forecasts leading up to the holiday weekend.
However, the weather predictions “did not forecast the volume of rain we experienced,” W. Nim Kidd, director of the Texas Division of Emergency Management, explained during a news conference last night.
A Kerrville resident observes the rising waters of the Guadalupe River.
Trees emerge from floodwaters along the Guadalupe River in Kerrville, Texas.
July Fourth fireworks displays were ultimately canceled in flood-affected communities throughout the area, including Kerrville, where the planned waterfront site for last night’s US Independence Day celebration was submerged by the rain-swollen river.
During last night’s briefing, Kerr County Sheriff Larry Leitha confirmed that 24 flood-related fatalities had been recorded, a rise from 13 earlier in the day.
One additional person found deceased in neighboring Kendall County has yet to be confirmed as a flood-related casualty, according to Mr. Leitha.
Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick indicated that authorities were searching for 23 girls who were reported missing from over 750 children at summer camp locations along the banks of the Guadalupe River when floodwaters inundated the area around 4 AM local time.
The missing campers had all been attending Camp Mystic, a private Christian summer camp for girls.
“We’re praying for all those missing to be found alive,” Mr. Patrick remarked.
It remains unclear if any of the unaccounted individuals may be among the deceased victims counted countywide by the sheriff.
Otherwise, authorities confirmed that all other campers were safe, with evacuations occurring throughout the day.
“Everyone is doing everything possible to get these kids out,” Kerr County Judge Rob Kelly, the leading local official, stated during a news briefing earlier in the day.
Mr. Kelly reported that several scattered residential subdivisions, RV parks, and campgrounds were severely impacted.
When pressed by reporters about why more precautions were not taken given the stormy weather forecast, Mr. Kelly insisted that a disaster of this scale was unpredictable.
“We have floods frequently. This is considered the most perilous river valley in the United States,” he explained.
“We had no reason to expect that this would be anything like what has happened here. None whatsoever.”
A UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter is conducting rescue operations.
In an alert on Thursday, the Texas Division of Emergency Management stated that it had heightened its readiness level and “activated additional state emergency response resources” as parts of west and central Texas braced for “continued heavy rainfall and flash flood threats throughout the holiday weekend.”
Lieutenant Governor Patrick reported that the Guadalupe River had risen eight meters in just 45 minutes as heavy rains fell across the region.
As of last night, emergency personnel had rescued or evacuated 237 individuals, with 167 of those by helicopter.
With more rain anticipated in the area, Mr. Patrick warned of an ongoing risk for potential flash flooding stretching from San Antonio to Waco over the next 24 to 48 hours.
Last night, Governor Abbott signed a disaster declaration to expedite emergency assistance to Kerr and several other counties that were most severely affected by the floods.
Officials stated that personnel from the US Coast Guard and the Federal Emergency Management Agency had also been activated to support local authorities in managing this crisis.
