SATELLITE images snapped before and after the Texas floods reveal the complete devastation wrought by the lethal waters, which resulted in at least 120 fatalities.
The devastation was centered in Kerr County, where summer camps and remote homes lay dangerously close to the Guadalupe River.
Prior to the torrential downpours arriving during the dark early hours of July 4, the river in Central Texas, near San Antonio, shimmered amidst verdant, tree-lined estates.
Overhead photos captured Camp Mystic, a Christian summer camp for girls, peacefully situated by the riverside, with cabins and tennis courts scattered throughout the lush surroundings.
But recent satellite images have now shown the devastating effects of the floods, which wrecked buildings and washed brown sediment all over the property.
Previously verdant grounds have now been left dulled gray by the rushing waters after the river rose 40 feet and tore through surrounding areas.
Piles of abandoned trunks and other belongings can be seen sprinkled throughout the campgrounds after rescue crews attempted to organize the rubble while searching for survivors.
Ninety-five people have been found dead in Kerr County alone after the holiday tragedy, and at least 27 of the victims were counselors and little girls attending the camp.
One of the hardest hit cabins was the Bubble Inn, which hosted the youngest campers aged eight to nine and lay closest to the river.
Both counselors and all 14 girls in the cabin have been found dead or missing following the floods. The camp’s director, Dick Eastland, died trying to save them in a valiant final act.
At least 150 people are still missing in Kerr County, and hope is dimming for those who haven’t been found, as it’s been days since a live victim was pulled from the rubble, officials said.
A dozen more are still missing throughout the state, and legislators across the US are sending over crews to help with the grim search.
But despite the horrific finds, local leaders have vowed not to give up until every person lost to the floodwaters is found.
CAMPERS’ FINAL MOMENTS
Employees working at Camp Mystic have given heartwrenching accounts of the dark night when the waters rushed through the property.
Staff said they rushed from cabin to cabin, pulling girls out of the windows and shivering in the freezing rain as the river rose beneath their feet.
One employee said the waters “made like a swirl right around those cabins like a toilet bowl,” according to the Washington Post.
What we know so far…
Callie McAlary, a 16-year-old camper, remembered the terrifying moment she realized that it wasn’t a normal thunderstorm.
“One minute you see lightning strike next to your cabin, and next to you, you hear water’s coming up,” she told Fox News.
Callie said that she watched in horror as girls darted to cabins on higher ground when buildings filled with water.
“It was really bad thunder,” she said.
“We heard one of the campers run in and say, ‘Hey, our cabin is flooding.’
“I knew some girls slept on trunks that night, some girls had to share beds, some girls slept on floors because they couldn’t go back to their cabin because it was so flooded in three cabins.”
EFFORTS CONTINUE
President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania are planning on visiting Kerr County on Friday to assess the damage.
The tragedy has sparked an outpouring of support and questions as to why people weren’t evacuated from the area before the rain came.
Some critics claim that Trump’s cost-cutting policies have hindered rescue efforts, but White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt called the rumors a “depraved lie.”
Texas Legislature has scheduled a special session for later this month to discuss flood warning systems, emergency communications, and relief funding for flood victims, CNN reported.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency Task Force set up a command center in Center Point, Texas, on Thursday and continues to search for victims.
Helicopters, boats, cadaver dogs, and divers are all helping with the search.
In the meantime, officials have asked onlookers to pray for miracles.
