Share this @internewscast.com
Some 43 people, including 15 children, have been confirmed dead following flash floods in central Texas, authorities said as rescuers continued a frantic search for campers, vacationers and residents who were still missing.
More than 850 people had been rescued, including some who were clinging to trees, after a sudden storm dumped up to 38cm of rain in an area around the Guadalupe River, about 140km northwest of San Antonio.
Among the missing were 27 girls from the Camp Mystic summer camp, Kerrville city manager Dalton Rice said at a press conference on Saturday evening, and there may be others beyond that.
“We are kind of looking at this in two ways called the known missing, which is the 27 … We will not put a number on the other side because we just don’t know,” Rice said.

The disaster unfolded rapidly on Friday morning as heavier-than-forecast rain drove river waters rapidly to as high as 29 feet.

People survey damage along a river after flash flooding.

Onlookers survey damage along the Guadalupe River after a flash flood swept through the area. Source: AAP / Eric Gay/AP

“We know that the rivers rise, but nobody saw this coming,” said Kerr County judge Rob Kelly, the top local official in the region.

Kerr County sheriff Larry Leitha said eight of the confirmed dead, including three children, had yet to be identified.
Texas lieutenant governor Dan Patrick said an unknown number of visitors had come to the area for an Independence Day celebration by the river.
“We don’t know how many people were in tents on the side, in small trailers by the side, in rented homes by the side,” he said on Fox News Live.

Patrick reported that Camp Mystic had housed 700 girls when the flood occurred. Meanwhile, Heart O’ the Hills, another girls’ camp, mentioned on its website that co-owner Jane Ragsdale had tragically lost her life in the flood. Fortunately, there were no campers at Heart O’ the Hills as it was the gap between sessions.

A Camp Mystic sign is seen near the entrance to the establishment along the banks of the Guadalupe River

The Camp Mystic Christian summer campsite was completely destroyed. Source: AP / Julio Cortez

Videos posted online showed bare concrete platforms where homes used to stand and piles of rubble along the banks of the river. Rescuers plucked residents from rooftops and trees, sometimes forming human chains to fetch people from the floodwater, local media reported.

Local officials said the extreme flooding struck before dawn on Saturday (AEST) with little or no warning, precluding authorities from issuing advance evacuation orders as the Guadalupe River swiftly rose above major flood stage in less than two hours.
US homeland security secretary Kristi Noem said a “moderate” flood watch issued the previous day by the National Weather Service did not accurately predict the extreme rainfall and said the Trump administration was working to upgrade the system.
The administration has cut thousands of jobs from the National Weather Service’s parent agency, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, leaving many weather offices understaffed, said former NOAA director Rick Spinrad.
He said he did not know if those staff cuts factored into the lack of advance warning for the extreme Texas flooding, but said they would inevitably degrade the agency’s ability to deliver accurate and timely forecasts.
“People’s ability to prepare for these storms will be compromised. It undoubtedly means that additional lives will be lost and probably more property damage,” he said.

Share this @internewscast.com
You May Also Like
Forrestfield fire

Family Barely Avoids Fire Caused by a Battery at Home

A home south-east of Perth turned into a furnace, swallowed by flames…
	An artist's impression depicts an asteroid orbiting the sun.

Asteroid Set to Miss Earth Could Strike the Moon Instead: What Are the Potential Consequences?

The asteroid known as 2024 YR4 is out of sight yet still…

Australia’s Most Popular Wedding Day and Marriage Longevity Trends

Key Points A total of 1,773 couples wed on 24 February, or…

INXS Tops Triple J’s Hottest Aussie 100 with “Never Tear Us Apart”

Aussie power ballad Never Tear Us Apart by 1980s rock royalty INXS…

Australian Homebuyers Paying Premiums Up to $1.3 Million for Top Public School Zones

Families are spending substantial sums — sometimes exceeding a million dollars —…

Kaden Groves Clinches Stage 20 Victory in Tour de France; Pogačar Nears Fourth Title Triumph

Australia’s Kaden Groves has completed his set of grand tour stage wins…
Authorities have warned drivers to stay off their mobile phones.

Unexpected Reasons Drivers Give to Avoid Mobile Phone Fines

Thousands of New South Wales drivers are using astonishing excuses in an…
Rita Ora proved she could nail off-duty chic just as well as she put on a sizzling display as she headed out for a walk in Saint Tropez with her husband Taika Waititi on Saturday

Rita Ora Shows Off Her Legs in Striking Leather Shorts While Strolling with Husband Taika Waititi in Saint Tropez

She never fails to turn heads at many a glamorous red carpet…
US President Donald Trump

Trump’s Scotland Visit Mixes Politics with Business Interests

Battered by chilly winds and facing the restless, steel-toned waters of the…
Emergency services respond after multiple people were stabbed at a Walmart in Traverse City.

Suspect Detained After Stabbing Incident in U.S. Walmart Leaves Several Injured

At least 11 people were stabbed at a Walmart in Traverse City…

“Amid Struggles Lies Hope: Exploring Israel’s Expanding Anti-War Movement”

Nadav Shofet of Standing Together, a grassroots Jewish-Arab organization, discusses with SBS…

“Astronomer Ad Takes Spotlight: Fans Buzzing After Coldplay Kiss Cam Controversy”

Gwyneth Paltrow is starring in a new ad for Astronomer. Almost a…