Death toll in Central Texas flash floods nears 70 as sheriff says 11 campers remain missing
Share this @internewscast.com

In Kerville, Texas, the count of fatalities from the Central Texas flash floods increased to a minimum of 67 on Sunday. As rescuers navigated the challenging landscape, they uncovered more bodies while continuing an urgent search for others, including 11 missing girls from a summer camp.

According to Sheriff Larry Leitha, searchers in Kerr County discovered 16 bodies since Saturday afternoon, raising the total deaths in the area to 59. Among the deceased were 21 children, he confirmed.

He pledged to keep searching in that Hill Country region until “everybody is found” from Friday’s flash floods.

Four deaths also were reported in Travis County, three in Burnet and 1 in Kendall.

The rescue teams faced a difficult mission, grappling with felled trees, flipped vehicles, and debris clogged with mud in their efforts to locate survivors. So far, authorities haven’t disclosed the total number of missing individuals aside from the 11 girls and one camp counselor who were at Camp Mystic, a Christian summer camp.

Families were allowed to look around the camp Sunday morning while nearby crews operating heavy equipment pulled tree trunks and tangled branches out of the water as they searched along a riverbank. Thunder rumbled from a new storm.

A woman and a teenage girl, both wearing rubber waders, briefly went inside one of the cabins, which stood next to a pile of of soaked mattresses, a storage trunk and clothes. At one point, the pair doubled over, sobbing before they embraced.

With each passing hour, the outlook of finding more survivors became even more bleak. Volunteers and some families of the missing who drove to the disaster zone searched the riverbanks despite being asked not to do so.

Authorities faced growing questions about whether enough warnings were issued in area long vulnerable to flooding and whether enough preparations were made.

The destructive, fast-moving waters rose 26 feet (8 meters) on the river in only 45 minutes before daybreak Friday, washing away homes and vehicles. The danger was not over as flash flood watches remained in effect and more rain fell in central Texas on Sunday.

Searchers used helicopters, boats and drones to look for victims and to rescue people stranded in trees and from camps isolated by washed-out roads. Officials said more than 850 people were rescued in the first 36 hours.

Prayers in Texas — and from the Vatican

Gov. Greg Abbott vowed that authorities will work around the clock and said new areas were being searched as the water receded. He declared Sunday a day of prayer for the state.

“I urge every Texan to join me in prayer this Sunday — for the lives lost, for those still missing, for the recovery of our communities, and for the safety of those on the front lines,” he said in a statement.

In Rome, Pope Leo XIV offered special prayers for those touched by the disaster. History’s first American pope spoke in English at the end of his Sunday noon blessing, “I would like to express sincere condolences to all the families who have lost loved ones, in particular their daughters who were in summer camp, in the disaster caused by the flooding of the Guadalupe River in Texas in the United States. We pray for them.”

The hills along the Guadalupe River are dotted with century-old youth camps and campgrounds where generations of families have come to swim and enjoy the outdoors. The area is especially popular around the Independence Day holiday, making it more difficult to know how many are missing.

“We don’t even want to begin to estimate at this time,” Kerrville City Manager Dalton Rice said on Saturday.

Harrowing escapes from floodwaters

Survivors shared terrifying stories of being swept away and clinging to trees as rampaging floodwaters carried trees and cars past them. Others fled to attics inside their homes, praying the water wouldn’t reach them.

At Camp Mystic, a cabin full of girls held onto a rope strung by rescuers as they walked across a bridge with water whipping around their legs.

Among those confirmed dead were an 8-year-old girl from Mountain Brook, Alabama, who was at Camp Mystic, and the director of another camp up the road.

Locals know the area as “ flash flood alley” but the flooding in the middle of the night caught many campers and residents by surprise even though there were warnings.

Warnings came before the disaster

The National Weather Service on Thursday advised of potential flooding and then sent out a series of flash flood warnings in the early hours of Friday before issuing flash flood emergencies — a rare alert notifying of imminent danger.

At the Mo-Ranch Camp in the community of Hunt, officials had been monitoring the weather and opted to move several hundred campers and attendees at a church youth conference to higher ground. At nearby Camps Rio Vista and Sierra Vista, organizers also had mentioned on social media that they were watching the weather the day before ending their second summer session Thursday.

Authorities and elected officials have said they did not expect such an intense downpour, the equivalent of months’ worth of rain for the area.

U.S. Rep. Chip Roy, whose district includes the ravaged area, acknowledged that there would be second-guessing and finger-pointing as people look for someone to blame.

___

Cortez reported from Hunt, Texas, and Seewer from Toledo, Ohio. Associated Press writers Susan Haigh in Hartford, Connecticut, Susan Montoya Bryan in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and Nicole Winfield in Rome contributed.

Share this @internewscast.com
You May Also Like
Near-term chances of an eruption at Alaska's Mount Spurr volcano now considered 'extremely low'

The likelihood of an eruption at Alaska’s Mount Spurr volcano in the near future is now seen as ‘extremely low’

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — On Wednesday, authorities downgraded the alert level for…
Chicago-area family says wrong turn in Michigan led to ICE detaining business owner Sergio Serna Ramirez, demands his release

Chicago Family Claims Wrong Turn in Michigan Led to ICE Detaining Business Owner Sergio Serna Ramirez; Calls for His Release

CHICAGO (WLS) — Sergio Serna Ramirez and his wife Kristina were on…
Dr. James Dobson, founder of Focus on the Family, dies at 89

Dr. James Dobson, the founder of Focus on the Family, passes away at 89

Dobson founded the conservative ministry Focus on the Family and was long…
NYPD welcomes nearly 1,100 recruits to academy – largest class in almost a decade

NYPD Enrolls Largest Academy Class in Nearly a Decade with Nearly 1,100 New Recruits

The NYPD has recently welcomed approximately 1,100 new recruits to its police…
What Chris Pratt Said on Bill Maher's Podcast Is Going to Have the Left Even More Furious With Him

Chris Pratt’s Comments on Bill Maher’s Podcast Are Likely to Upset Liberals Even Further

People often ask why I choose to treat Hollywood with a touch…
Judge reduces Menendez brothers' murder sentences

Menendez Brothers Aim for Parole in 1989 Parental Murder Case

But even if the board grants their parole, it could be months…
Teen arrested in Nassau County cyberbullying case involving threats on TikTok

Teen Detained in Nassau County for TikTok Cyberbullying and Threats

NASSAU COUNTY, Fla — The Nassau County Sheriff’s Office reported that earlier…
'Pack the Bags, We're Going on a Guilt Trip'—the Secret to the Democrats' Success

“Unpacking Emotional Appeals: How Guilt Drives the Democrats’ Success”

If you grew up in a predominantly conservative area with parents who…
Pope Leo opts to share papal residence with four associates, breaking with tradition

Pope Leo Breaks Tradition by Sharing Papal Residence with Four Associates

Pope Leo XIV is introducing changes at the Vatican by choosing to…
Alexandra Rosenfeld, Miss France, on the Miss Universe 2006 catwalk.

Beauty Queen Allegedly ‘Headbutted’ by Celebrity Chef Ex with Michelin Star and A-List Clientele

A FORMER Miss Europe beauty queen has claimed her celebrity chef ex-boyfriend…
CTU to hold Chicago rally calling out Governor JB Pritzker's CPS funding comments

Chicago Teachers Union Plans Rally to Address Governor Pritzker’s Remarks on CPS Funding

CHICAGO (WLS) — The deadline for a CPS budget is drawing near,…
Photo of a toddler with their face blurred, wearing a blue jacket and hat.

Tragic Escalator Accident: Toddler’s Arm Severed After Brief Moment of Inattention by Mother at Mall

A TWO-YEAR-OLD boy had his armed ripped off by an escalator in…