AT least 50 people including children have been killed in the Texas floods, and 27 young girls still missing from their summer camp.
Rescuers are still scouring the devastated landscape in central Texas, but hopes of finding survivors are dwindling.
Kerr County experienced the most severe impact, especially in regions near the Guadalupe River, where water levels surged by 26 feet within just 45 minutes due to an unexpected deluge of rain.
Larry Leitha, Kerr County sheriff, said: “We have recovered 43 deceased individuals in Kerr County.
“Among these who are deceased we have 28 adults and 15 children.”
Multiple people lost their lives in other counties, bringing the current confirmed death toll to 50 – though this is sadly expected to rise.
The most desperate search is for 27 school-age girls who went missing from Camp Mystic – a Christian summer camp near the river.
A spokesperson reported that the families of missing children have been informed, and numerous parents have taken to social media to urgently seek information about their daughters.
Nim Kidd, the head of the Texas Department of Emergency Management, stated that teams working by air, land, and water are thoroughly searching the Guadalupe River region for survivors and to recover any deceased individuals.
“We will continue the search until all those who are missing are found,” he said.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott said he was expanding a state disaster declaration and was requesting additional federal resources from President Donald Trump.
Out of the misery have come some extraordinary stories of survival.
A 22-year-old woman was miraculously rescued from a tree after being swept 20 miles downstream by ferocious floodwaters.
