Search operations continue after Texas floods; dozens killed
The search for people missing after deadly flash flooding along the Guadalupe River in Texas continued Sunday, July 6. Authorities said there are at least 68 people who have died in Kerr County, including 28 children. Ten other deaths were confirmed in Travis, Burnet, Kendall, Tom Green and Williamson counties, the Associated Press reported.
There are still around 10 girls and one counselor unaccounted for from Camp Mystic, an all-girls Christian camp in Hunt, Kerr County Sheriff Larry Leitha said. At a press conference, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said 41 people were confirmed to be missing, but there could be more.
Helicopters, boats and drones were deployed by rescuers to find people.
‘Horrendously ravaged’
Reuters reported that heavy rain drove river waters as high as 29 feet on Friday, July 4, when the flooding started. On Saturday, July 5, Abbott said he visited Camp Mystic and that it was “horrendously ravaged.”
“The height the rushing water reached to the top of cabins was shocking. We won’t stop until we find every girl who was in those cabins,” Abbott said in a post on X.
In one cabin, Reuters notes, mud lines showed that the water had risen at least 6 feet from the floor, and personal belongings were caked with mud. There were some buildings with broken windows, and one had a missing wall.
Disaster declaration announced
President Donald Trump announced Sunday, July 6, that he had signed a disaster declaration.
“These families are enduring an unimaginable tragedy, with many lives lost, and many still missing,” he wrote on Truth Social. “The Trump Administration continues to work closely with State and Local Leaders.”
Some have questioned whether people were given enough notice about the storm. AccuWeather said in a statement to the Associated Press that it and the National Weather Service sent warnings about flash floods hours before the disaster on July 4.
“These warnings should have provided officials with ample time to evacuate camps such as Camp Mystic and get people to safety,” the statement said.
The National Weather Service San Antonio-Austin extended a flood watch through 7 p.m. on Sunday, July 6. Rainfall amounts of 2 to 4 inches are possible, as well as “isolated pockets of 10 inches” in the watch area.
Ella Rae Greene, Editor In Chief
