The central region of Texas in the United States faced a devastating flood over the weekend, resulting in at least 109 deaths and 161 people missing. Governor Greg Abbott of Texas stated that the severity of this flood surpasses that of Hurricane Harvey in 2017, with rescue teams working tirelessly to search for the missing individuals. The governor warned that the death toll could potentially rise further.
“This death toll far exceeds that of Hurricane Harvey, illustrating the severity of this disaster,” Abbott said at a press conference on Tuesday, July 8th.
Kerr County in Texas was one of the hardest-hit areas by this flood. The governor confirmed that the death toll from the flood has reached 109, with 94 victims from Kerr County and 15 from other parts of Texas.
Sheriff Larry Leitha of Kerr County mentioned that hundreds of rescue personnel have arrived in the affected areas near the Guadalupe River, with local, federal, and state-level authorities putting in efforts to search for the bodies of the deceased and those still missing.
Abbott stated, “Through collaboration with various law enforcement agencies, they have provided me with this number: 161 people are known to be missing in the Kerr County area alone.”
He noted that the increase in missing persons is due to authorities intensifying search efforts, “trying to gather accurate information about those who did not register at campsites, hotels, or whose whereabouts are not known to anyone.”
He pledged to continue the search until every missing person is found, urging the public for assistance.
When asked about the number of missing persons, Sheriff Leitha said, “This number is difficult to determine. I can only state the number of people we have found, apart from that, I have no information.”
The “Camp Mystic” summer camp in Hunt, Kerr County, was one of the worst-hit locations in the flood. The camp announced on Monday that at least 27 children and counselors tragically lost their lives in the flood. Currently, 5 campers and 1 counselor remain missing, with the identities of some victims yet to be confirmed, including 19 adults and 7 children.
The camp expressed in a statement, “Our hearts are with the families going through this unimaginable tragedy. We continue to pray for them,” and expressed gratitude to the community, frontline rescue personnel, and officials.
Massive search and rescue operations are still ongoing, with the Texas state government and federal agencies deploying significant manpower and resources, while community members actively provide assistance.
Officials urge people with information to continue reporting about missing persons to facilitate search operations, emphasizing that the rescue operation is deemed complete only when every missing person is found.
“Remember: we will not stop until we locate every missing person,” Abbott said, “also, please remember, this list could potentially see more additions.”
President Trump signed a major disaster declaration on Sunday, directing the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to intervene promptly in rescue operations to assist Texas in coping with the flood.
Trump mentioned plans to visit the disaster area by Friday, but emphasized that he does not want to “get in their way” during rescue efforts.
Texas Senator Ted Cruz stated at a press conference that the absence of more children perishing in the flood is “a miracle,” describing the scene in the disaster area as “shocking,” noting that water levels reached up to 8 feet in some small cabins. He revealed that his daughters had attended summer camps in central Texas over the past decade.
On the other hand, New York Senator Chuck Schumer wrote a letter to the Department of Commerce inquiring whether understaffing at the National Weather Service (NWS) affected the timeliness of flood warnings.
In response, the Trump administration stated that the weather service “has been diligent” and pointed out that the NWS issued a flood watch on July 3 at 2 PM, followed by a flash flood warning three hours before the flood outbreak.