As of Monday, July 7, the floods that occurred in central Texas during the Independence Day holiday have resulted in at least 104 deaths, with rescue workers still searching for more victims of the floods throughout the state.
In Kerr County, the hardest-hit area, officials have reported finding 84 bodies, including 28 children. Other counties such as Travis, Burnet, Kendall, Tom Green, and Williamson have reported a total of 19 deaths.
Officials have stated that they expect the death toll to rise further.
With the death toll surpassing 100, the rescue operation has entered its fourth day. The Trump administration has denied allegations that federal personnel cuts have impacted the response to the Texas floods.
White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt stated on Monday that the National Weather Service offices in San Angelo and San Antonio had “sufficient staffing” during the catastrophic flood event.
Leavitt emphasized that many Democratic elected officials are attempting to politicize the situation, but the government is treating it as a national tragedy. Earlier, Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer called for an investigation into staffing at the Texas NWS to determine if it had an impact on the deadly tragedy.
The disaster has raised concerns about the reasons and weather factors behind the sudden flooding. Heavy rain started hitting central Texas on Friday. On that morning, the Guadalupe River, flowing through the Hill Country, surged 26 feet (about 8 meters) within 45 minutes.
The National Weather Service initially forecasted rainfall of 4 to 8 inches in the region, but actual rainfall reached up to 15 inches. Due to the thin layer of topsoil covering limestone and granite, the rainwater could not seep into the ground quickly.
State and local officials have refused to answer questions about whether enough warnings were issued in advance, why evacuations were not timely, and have stated that the current focus is on the ongoing rescue and recovery efforts.
Camp Mystic, a Christian girls’ camp located in Kerr County, announced on Monday that 27 campers and counselors lost their lives in the catastrophic flood of the Guadalupe River.
“Our hearts are mourning for the 27 campers and counselors who lost their lives in the catastrophic flood of the Guadalupe River,” the camp stated on its website.
The camp explained that they are in contact with state and local authorities, who are still allocating resources to search for missing campers. They expressed gratitude for the support from the community and emergency personnel.
Rescue teams are navigating challenging terrain to continue searching for flood victims, including more campers from Camp Mystic.
Near the camp, rescue crews are using heavy equipment to move tree trunks and other debris in the river, hoping to find more survivors. Authorities announced on Sunday afternoon, two days after the flood hit the camp, that some campers and counselors are still missing.
Governor Abbott stated on Sunday that at least 41 people are still missing statewide, and the actual number of missing persons could be higher.
The military department of Texas announced on Sunday that a total of 520 people have been rescued, with most rescued through helicopter evacuations.
The Governor warned that heavy rain is forecasted to continue until Tuesday, which could lead to even more dangerous floods in saturated areas.
President Trump declared a major disaster for Kerr County on Sunday and mentioned the possibility of visiting the disaster area by Friday.
“I was going to go there today, but that would have been a hindrance,” Trump told reporters. “This is a horrible thing, too terrible.”
In Rome, Pope Leo XIV prayed for the victims of the disaster. The first American pope blessed and expressed sincere condolences to the families who lost loved ones in the Guadalupe River floods in Texas, especially those who lost their daughters attending summer camp. He stated, “We pray for them.”
This article has been based on reporting from English version of Epoch Times.