The catastrophic flooding over the July Fourth weekend in central Texas has claimed at least 104 lives, with dozens still missing and rescue teams scrambling to find more survivors, according to a report published by The Associated Press on Tuesday.
Devastation at Camp Mystic
According to the report, the worst-hit area is Kerr County, home to Camp Mystic, a century-old all-girls Christian summer camp.
Officials confirmed to the news agency the deaths of 27 campers and counselors there, with 10 campers and one counselor still believed to be missing.
“We have found the bodies of 84 people, including 28 children,” the report said, quoting local authorities.
The sudden gush of flood waters was reported before dawn Friday, sweeping campers and residents off their feet and dragging them downstream amid floating debris, including tree trunks and cars.
According to the report, rescue teams found some survivors clinging to trees or swimming out of cabin windows.
A mother whose children were at Camp Mystic and Camp La Junta, narrated the ordeal to the AP, telling the publication about how her son “had to swim out his cabin window to escape,” while her daughter fled up a hillside as the floodwaters rose.
Questions Arise on Flood Warnings and Disaster Preparedness
Officials, the report said, are investigating whether sufficient warnings were issued in advance and why some camps did not evacuate despite the well-known risks.
“We definitely want to dive in and look at all those things. We are looking forward to doing that once we can get the search and rescue complete,” AP quoted Kerrville City Manager Dalton Rice as saying.
Cellular network issues in the remote areas complicated communication efforts,the report said, adding that some camps were proactive as they moved campers to higher ground ahead of the storm.
Stressing that “this is not that time (for political fights)”, Senator Ted Cruz said, “There will be a time to find out what could been done differently,” as reported by the AP.
The National Weather Service has issued flash flood warnings starting Thursday night, escalating to flash flood emergencies early Friday.
President Donald Trump, who declared Kerr County a disaster zone, plans to visit Texas Friday. “This was a thing that happened in seconds. Nobody expected it.”
Rescue Efforts Underway
An estimated total of over 1,000 volunteers are involved in Search-and-rescue operations, the report further said.
Meanwhile, Kerrville officials have urged people not to fly drones after one drone reportedly collided with an emergency helicopter, forcing it to land.
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