At least 24 individuals have lost their lives in Texas due to severe rain that led to flash flooding, as reported by local media.
Authorities have also revealed that 23 children are currently unaccounted for from a girls’ camp in the state.
Overnight, central Kerr County experienced up to 10 inches (25 centimeters) of relentless rain in just a few hours, triggering flash floods along the Guadalupe River. An official from the city of Kerville informed reporters that the flooding struck unexpectedly before dawn, occurring within a very short window that even radar could not predict.
Judge Rob Kelly, the elected leader of the county, confirmed the fatalities and noted that there have been dozens of water rescues conducted so far. He stated at a news conference that “most” of the deceased have yet to be identified. “We’re trying to get the identity of these individuals, but we don’t have it yet,” he remarked.
In the wake of the flooding, emergency services are vigorously searching for those who are missing, including the 23 girls. These children were part of a group of over 700 campers when floodwaters rushed in around 4 a.m. local time. The majority of the campers are safe, but immediate evacuation has been stalled due to high water making local roads impassable.
“Everyone is doing everything in their power to get these kids out,” Judge Kelly stated.
Elinor Lester, 13, recounted waking up with her cabin mates to a fierce storm at 1:30 a.m. and being airlifted to safety. “The camp was completely destroyed,” she shared, describing the ordeal as “really scary.”
When questioned about the lack of precautionary measures given the storm forecasts, Judge Kelly emphasized that such a disaster was unforeseen. “We have floods all the time. This is the most dangerous river valley in the United States,” he explained, adding, “We had no reason to believe this was going to be anything like what’s happened here. None whatsoever.”
Search efforts are currently utilizing 14 helicopters and a dozen drones in the area, while hundreds of emergency personnel are on the ground conducting rescue operations.
Families anxiously looking for their loved ones have commented on a Facebook post from the Kerr County sheriff’s office. One woman expressed her distress at being unable to contact her daughter, who had rented a cabin with her husband and two children. She urged officials to disclose the names of those who had been evacuated.
Authorities have cautioned that the death toll may rise, as search and rescue missions for an unknown number of missing people are still underway, and they continue to work on identifying the deceased.