2 months ago
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KERRVILLE, Texas -- Camp Mystic says it is "grieving the loss" of 27 campers and counselors arsenic the hunt continued Monday for victims of catastrophic Texas flooding implicit the Fourth of July vacation weekend.
The connection adds different furniture of heartbreak to the devastating flooding sent a partition of h2o done the century-old summertime camp.
"We person been successful connection with section and authorities authorities who are tirelessly deploying extended resources to hunt for our missing girls," the campy said successful a connection posted connected its website. "We are profoundly grateful for the outpouring of enactment from community, archetypal responders, and officials astatine each level."
With much rainfall connected the way, the hazard of life-threatening flooding was inactive precocious successful cardinal Texas connected Monday adjacent arsenic crews hunt urgently for the missing pursuing a vacation play deluge that killed much than 80 people. Officials said the decease toll was definite to rise.
Residents of Kerr County began clearing mud and salvaging what they could from their demolished properties arsenic they recounted harrowing escapes from rapidly rising floodwaters precocious Friday.
Reagan Brown said his parents, successful their 80s, managed to flight uphill arsenic h2o inundated their location successful the municipality of Hunt. When the mates learned that their 92-year-old neighbour was trapped successful her attic, they went backmost and rescued her.
"Then they were capable to scope their toolshed up higher ground, and neighbors passim the aboriginal greeting began to amusement up astatine their toolshed, and they each rode it retired together," Brown said.
A fewer miles away, rescuers maneuvering done challenging terrain filled with snakes continued their hunt for the missing, including those from Camp Mystic, an all-girls summertime campy that sustained monolithic damage. On Sunday afternoon, much than 2 days aft the floods tore done the camp, authorities had said that immoderate of the girls and a counsellor had inactive not been found.
Gov. Greg Abbott said Sunday that 41 radical were unaccounted for crossed the authorities and much could beryllium missing.
In the Hill Country area, location to respective summertime camps, searchers person recovered the bodies of 68 people, including 28 children, Kerr County Sheriff Larry Leitha said.
Ten different deaths were reported successful Travis, Burnet, Kendall, Tom Green and Williamson counties, according to section officials.
The politician warned that further rounds of dense rains lasting into Tuesday could nutrient much unsafe flooding, particularly successful places already saturated.
Families were allowed to look astir the campy opening Sunday morning. One miss walked retired of a gathering carrying a ample bell. A antheral whose girl was rescued from a compartment connected the highest constituent successful the campy walked a riverbank, looking successful clumps of trees and nether large rocks.
One household near with a bluish footlocker. A teenage miss had tears moving down her look arsenic they dilatory drove distant and she gazed done the unfastened model astatine the wreckage.
Searching the catastrophe zone
Nearby crews operating dense instrumentality pulled histrion trunks and tangled branches from the river. With each passing hour, the outlook of uncovering much survivors became adjacent much bleak.
Volunteers and immoderate families of the missing came to the catastrophe portion and searched contempt being asked not to bash so.
Authorities faced increasing questions astir whether capable warnings were issued successful an country agelong susceptible to flooding and whether capable preparations were made.
President Donald Trump signed a large catastrophe declaration Sunday for Kerr County and said helium would apt sojourn Friday: "I would person done it today, but we'd conscionable beryllium successful their way."
"It's a horrible happening that took place, perfectly horrible," helium told reporters.
Prayers successful Texas - and from the Vatican
Abbott vowed that authorities volition enactment astir the timepiece and said caller areas were being searched arsenic the h2o receded. He declared Sunday a time of supplication for the state.
In Rome, Pope Leo XIV offered peculiar prayers for those touched by the disaster. The archetypal American pope spoke successful English astatine the extremity of his Sunday noon blessing, saying, "I would similar to explicit sincere condolences to each the families who person mislaid loved ones, successful peculiar their daughters who were successful summertime camp, successful the catastrophe caused by the flooding of the Guadalupe River successful Texas successful the United States. We commune for them."
Desperate refuge and trees and attics
Survivors shared terrifying stories of being swept distant and clinging to trees arsenic rampaging floodwaters carried trees and cars past them. Others fled to attics, praying the h2o wouldn't scope them.
At Camp Mystic, a compartment afloat of girls held onto a enactment strung by rescuers arsenic they walked crossed a span with h2o whipping astir their legs.
Among those confirmed dormant were an 8-year-old miss from Mountain Brook, Alabama, who was astatine Camp Mystic, and the manager of different campy up the road.
Two school-age sisters from Dallas were missing aft their compartment was swept away. Their parents were staying successful a antithetic compartment and were safe, but the girls' grandparents were unaccounted for.
Warnings came earlier the disaster
On Thursday the National Weather Service advised of imaginable flooding and past sent retired a bid of flash flood warnings successful the aboriginal hours of Friday earlier issuing flash flood emergencies - a uncommon alert notifying of imminent danger.
Authorities and elected officials person said they did not expect specified an aggravated downpour, the equivalent of months' worthy of rainfall for the area.
Kerrville City Manager Dalton Rice said authorities are committed to a afloat reappraisal of the exigency response.
Trump, asked whether helium was inactive readying to signifier retired the Federal Emergency Management Agency, said that was thing "we tin speech astir later, but close present we are engaged working." He has said helium wants to overhaul if not wholly destruct FEMA and sharply criticized its performance.
Trump besides was asked whether helium planned to rehire immoderate of the national meteorologists who were fired this twelvemonth arsenic portion of wide authorities spending cuts.
"I would deliberation not. This was a happening that happened successful seconds. Nobody expected it. Nobody saw it. Very talented radical there, and they didn't spot it," the president said.
Seewer reported from Toledo, Ohio. Contributing to this study were Associated Press writers Christopher Weber successful Los Angeles; Adrian Sainz successful Memphis, Tennessee; Cedar Attanasio successful New York; Sophia Tareen successful Chicago; Michelle Price successful Morristown, N.J.; and Nicole Winfield successful Rome.
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