Rescue teams are still searching for 11 children and one camp counselor missing from a girls’ summer camp.
A desperate search for 11 children campers continued into Sunday, after devastating floods killed at least 70 people in central Texas.
The group of girls and one counselor are missing from Camp Mystic, an all-girls Christian summer camp along the Guadalupe River that was ravaged by the floods, officials said.
At least four girls missing from the summer camp were found dead. At least 21 children were killed in what Texas GOP Congressman Chip Roy called a “once-in-a-century flood.”Two girls — 13-year-old Blair and 11-year-old Brooke — were among those killed by the floods, their father told CNN on Saturday night. Harber said Blair “was a gifted student and had a generous, kind heart,” and described Brooke as “like a light in any room, people gravitated to her”.
The unexpected flash flooding struck on Friday after torrential rain along the Guadalupe River. The destructive force of the fast-rising waters just before dawn on Friday washed out homes and swept away vehicles.Key Points
Death toll rises to 70
At least 21 children are deceased
Witness accounts lay bare horror of the floods
Mapped: Where was hit by the deadly flooding?
Hundreds of volunteers search for missing individuals
Hundreds of people in the area impacted by the floods have set out to try and find any survivors of the floods, as the water begins to retreat.
Groups of people scoured the riverbanks of the Guadalupe River on Sunday, seeing if they could find any individuals.
The likelihood of finding survivors decreases every hour that passes, but volunteers are still looking, even to just give family members some closure.George W. Bush offers condolences
Former president George W. Bush and first lady Laura Bush released a statement sending condolences to the victims of the Texas floods.
“We are heartbroken by the loss of life and the agony so many are feeling. Those who have lost their precious children are facing a grief no parents should ever know. We are grateful to the first responders and volunteers who are working to find the missing and comfort the grieving at Camp Mystic and along the Guadalupe,” Bush said.
“We know our words cannot help, but we believe the prayers of so many Americans will.”
Officials still unsure why camps weren’t evacuated
Officials in Kerrville, Texas, could not provide an answer as to why the summer camps located along the Guadalupe River were not evacuated ahead of the storm.
While weather offices in the surrounding area did issue warnings about the impending storm and potential flash flooding, they were unable to predict the size and scale of the unprecedented flooding.
National Weather Service offices did issue flood warnings as the water level rose and rain continued to pour down.
But when asked why those camps did not evacuate at that point, Kerrville City Manager Dalton Rice said, “That, that is a great question.”
Rice said they were focused on finding the 11 missing campers and one missing counselor from Camp Mystic first.Texas officials question scaled-back Weather Service’s flood forecasts – but experts say the agency did all it could
Texas officials are questioning the actions of the National Weather Service leading up to Friday’s deadly floods, as fellow meteorologists defend the agency.
Some state and local officials say the NWS didn’t provide accurate forecasts ahead of Friday’s destructive flooding, months after President Donald Trump’s administration gutted the agency and experts warned forecasts could suffer.
