At least 27 dead and 27 summer camp girls missing in massive flooding in Texas
Emergency teams have rescued more than 850 people and eight are injured.
BarcelonaThe sudden rise of the Guadalupe River in central and southern Texas, in the United States, has caused massive flooding that has left at least 27 people dead, according to the latest, still preliminary, report from local authorities. Meanwhile, emergency teams continue their intense investigation because dozens are still missing. 2 summer.
Larry Leitha Jr., the sheriff of Kerr County, one of the hardest hit counties, reported in a press conference this Saturday that among the dead are 18 adults and 9 minors. due to the heavy rains that have affected the area since Thursday night and are expected to continue until Sunday morning. holiday in the United States, many people had come to the area to camp near the river. "Information will change every minute," Rice warned. The death toll could end up being higher. Flooding has knocked out power and phone service in some areas and made some roads impassable, hampering rescue efforts for survivors.
The missing girls are from the oldest camp in the world, which housed 750 girls in total. Camp directors had to request emergency air assistance from authorities because of the rising rivers. They reported that many participants had not been located and that some cabins at the camp had been flooded. camp, which was 9 years old.
"The camp has been totally destroyed," Elinor Lester, 13, who was staying at Camp Mystic, told the Associated Press. Texas State Rep. Greg Abbott called the flooding an "extraordinary catastrophe" and signed an emergency declaration giving rescue teams access to all necessary resources. the U.S. Coast Guard and the Federal Emergency Management Agency to help search for the missing. Tragedy," he wrote on Truth Social, where he applauded the work of the rescue teams.
Flash and extreme flooding
The U.S. Weather Service declared a flash flood emergency in several locations in Kerr County, about 100 kilometers northwest of San Antonio, Thursday night. That night, more than 300 liters per square meter of rainfall accumulated in the Hunt area, where Camp Mystic is located, and the Guadalupe River rose 8 meters in just 45 minutes, sweeping away homes and vehicles.
State emergency management officials had warned Thursday that West and Central Texas would experience heavy rains and threats of flash flooding in the coming days, citing forecasts from the Federal Weather Service. But as the hours pass, voices grow louder, warning that the camp and others in the area did not receive adequate warning or make the necessary preparations to prevent the tragedy. Texas Division of Emergency Management Director Nim Kidd issued an explanation Friday night that the weather forecasts in question "did not predict the amount of rain" that actually fell.
The situation reminds residents of this area, which is accustomed to flooding, of a similar tragedy in July 1987, when ten teenagers died at a Christian camp in the town of Comfort, which also suffered significant damage this time.
The danger is not over yet, as intermittent rain and storms are expected to continue until Sunday morning, and flooding is forecast downriver through Saturday night in the area from Comfort to Spring Branch.
