A July Fourth weekend deluge in Texas caused catastrophic flash flooding that has killed at least 89 people. Camp Mystic in Kerr County says Monday morning that it is “grieving the loss” of 27 …
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A July Fourth weekend deluge in Texas caused catastrophic flash flooding that has killed at least 89 people.
Camp Mystic in Kerr County says Monday morning that it is “grieving the loss” of 27 campers and counselors as the search continues for victims of the disaster. The flooding sent a wall of water through the century-old summer camp Friday.
The risk of life-threatening flooding was still high in central Texas with more rain on the way.
The Texas Hill Country is home to several summer camps. Searchers there have found the bodies of 75 people, including 27 children. Fourteen other deaths have been reported in other parts of Texas.
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“Louisiana stands with Texas, and we are committed to doing whatever it takes to assist in their recovery,” Gov. Jeff Landry said.
“The last day has brought unimaginable grief to many families and we mourn with them as well as holding out hope for survivors,” the Texas Republican wrote over the weekend.
A staffer in his office didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment.
Those wanting to support relief and recovery efforts should donate to the Community Foundation of the Texas Hill Country, officials said during a news conference.
The nonprofit’s website says it will “direct funds to vetted organizations providing rescue, relief and recovery efforts.”
Kerrville City Manager Dalton Rice and Mayor Joe Herring said that while there was a continued need for volunteers, those looking to help should first register with the Kerrville Salvation Army.
“We need focused and coordinated volunteers, not random people showing up and doing what they do,” said Herring.
The warm water of the Gulf fueled the moist atmosphere, and even more moisture came from areas over the Pacific Ocean to the west.
Remnants of moisture from Tropical Storm Barry also lingered over Texas because the jet stream, a current of air that moves weather patterns, wasn’t there to push it away.
The combination gave the storm plenty of fuel once it got started.
Meteorologists said that an atmosphere warmed by human-caused climate change can hold more moisture and allow bad storms to dump more rain, though it’s hard to connect specific storms to a warming planet so soon after they occur.
A video posted by Devon Paige shows girls on a bus singing the lyrics to “Pass It On,” a Christian hymn written by Kurt Kaiser.
“I wish for you, my friend,” they chant, their bus rolling past toppled trees, and a rescue vehicle, flashers on. “This happiness that I’ve found.”
As the bus passes a National Guard Jeep, the terrified chorus sings, “I’ll shout it from the mountaintop.” In unison, they shout, “Praise God.”
Most of those requesting assistance needed help replacing their passports, President Claudia Sheinbaum said. Nine people asked for help to return to Mexico.
Sheinbaum said proudly that two Mexican girls helped to rescue other girls.
She said that the consulate is “in constant communication with the families, and when weather conditions permit, they will visit the shelters.”
“This is not a time for partisan finger-pointing and attacks,” the Republican senator said. “There will be a time to find out what could have been done differently. My hope is, in time, we learn some lessons to implement the next time there is a flood.”
Cruz said the situation in Kerr County is “every parent’s nightmare.”
“The pain and agony of not knowing your children’s whereabouts is the worst thing imaginable,” Cruz said during a news conference with local officials.
The bodies of 27 children are among those that have been recovered, officials said during a news conference.
Ten campers and one counselor remain missing, officials said.
Officials had previously said the death toll in Kerr County was 68. Ten other deaths have been reported in other parts of Texas.
Slow-moving, heavy rainfall is expected to reach up to 4 additional inches, the National Weather Service said.
The flood watch lasts through 7 p.m. local time.
The 10 a.m. Central news conference will be the first official update since Camp Mystic officials confirmed early this morning that they lost 27 campers and counselors when a wall of water swept through the campground in the middle of the night on the Fourth of July.
The Texas Hill Country in the central part of the state is naturally prone to flash flooding due to the dry dirt-packed areas where the soil lets rain skid along the surface of the landscape instead of soaking it up.
Friday’s flash floods started with a particularly bad storm that dropped most of its 12 inches (30 centimeters) of rain in the dark, early morning hours.
▶ What to know about the flash floods
Survivors have described the floods as a “pitch black wall of death” and said they received no emergency warnings.
Kerr County Judge Rob Kelly, who lives along the Guadalupe River, said Saturday that “ nobody saw this coming.” Various officials have referred to it as a “100-year-flood,” meaning that the water levels were highly unlikely based on the historical record.
And records behind those statistics don’t always account for human-caused climate change.
Additionally, officials have come under scrutiny about why residents and youth summer camps along the river were not alerted sooner than 4 a.m. or told to evacuate.
Officials noted that the public can grow weary from too many flooding alerts or forecasts that turn out to be minor.
Kerr County officials said they had presented a proposal for a more robust flood warning system, similar to a tornado warning system, but that members of the public reeled at the cost.
Organizers at a staging area in Center Point said more than 1,000 volunteers have been directed to the area about 8 miles (13 kilometers) south of Kerrville, and more are being sent.
