The Devastating floods in Texas have claimed at least 67 lives, including 21 children, and rescue crews are still looking for people who may still be missing.
Communities and summer camps in central Texas were submerged when rivers overflowed due to Friday’s intense rains.
At the centre of the Texas Hill Country tragedy, Kerr County, has already reported 59 fatalities.
Sheriff Larry Leitha said that includes the 21 children in this number.
He said that four youngsters and eighteen adults are still awaiting identification.
Furthermore, Camp Mystic is a historic Christian girls camp along the Guadalupe River that blew over its banks during the storms,
leaving eleven girls and a counsellor missing.
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When the floodwaters struck, there were about 700 females living in the camp.
Also, According to a counsellor, the camp’s top cabins were flooded, requiring frightened youngsters to be evacuated aboard military trucks.
Deaths were also caused by floodwaters in nearby counties. Burnet County reported two fatalities,
Kendall County reported one, and Travis County reported four dead and thirteen missing.
A woman was also discovered dead in her flooded automobile in San Angelo.
Texas Floods; Rescue Team Say 850 Person Have Been Rescued So Far!
Officials said over 850 people have been rescued so far, including some who clung to trees to escape the rising waters.
With more rain expected and a flood watch still in effect for Kerr County, authorities warn that the death toll could rise further.
Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump has issued a major disaster declaration,
prompting the deployment of Federal Emergency Management Agency teams and Coast Guard helicopters to assist local responders.
However, the Texas floods have also sparked criticism of deep staffing cuts at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration under the Trump administration,
which some say may have undermined the capacity to issue timely and precise weather warnings.
Kristi Noem, the secretary of homeland security, admitted that the original forecast had only issued a “moderate” flood watch,
Further failing to account for the magnitude of the final storm that caused river levels to rise to 29 feet.
Experts and local officials caution that underfunded weather offices may make towns more susceptible to future disasters.
The cruelty of the catastrophe is shown in scenes at Camp Mystic. Bed frames, mattresses, and personal items are lying broken and covered in filth, and mud lines extend six feet up the cottage walls.
According to reports, Richard “Dick” Eastland, the camp’s long-time director, passed away while attempting to rescue campers.