A July Fourth weekend deluge in Texas caused catastrophic flash flooding that has killed more than 80 people.
A July Fourth weekend deluge in Texas causedcatastrophic flash floodingthat has killed more than 80 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 senta wall of waterthrough 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 68 people, including 28 children, and 10 otherdeaths have been reportedin other parts of Texas.
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Officials to hold a news conference on the search and rescue effort
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 floods were at their worst when many people were asleep
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.
Officials face scrutiny over flash flood warnings
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,” meaningthat 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 publicreeled at the cost.
Search and rescue teams are heading back out to look for flood victims
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.
The Associated Press