Texas floods leave 24 dead, over 20 girls still missing from camp. Yahoo!
Heavy rains caused massive flooding in Texas overnight on July 4. The sudden downpour led to dangerous conditions across parts of the Texas Hill Country. One of the hardest-hit locations was Camp Mystic, a girls-only summer camp on the Guadalupe River.
Reports say 23 campers from the camp remain unaccounted for. There were around 750 girls at the camp before the flooding began. Officials confirmed that cabins were washed away. Flooded roads made rescue efforts more difficult.
Camp Officials Ask for Help
Two of the camp directors contacted authorities for immediate help. They said several girls were missing and asked for urgent assistance. Camp Mystic later sent out an email to families.
"If you have not been personally contacted, then your daughter is accounted for," the email read. It also mentioned that the camp was working closely with search and rescue teams. The email explained that washed-out roads made it hard for help to reach them.
An official told reporters they could not confirm that all campers were safe. "We know that there are some missing. We know where some of them are and stranded," they said.
Area Declared Disaster Zone
Kerr County, where the camp is located, saw around six to ten inches of rainfall in just a few hours. The Kerr County Sheriff’s Office called the flooding “catastrophic.” So far, 13 people have died due to the extreme weather.
A photo from the scene showed campers walking through ankle-deep water. Many were evacuated as the water levels rose rapidly overnight.
Officials React to the Tragedy
Acting Governor Dan Patrick spoke about the emergency. He confirmed that 23 campers had not been found yet. He also assured the public that the state was responding with all available resources.
Judge Kelly, who attended a press conference on Friday, said no one expected this kind of flooding. “We didn’t know this flood was coming,” he said. “We had no reason to believe it would be anything like this.”
Governor Greg Abbott also addressed the situation. He said the state had already sent help and was sending even more after the disaster unfolded. He urged people to listen to local officials and stay away from flooded roads.
Rain Continues Across the Region
The City of Kerrville posted an update Friday afternoon. They warned that more rain was expected in the region. Forecasts suggested another one to three inches could fall before evening.
People living in affected areas were asked to stay alert and avoid low-lying roads.
