Rescue teams on Monday were traversing storm-ravaged terrain and scouring for signs of life as a search for those missing in central Texas grew more desperate and a threat of more flooding loomed.
Hundreds of local, state and federal authorities as well as scores of local volunteers were involved as the search entered its fourth day. At least 81 people have died in the flooding since Friday, including at least 28 children in Kerr County alone – the epicenter of the deadly flash floods that came as many were sleeping, officials said.
Across the state, 41 known people remained unaccounted for, said Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, noting that the number of missing people is higher as thousands were in the Texas Hill Country celebrating Independence Day weekend when the floods broke out.
The missing include 10 children and a counselor from Camp Mystic, a beloved all girls Christian camp near the Guadalupe River, which became a mass torrent of water as it surged over 26 feet in less than an hour on Friday.
As rescuers search for people by air, land and water, officials are warning those in central Texas that the flooding threat is not over. Abbott on Sunday said that expected storms “pose life-threatening danger” especially in parts of the state such as Kerrville that have been inundated with heavy rain.
“If you’re in any of those regions, you need to realize, for one, you’re in an area that is already saturated with water,“ he said. “When more water comes down, it could lead to rapid flash flooding events.”
Flood watch in effect across central Texas as rescues continue
The National Weather Service extended a flood watch through 7 p.m. local time as downpours were expected through Monday, including in hard-hit parts of the state.
Federal forecasters said it’s difficult to pinpoint exact locations where the heaviest rain will fall, noting that an uptick in intensity is possible over the Hill Country, where the worst of deadly floods have occurred.
Widespread rainfall amounts of 2 to 4 inches were expected, forecasters said, warning that some areas could receive 10 inches of rain.
“The thunderstorms should become more organized and move westward possibly across the flood-ravaged portion of Texas during the day today,” the weather service said Monday.
Trump plans to visit Texas after deadly floods
Trump said he expects to visit Texas later this week after catastrophic flooding caused extensive death and destruction in the state.
“Probably on Friday,” Trump told reporters on Sunday when asked about visiting the state. “We wanted to leave a little time. I would’ve done it today, but we’d just be in their way.”
Earlier on Sunday, Trump signed a major disaster declaration for hard-hit Kerr County, unlocking federal funding for first responders on the ground and offering FEMA assistance to victims of the flooding.
— Zac Anderson
