Rescue Efforts Continue as Death Toll Rises to 78 in Texas Floods
Hunt, Texas: Rescue teams are racing against time to locate dozens of missing individuals due to the floods in Texas, which have already claimed 78 lives. The disaster has affected numerous communities, including a camp called Mystic where 750 girls and a Christian group counselor were staying by the banks of the Guadalupe River.
Impact on Camp Mystic
On Sunday, residents joined forces with authorities to search for the missing, including 10 girls and a counselor from the Christian group who were camping near the river. The campsite in Kerr County was strewn with blankets, teddy bears, and the belongings of the girls, now coated in mud. The force of the current shattered the windows of the cabins.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott stated that there were approximately 750 minors at the Mystic camp when the river overflowed. He described the situation as “devastating in a way I’ve never seen in any natural disaster.”
“The water reached the top of the cabins,” Abbott explained on social media after visiting the area. “We will not stop until we find all the girls.”
Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick warned that the heavy rainfall expected on Sunday would lead to further flooding.
Rising Death Toll and Heroic Acts
The death toll continues to climb, with Kerry County Sheriff Larry Leitha reporting 40 adults and 28 children among the 68 fatalities. Additionally, at least ten more people have died in nearby regions.
Patrick recounted how a camp Mystic worker braved the current to break a cabin window, enabling a group of girls to escape drowning.
“To survive, the girls swam for 10 to 15 minutes—in the dark, amidst churning waters, with trees whizzing by and rocks falling around them,” Patrick described.
Earlier, search teams reported that 27 girls from the camp were missing. However, Dalton Rice, an official from Kerrville, where Camp Mystic is located, revised this number to 11 on Sunday.
Federal Aid and Future Rainfall
President Donald Trump signed a major disaster declaration on Sunday, releasing federal resources for Texas. He described the situation as “a catastrophe not seen in 100 years” and expressed his intention to visit the state “probably” by Friday.
The National Weather Service (NWS) warned of the risk of additional downpours, as heavy rainfall is expected in already saturated areas of Texas. The service forecasted another 50 to 100 millimeters of rain, with isolated pockets of up to 250 millimeters.
“Flash floods are common in South and Central Texas, where the tragedy occurred, due to the soil’s inability to absorb torrential rainfall quickly,” explained the NWS. “The area where last weekend’s flood originated is known as ‘Flash Flood Alley.'”
On Friday, the Guadalupe River rose eight meters in just 45 minutes because of over 300 millimeters of rainfall during the night, which is more than a third of the annual average precipitation.
Key Questions and Answers
- Q: How many people are missing due to the Texas floods? Dozens of people are still missing, including 10 girls and a counselor from the Christian group at Camp Mystic.
- Q: What is the current death toll from the Texas floods? The death toll has risen to 78, with 40 adults and 28 children among the fatalities in Kerry County.
- Q: How is the situation at Camp Mystic? The campsite has been devastated, with cabins’ windows shattered and belongings of the girls covered in mud. 750 girls and a counselor were present when the river overflowed.
- Q: What is the risk of further flooding in Texas? The National Weather Service warns of additional heavy rainfall, which could lead to more flash floods in already saturated areas.
