Number of missing in deadly Texas floods drops to three
The flash floods following a torrential downpour on 4 July killed 135 people in, including children at Camp Mystic, a Christian all-girls' summer camp along the Guadalupe River.
Dozens of others were reported missing. But on late Saturday, the city of Kerrville, at the heart of the disaster, reported that many had been verified as safe.
Kerrville City Manager Dalton Rice said that it took "countless hours of coordinated search and rescue operations, careful investigative work, and an unwavering commitment to bringing clarity and hope to families".
In a Facebook post, the city said ,000 federal, state and local officials had worked "tirelessly" to track down the missing and that search teams were now reuniting them with their families.
Kerrville Mayor Joe Herring, Jr. said in the post: "Our thoughts remain with the families still awaiting news, and we will continue to stand with them as efforts persist."
Earlier this week, officials said the number of people who were missing had fallen from 160 to 100 in Kerr County - the hardest hit area - and nearby areas thanks to the help of thousands of rescuers.
Officials said many people who were initially reported as missing had been verified as safe and were removed from the list.
At Camp Mystic, at least 27 campers and counselors died after the Guadalupe River flooded from the torrential rains. The river rose 26ft (8m) in the span of just 45 minutes as young children, staff and residents slept in homes along the river.
In the wake of the deadly tragedy, questions were raised about whether adequate warnings were provided and why camps weren't evacuated ahead of the deluge.
Experts have said a number of factor led to the deadly impact of the flash flood, including the pre-dawn timing, the location of some homes, the patchwork of cell service and its overall speed and severity.
President Donald Trump visited the wreckage last week to express his "love and support" for those who had been affected, dismissing questions about whether more could have been done to warn residents.
Texas floods death toll climbs to at least 107
'Hero' dad, twin girls and riverside campers among Texas flood victims
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/resources/idt-3e86df88-5679-4f65-914f-97014d8a188f
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CBS News
an hour ago
- CBS News
North Plainfield, N.J. residents facing harsh realities following devastating flooding
The cleanup from the floods earlier this month in New Jersey continues, but for many residents, the struggle to rebuild is just beginning. In North Plainfield, the daunting task of hauling away the personal belongings of those losing what they own in floods is top of mind. North Plainfield Mayor Lawrence La Ronde told CBS News New York on Monday that crews will continue to work until every item is picked up. "They are taking everything away. My kid's playset, trampoline, all our furniture that we had downstairs. It's all gone now. Gotta start from zero again," resident Robert Aldred said. Aldred's cars were also destroyed, but said he is grateful because his wife and children were safe after being trapped in house by flood waters. "As I am talking to her on the phone, I could hear the kids crying in the background. They are completely nervous and you can't help but think about what happened in Texas a few weeks ago and I was just at work, helpless," Aldred said. Aldred, who dealt with Hurricane Ida as well, said he has applied for money to raise his home, but if it doesn't come through, he may have to consider selling. On the other side of town, crews were using heavy equipment to pick debris from a house explosion, and some homes in the neighborhood have been condemned. In nearby Scotch Plains, Vernecia Adams' gym, Pretty Beast Mode Fitness & Nutrition LLC., was ravaged by flood waters. "By closer to 7 o'clock, the complete door was blown off from pressure of the water," Adams said. With much of her equipment destroyed, the former body builder says her gym had to be shut down. "To kind of see everything be destroyed, I am not sure if it's salvage as of yet. I am not sure if I am going to be able to open up as of yet," Adams said. She also said it's unclear if her landlord will be able to make necessary repairs. "Part of it is climate change. Some of it is Scotch Plains is pitched a little lower, so a lot of the water was also rushing off of the hills," she said. "Also, the structure of the building, itself, needs work." Adams' boyfriend, Keron Heath, was helping her clean up. "I am just trying to do my best to be here for her and show support where needed. The community has definitely helped," Heath said. "I am really grateful for people who have helped out or tried to donate. If anybody else wants to, please feel free to reach out to me," Adams said.
CBS News
3 hours ago
- CBS News
Sen. Maria Cantwell urges Trump to invest in modernized weather forecast system: "The money will save you money"
Sen. Maria Cantwell is urging President Trump to prioritize modernizing the nation's weather forecasting system, saying the investment will save lives as well as money down the road. She released a letter to the president Monday, following through on her pledge to provide guidance that the administration can use to upgrade weather forecasting infrastructure. "The money will save you money, for sure," Cantwell said in an interview on CBS News Monday. "The kind of investments you could make here are about taking a $20 billion [disaster] event and saying, if we would have done these things in advance, it wouldn't have cost us that much money. If storms are costing us this much, we have to come up with better solutions." The Democratic congresswoman, a prominent voice in environmental policy on Capitol Hill and ranking member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, which oversees weather and disasters. Cantwell penned the letter in the wake of disastrous flooding that killed at least 135 people in Central Texas. The July 4 flash flood prompted a massive search and recovery operations and raised questions about whether forecasts and warnings could have been more effective ahead of time. Cantwell's letter outlined five bipartisan recommendations to improve U.S. forecasting. It comes as the Trump administration continues to make cuts at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the federal agency focused on weather and climate, and the National Weather Service, its subagency in charge of daily forecasts. NOAA is slated to see a 27% reduction in its budget at the start of the 2026 fiscal year, which could impact weather forecasting in a number of ways, including terminating research programs aimed at helping predict future precipitation rates and improve flash flood warning systems. The committee recently held a confirmation hearing for Dr. Neil Jacobs to become NOAA's new leader. "Communities across the United States are experiencing more frequent, intense, and costly flash floods, hurricanes, tornadoes, atmospheric rivers, landslides, heatwaves, and wildfires," Cantwell's letter said. She cited deadly — and costly — natural disasters that have ravaged communities around the United States in the last two years alone, including the Texas floods as well as last year's flooding from Hurricane Helene in North Carolina and the devastating fires in Los Angeles and the Hawaiian island of Maui. Examples like these suggest "that providing Americans with more timely and accurate weather information can avoid billions in property losses and save lives," she wrote. CBS News has reached out to the White House for the administration's response. Cantwell's recommendations emphasize improvements in how weather data is collected and analyzed, as well as systems for notifying communities of severe weather. They include:Tracy J. Wholf contributed to this report.
CNN
6 hours ago
- CNN
Democratic Senator: Cost of expanding forecasting technology to detect extreme weather events is ‘worth it'
Democratic Senator Maria Cantwell of Washington told CNN's Pamela Brown that the US needs to upgrade its weather forecasting system, pointing to the tragedy in Texas earlier this month. "It's a very dangerous environment, so Americans should have the best weather system," Cantwell said.
