Texas officials revise number of people missing in Kerr County following catastrophic flooding down to 3
'Through extensive follow-up work among state and local agencies, many individuals who were initially reported as missing have been verified as safe and removed from the list,' the City of Kerrville said in a news release.
The historic flooding event killed at least 135 people in the state over the July 4 weekend and kicked off a massive search through mud and debris for those unaccounted for along the Guadalupe River in central Texas.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said Monday that the flooding left 101 people missing statewide, including 97 people in Kerr County. Authorities would continue to search for those missing and identify the victims, Abbott said, advising it can take a few days and suggesting that number could be revised down.
Officials said Saturday recovery operations will continue throughout the Guadalupe River watershed for those still missing.
'We are profoundly grateful to the more than 1,000 local, state, and federal authorities who have worked tirelessly in the wake of the devastating flood that struck our community,' Kerrville City Manager Dalton Rice said. 'Thanks to their extraordinary efforts, the number of individuals previously listed as missing has dropped from over 160 to three.'
The updated count comes about two weeks after torrential downpours in the overnight hours of July 4 transformed the Guadalupe River into a roaring flood, sweeping away homes, vehicles, roads and trees. At least 107 people in Kerr County alone died, including 37 children, and at least 161 others in the county were initially reported missing.
The disaster has led to serious questions about how local officials prepared for the possibility of flooding in the months and years beforehand, how they acted as the Guadalupe River swelled from 3 feet to 30 feet in just 45 minutes on July 4, and how officials have responded in its destructive aftermath.
At a Kerr County commissioners meeting Monday, Sheriff Larry Leitha said his office's search and recovery efforts will 'go strong for another month or two,' and could last up to six months. The sheriff's office said 2,200 people from multiple agencies have been deployed to assist in the recovery efforts.
The search included 60 miles of river, murky waters, thick mud and seemingly insurmountable piles of debris. A small army of searchers from across the US and even Mexico have worked through perilous terrain – aided by helicopters, drones and boats, as well as dogs and mules.
More than 1,000 first responders and thousands of volunteers were involved in the response, Kerr County Emergency Operations Center Unified Command said Saturday.
The people who were listed as missing are not campers or local residents, but tourists who came in for the holiday – and officials didn't know how many were lost, County Judge Rob Kelly said earlier this week.
Kerr County is expected to host a meeting Tuesday for those in the area impacted by the flood.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
CNN's Leigh Waldman, Michelle Watson, Eric Levenson and Rebekah Riess contributed to this report.
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