Texas Officials Say 'This Will Be a Rough Week' as Death Toll from Flooding Surpasses 100
10 campers and one counselor from Camp Mystic remain unaccounted for
Kerrville Mayor Joe Herring said during a press conference that as search efforts continue, "we remain hopeful"As the death toll from the Texas flooding disaster continues to rise, officials are offering their sympathies — and stressing that search efforts for all who remain missing will continue.
In an update on the morning of Monday, July 7, Kerr County Sheriff Larry Leitha said that the bodies of 75 people had been recovered across the country — hours later, that number increased to 84, including 56 adults and 28 children. The latest news brings the total number of victims to at least 104, according to the Associated Press and NBC News.
Of the deceased, identification is still pending for 22 adults and 10 children.
In the same afternoon update, officials confirmed that 10 young girls from Camp Mystic, a Christian girls' camp nestled in Texas Hill Country, as well as one camp counselor remain unaccounted for along.
In a message on their website, the camp said they were mourning the loss of 27 campers and counselors.
During the morning press conference, Kerrville Mayor Joe Herring acknowledged how hard it is to have to wait for answers about loved ones.
'I need to tell my community and those families who are waiting – this will be a rough week,' Herring remarked, sharing that officials "remain hopeful every foot, every mile, every bend of the river."
City manager Dalton Rice added that the search is still in its primary phase, and that anybody looking to volunteer should contact the Salvation Army in Kerrville.
At another point during the press conference, reflecting on the loss of life at Camp Mystic, Sen. Ted Cruz said that "the pain and agony of not knowing your child's whereabouts, it's the worst thing imaginable."
'Everyone would agree, in hindsight, if we could go back and do it again, we would evacuate,' he added, according to CNN. 'Particularly those in the most vulnerable areas — the young children in the cabins closest to the water, we would remove them and get them to higher ground, if we could go back and do it again.'
Amid ongoing criticism about how the response to the natural disaster was handled, Cruz argued against "partisan finger pointing" and went on to express faith that the Lone Star state will begin to heal eventually.
'We will come through this," Cruz said. "To those in the midst of grief right now, that might seem hard to fathom, but Texas will come through this.'
To learn how to help support the victims and recovery efforts from the Texas floods, click here.
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