At least 82 dead in Texas floods as search continues for 10 missing girls
At least 41 people remain missing, including at least 10 girls and one councillor still unaccounted for from Camp Mystic in Kerr County, a Christian summer camp for girls along the Guadalupe River.
At Camp Mystic at least 27 people died, the camp confirmed in a statement to Sky's US partner NBC News. It said it is working with local and state officials to try to locate those who remain missing.
"This tragedy has devastated us and our entire community. Our hearts are broken alongside the families that are enduring this tragedy, and we share their hope and prayers," Camp Mystic added.
The director of the camp, Dick Eastland, was among those killed in the floods. He died trying to save the campers "he so loved and cared for", his grandson George said on social media.
Water burst from the banks of the Guadalupe River and began sweeping into Kerr County and other areas around 4am local time on Friday, killing at least 68 people, including at least 28 children and 40 adults.
In nearby Kendall County, two people have died. At least six people were killed in Travis County, while at least four people died in Burnet County. In both Williamson and Tom Green counties, at least one person has died.
US President Donald Trump has signed a "major disaster declaration" for Kerr County to ensure that rescuers get the resources they need.
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Rescue crews have already saved hundreds of people and would work around the clock to find those still unaccounted for, Texas governor Greg Abbott pledged, adding that there were at least 41 people confirmed to be missing.
Mr Abbott asked relatives of people who may have been camping in Kerr County to contact local authorities, as it was difficult to know just who is missing due to the number of people who may have been camping in the area unofficially.
"There are people who are missing who are not on the 'known confirmed missing' because we do not know who they are," he said at a news conference last night.
Meanwhile, police are collecting DNA from family members to help identify those who have died in the floods.
Colonel Freeman Martin, from the Texas Department of Public Safety, said there are several "unidentified" people at funeral homes, both adults and children.
The DNA collected from relatives was flown to the University of North Texas in Dallas.
"We will have rapid DNA in hours, not days, to get some closure and information back to those families," Colonel Freeman Martin said.
He also said the death toll is certain to rise over the next few days.
This comes as Mr Abbott indicated that the danger wasn't over yet either, as additional rounds of heavy rains lasting into Tuesday could produce more "rapid flash flooding events", especially in places already saturated.
The governor urged drivers to be "extraordinarily cautious" for the next 48 hours due to the potential floods, as some people across Texas died when they were swept away in vehicles.
"Rising water on roads can occur very rapidly. You may think you can drive through it, only to find out when you're in there that it is too late and you are getting swept away," he said.
"You don't need to get from point A to point B if you are going to risk your life," he added, telling people to "turn around, don't drown".
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CNN
21 minutes ago
- CNN
This US Coast Guard rescue swimmer is being hailed a hero after saving over 100 people from Texas flooding
Storms Federal agencies HurricanesFacebookTweetLink Follow It was Scott Ruskan's first mission as a US Coast Guard rescue swimmer. The 26-year-old had graduated from rescue swimming school around six months ago when his team got the call from Task Force 1, a local search-and-rescue team in Texas, early Friday morning. They were needed urgently in central Texas where torrential flooding had struck over the July Fourth weekend. Dozens of people were dead, and more were missing. The team deployed around 7 a.m. Friday from Corpus Christi, about 200 miles south of where the Guadalupe River in Kerr County, Texas, had risen from about 3 feet to nearly 30 feet. Floodwaters in the area had swept through and battered several youth camps on the river banks — including Camp Mystic, the summer camp where they were headed. Around 200 campers at the all-girls Christian camp needed to be rescued, Ruskan said. With bridges and roadways overcome by floodwaters and the water too high for boat rescues, the only option was to airlift the girls. Counselors and staff at Camp Mystic had been scrambling to rescue campers, pushing some through cabin windows and putting children on mattresses to help float on the rising water. More than a month's worth of rain dumped on the area, and floodwaters overtook the site. Hundreds of local, state and national first responders had surged to the Kerrville area to help find and rescue survivors. The ongoing urgent response includes Black Hawk helicopters deployed by the Texas National Guard and Air National Guard. What should have been a one-hour flight into the landing zone near the camp took about seven or eight hours, Ruskan told ABC's Good Morning America. The crew battled 'some pretty, pretty nasty weather,' he told CNN, some of the worst he had experienced in his career. It took the team four attempts and the help of the Air National Guard for the aircraft to make its way through the brutal storm, he said. On the ground, Ruskan realized he was the only first responder around and was met with 'about 200 kids, mostly all scared, terrified, cold, having probably the worst day of their life.' But after arriving at Camp Mystic, Ruskan said, the crew was needed at another, more dangerous location. The aircraft could fit more people at the next site without him onboard, and Ruskan could help where he was. The crew decided leaving him behind at Camp Mystic as a triage coordinator at the 'hectic' site was the best option. They were ultimately able to airlift 15 children at the other location without Ruskan on the aircraft. At the camp, Ruskan comforted the distressed children, and heard stories from camp counselors who rushed to push campers out the door before cabins flooded. Some kids had cuts on their feet because they were barefoot. They didn't have time to put on shoes before they scrambled to safety. For around three hours, Ruskan said, he had no communication due to poor radio reception. But any fear he had, he pushed aside to focus on his young charges. 'They're having probably the worst day of their life. They're missing friends. They're missing loved ones,' he said. 'They don't know where they are. Some of them may be unaccounted for. Some of them may be somewhere else.' When the army helicopters were ready to take them to higher ground, Ruskan led the children, about 10 to 15 at a time, to the aircraft, he told ABC. Ruskan helped rescue all 165 campers with him, carrying some to the helicopter to help them avoid slipping on wet rocks or cutting their feet even more. But 27 of the girls' Camp Mystic friends and counselors died in the catastrophic floods, and 10 campers and one counselor are still unaccounted for. The camp's longtime director Dick Eastman also died, trying to rescue campers. At least 95 people have died from the devastating floods. Ruskan has been hailed as an 'American hero' by the Department of Homeland Security. The agency lauded the 'extraordinary bravery and selfless service of Ruskan and his fellow first responders.' But he said the other counselors who helped rescue efforts and the tough kids were also heroes. Seeing how bravely they acted, he said, 'it made me a better rescuer.' CNN's Boris Sanchez, Betsy Klein, Alex Stambaugh, Lauren Mascarenhas, Isaac Yee, and Josh Campbell contributed to this report.

Yahoo
21 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Maili wildfire declared fully contained
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Bloomberg
22 minutes ago
- Bloomberg
Fmr. FEMA Administrator Criswell on Texas Floods, Trump
Former FEMA Administrator, Deanne Criswell, weighs in on the Texas flash floods that killed at least 90 people over the weekend, and shares her insight on how the continued rainfall will make rescue operations more difficult. Criswell also voices her thoughts on President Trump's claim that FEMA isn't good and the challenges FEMA and states face during extreme weather events. She speaks with Kailey Leinz and Joe Mathieu on the late edition of Bloomberg's 'Balance of Power.' (Source: Bloomberg)