Extreme flooding ravaged central Texas. USA TODAY answers your FAQs
USA TODAY readers have lots of questions about the flooding, as well as the recovery efforts.
Here are some of the answers. Got more questions? Fill out this form and check back for updates as we take on more of your questions.
The extreme flooding began around 4:00 a.m. on July 4, as storms dumped more than 10 inches of rain over the Texas Hill Country.
State emergency management officials warned as early as July 2 that west and central Texas faced heavy rains and flash flood threats, citing National Weather Service forecasts ahead of the holiday weekend.
Meteorologists on July 3 predicted a 'slight' risk – or level 2 out of 4 – for flash flooding. But there were no predictions of catastrophic floods. That same day, the National Weather Service released a 'flood watch' for eight Hill Country counties, including Kerr. The advisory predicted 1 to 3 inches of rain and up to 7 inches in some places.
The weather service's Austin office put out a 'flash flood emergency' bulletin at 4:03 a.m. on Friday, when many were still asleep.
'This is a FLASH FLOOD EMERGENCY for South-central Kerr County, including Hunt,' the bulletin said. 'This is a PARTICULARLY DANGEROUS SITUATION. SEEK HIGHER GROUND NOW!'
As of Sunday evening, state and local authorities said at least 81 people have died in the flooding. As of Sunday afternoon, Sheriff Larry Leitha of Kerr County, where the worst of the flooding occurred, said authorities had recovered the bodies of 40 adults and 28 children.
Search and rescue efforts are underway for people who are still missing.
Crews have been working around the clock to find the missing, traversing swollen waterways and scouring riverbanks littered with mangled trees and rubble. As of Sunday, about 650 people have been rescued, officials said.
The gauge on the Guadalupe River near Kerrville surged from less than two feet to more than 34 feet in just over an hour on July 4.
On Sunday, forecasters expected several more inches of rain and warned of additional flooding and a worsening of conditions on the ground.
Several cities in the Central Texas region between San Antonio and Austin were hit by the unrelenting rain over the weekend.
Portions of at least four cities in the region took on more than 10 inches of rain during the Independence Day weekend: Liberty Hill, 20.6; Lakeway, 13.5; Kerrville, 11.9; and Leander 10.5.
The Red Cross, World Central Kitchen, Kerr County Relief Fund, are taking donations on their websites.
Crowdfunding website GoFundMe has a page for verified fundraisers connected to the flooding in Central Texas. The page will be updated as fundraisers are verified, according to GoFundMe.
Austin Pets Alive! reported that it has taken in over 50 animals from Kerr and Williamson counties as of July 5. In a July 6 update, the shelter said that they are coordinating a volunteer search and rescue group to find animals along the riverbank. The shelter also said it is seeking donations on its website to provide support to families that have lost pets, including body recovery and cremation services.
The Salvation Army Kroc Center in Kerrville is coordinating and accepting donations of nonperishable goods, personal hygiene items, diapers and other items. The organization is providing regular updates on its Instagram page.
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Was there a warning about Texas flooding? USA TODAY answers your FAQs
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The others went back down and helped lift her onto the roof. Once safe, the Chatterbox children – soaked and freezing – cuddled on the hill. Counselors brought the girls water while they waited 'so long' for the flooding to recede. 'Whenever we were cold, they kept giving us hugs and when we were crying, they would always comfort us,' one of the 9-year-old twins said. The twins soon saw a rainbow, which they interpreted as 'a sign from God.' To pass the time, the girls at the recreation hall sang camp and worship songs, prayed and slept until the rain eventually stopped around 6 a.m. When they heard the campers singing nearby, the staffers on the roof felt relieved. 'It was like a sense of hope, even though at that point, the water was still up really high,' Clement said. The staffers took turns praying as a group, hoping the little girls made it out safely, Clement recalled. At the recreation hall, counselors did a roll call. That's when it hit the girls that some of their friends could be lost in the waters. 'Nobody probably would have thought that anyone would be missing,' the 12-year-old girl said. 'You think maybe they're just somewhere else, they're probably just with another group.' The campers' next stop: the Cypress Lake dining hall. In their five hours there, the exhausted girls kept themselves busy by doing arts and crafts and trying to sleep on tables. Nibbling at the pizza counselors handed out, the 12-year-old camper couldn't help but think her cabin 'was probably fully submerged underwater, like this stuff was just gone.' Later that morning, Zárate and Garza Valdez got word they would be evacuated. 'All the girls started panicking, they all began crying because they didn't want to leave the campgrounds, because they wanted to be with their parents,' Garza Valdez told news channel N+ FORO. Finally, helicopters arrived to bring the hundreds of girls and their counselors to safety. The girls were soon loaded onto buses, some barefoot with cuts on their feet after losing their shoes in the rapids. Lucy, the 10-year-old camper, had given away her Crocs to another camper whose shoes were swept away. On one bus, the girls sang a hymn called 'Pass It On.' Then there were gasps and exclamations of 'oh my God' as the girls laid their eyes on the scale of the disaster. Cars stacked up on top of each other and turned upside down. Piles upon piles of debris in place of their beloved second home. Walls ripped off of the buildings where they made their summer memories with friends turned sisters. Now, word was starting to spread of campers still unaccounted for. 'Wake up, Caroline, wake up. This is not real. I'm in a dream,' Cutrona told herself. Parents held their breaths, agonizingly waiting and praying the goodbyes they said to their daughters would not be their last. Hundreds of local, state and federal crews in helicopters and on boats began the extensive search for the girls that afternoon, combing the area and picking up campers and their counselors out of trees. The girls who made it onto the school buses arrived at Ingram Elementary, where they were reunited in tearful embraces. It had been a long day for the cold, hungry and sleep-deprived children, who were emotionally shaken and ready to head home. Only days later would the fallout come into focus: At least 27 campers and counselors were dead. Young and old generations of campgoers, who credit the almost century-old Camp Mystic for shaping them and teaching them essential life skills, were left to grapple with the devastation. At a Monday vigil honoring the victims, Stacey Merchant said she received the first letter her 12-year-old daughter, Reese, sent from camp in the mailbox Monday. Her daughter was safely evacuated. 'I just realized today that some parents are gonna be getting letters, that first letter, from their daughter today,' Owens told CNN affiliate KTRK as her voice broke. 'And that's heartbreaking to even imagine.' Mourners linked hands, singing, 'From the lake, from the hills, from the sky; all is well, safely rest, God is nigh. Goodnight, Camp Mystic, we love you.' CNN's Anderson Cooper, Ed Lavandera, Caroll Alvarado, Graham Hurley, Cindy Von Quednow, Aditi Sangal, Sarah Dewberry, Shoshana Dubnow, Sara Smart, Emma Tucker and Taylor Galgano contributed to this report.
