Bodies of two school girls discovered as 27 children still missing after Texas floods
A devastated father has revealed how his two daughters, aged 13 and 11, have both perished after being caught in catastrophic flooding, whilst his parents remain unaccounted for.
Emergency teams continue searching through a ravaged central Texas terrain littered with twisted trees, capsized vehicles and debris-clogged wreckage in what appears to be an increasingly desperate hunt for survivors, including 27 girls who vanished when Camp Mystic was battered by a torrential deluge.
RJ Harber has confirmed that his daughters Blair, 13, and Brooke Harber, 11, both lost their lives in the Kerr County floods, though they were not present at Camp Mystic.
Speaking to CNN in tribute to the youngsters, he described Blair as someone who "was a gifted student and had a generous kind heart," whilst Brooke "was like a light in any room, people gravitated to her and she made them laugh and enjoy the moment."
Mr Harber also revealed to the broadcaster that his parents Charlene and Mike are missing, and he fears they too have perished, reports the Mirror.
Both girls attended St. Rita Catholic Community, where Blair was due to begin eighth grade and Brooke was set to start sixth grade, the school confirmed. A prayer service was held on Saturday afternoon to mourn and celebrate their lives.
It's understood the sisters had been staying with their grandparents beside the Guadalupe River, whilst their parents remained safe in a different cabin. "Please keep the Harber family in your prayers during this time of profound grief. May our faith, our love, and our St. Rita community be a source of strength and comfort in the days ahead," Fr. Joshua J.
Whitfield, pastor, implored in a message to his church members, as reported by CBS News.
The floods in Kerr County have claimed the lives of at least 43 individuals, including 15 children, with an additional eight fatalities confirmed in neighbouring counties.
Officials have yet to release information on the number of people still unaccounted for, aside from the children from Camp Mystic, a Christian summer camp situated along a river in Kerr County where the majority of the victims were found.
The Guadalupe River witnessed a catastrophic surge, with water levels rising 26 feet (8 metres) within a mere 45 minutes before dawn on Friday, resulting in the destruction of homes and vehicles. The threat persisted as heavy rainfall continued to batter areas around San Antonio on Saturday, with flash flood warnings and watches still in place.
Rescue teams employed helicopters, boats, and drones in their search efforts for those missing and to save individuals trapped in trees or cut off by roads that had been obliterated by the floods.
Governor Greg Abbott has assured that rescue operations will continue non-stop and mentioned that new regions are being scoured as the floodwaters recede. He has proclaimed Sunday to be a day of prayer across the state.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Record
6 days ago
- Daily Record
Scots households in 32 areas told to gather 'emergency kit' with 3 things now
The Met Office are urging those in areas to be affected by thunderstorms to prepare for flooding Householders living in several areas of the country have been advised to gather an emergency kit as the Met Office warns of a thundery end to the summer heat and even a 'danger to life'. The national forecaster said the heat and humidity of the last couple of days is predicted to cause storms up and down the country. And they recommend three items to have at hand as the weather changes. A yellow warning for thunderstorms is in place until 10pm tonight (Thursday August 14) with swathes of the country in scope. The warning stretches from the Borders to the Orkney Islands and Shetland. It means people can expect difficult driving conditions, possible power cuts and public transport disruption. Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. And buildings could also be damaged by sudden flooding which is why households are being told to prepare for that eventuality, reports the Mirror. The yellow weather warning is the second this week. The first activated at 2pm yesterday (August 13) until midnight. A second came into force just after midnight today (August 13) and continues until 10pm tonight. With potential flooding as well as power cuts possible, there is a threat that fast flowing water could cut off some communities. The conditions pose a "danger to life" in the worst affected areas. The Met Office has issued advice telling people living in the 38 affected areas to consider preparing a "flood plan and an emergency flood kit". The agency shared three vital items in the kit include torches, batteries, and a mobile phone power pack. The advice states: "Consider if your location is at risk of flash flooding. If so, consider preparing a flood plan and an emergency flood kit. "People cope better with power cuts when they have prepared for them in advance. It's easy to do; consider gathering torches and batteries, a mobile phone power pack and other essential items." People should consider the advice if they live in the following affected areas: Central, Tayside & Fife Angus Clackmannanshire Dundee Falkirk Fife Perth and Kinross Stirling Grampian Aberdeen Aberdeenshire Moray Highlands & Eilean Siar Na h-Eileanan Siar Highland Orkney & Shetland Orkney Islands Shetland Islands SW Scotland, Lothian Borders Dumfries and Galloway East Lothian Edinburgh Midlothian Council Scottish Borders West Lothian Strathclyde Argyll and Bute East Ayrshire East Dunbartonshire East Renfrewshire Glasgow Inverclyde North Ayrshire North Lanarkshire Renfrewshire South Ayrshire South Lanarkshire West Dunbartonshire Northern Ireland is also under the warning. While the warnings conclude on Thursday night, the Met Office's long-range forecast, which covers August 18 to 27, warns that "heavy and thundery" showers could roll across the country again next week. It comes after a period of unsettled weather which saw Storm Floris last week (Monday 4 August). There were amber warnings in place for much of Scotland and the winds peaked at 85mph. Thousands of homes across the country were left without power as electricity suppliers battled to reconnect householders.
Daily Record
6 days ago
- Daily Record
BBC Breakfast's Jon Kay halts show as Carol Kirkwood suffers on air blunder
BBC Breakfast presenter Jon Kay was forced to step in and say 'sorry' during Wednesday's edition of the programme as Scots star Carol Kirkwood suffered a technical issue BBC Breakfast was hit by a disruption during Wednesday's live show, as presenter Jon Kay was forced to step in. A technical blunder occurred as Jon and co-presenter Sarah Campbell were reading the daily headlines. When the moment arrived to hand over to Scots star Carol Kirkwood for the weather forecast, chaos broke out on the breakfast programme, as reported by the Mirror. Jon said: "Carol has the weather for us this morning. Hi Carol, is this sunshine going to continue for many?". She responded: "Yes, it is today, Jon. Good morning to you both, and good morning to you too. Yesterday we reached..." As the BBC meteorologist began her report, her microphone began malfunctioning, making it impossible for audiences to hear her properly, which forced Jon to intervene. Cutting back to the studio, he said: "Carol, I'm sorry, Carol, we've got a little bit of interference on Carol's microphone there. We'll sort that out and we'll get back to her very soon. "It sometimes happens, gremlins get involved. Maybe it's the heat? ! Maybe it's the hot weather interfering." Thankfully for audiences the minor technical issue was resolved quickly, as they managed to return to Carol later in the broadcast. Jon told viewers: "Delighted to say we can rejoin Carol. Carol, we don't mind not hearing you when the weather is bad! But when the weather is good we want to hear every word." He continued with the weather update, indicating that the highest temperatures today, Wednesday 13, would be in the north of the Uk, in Yorkshire, where it could reach up to 33 degrees. Meanwhile earlier this week, Carol surprised her colleagues after revealing the roles she held before joining the BBC team. During Monday's show, Jon asked Carol about the jobs she had when she was younger to earn some extra money during the summer holidays. She replied: "Yes, I did. I worked as a housemaid, as a waitress, as a receptionist, all these things!". Humorously claiming she had done 'everything', Carol also shared that she had been a postwoman. Clearly surprised, Jon responded: "A post woman? ! You didn't used to predict the weather for your neighbours? That kind of thing?". She retorted: "No, but you know, you used to go in the mornings, you'd smell toast, bacon, sausages. Ooh, it'd make you hungry!".
Daily Record
6 days ago
- Daily Record
Tourists evacuated in Greece heatwave and three people die as wildfires spread
Strong winds have helped the spread of the fires in Zante, Kefalonia and Chios. Thousands of people have been evacuated as wildfires spread in Greece with three people dead. Firefighters are battling the fires in Greece as tourists and locals have been evacuated from blazes that are tearing through Ionian islands. At least three people have died in a scorching heatwave that is fuelling dozens of wildfires across parts of southern Europe, reports the Mirror. Tourists trapped by the rapid spread of flames have already been evacuated from beaches on Chios. Officials in Greece ordered the evacuations of dozens of villages amid an intense drought and strong winds that have helped the spread of the fires in Zante, Kefalonia and Chios. Greek firefighters have reportedly battled some 106 fires across the country, with 63 of those understood to have been reported yesterday, Tuesday, August 12. The Ministry of Climate Crisis and Civil Protection issued more than a dozen evacuation orders for parts of western Greece, and warned of a high risk on the mainland and Ionian islands. Greek authorities have requested EU firefighting aircraft in a bid to stop the blaze from spreading. It is believed forests, farmland and homes have been damaged across the country. Other facilities that have been damaged include warehouses, livestock buildings, small chapels as well as shops. Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'.
