Latest news with #GuadalupeRiver
The Guardian
an hour ago
- Climate
- The Guardian
Texas flooding latest: desperate search for survivors after dozens killed and girls at summer camp missing
Update: Date: 2025-07-05T07:49:35.000Z Title: Content: At a news conference on Friday afternoon, Texas lieutenant governor Dan Patrick said 23 children from Camp Mystic, a private Christian summer camp for girls, were unaccounted for of 750 who were staying there at the time. He asked people to stay away from the area, saying the Texas division of emergency management had 14 helicopters and hundreds of emergency workers involved in search-and-rescue operations.' Patrick said Donald Trump had been informed of the situation and responded: 'Whatever we need, we can have.' A hundred troopers would also take part in the search and rescue, a Texas official said. Update: Date: 2025-07-05T07:43:11.000Z Title: Desperate search for survivors after dozens killed by Texas flooding Content: At least 24 people have died after torrential rains unleashed flash floods along the Guadalupe River in Texas on Friday as rescue teams scrambled to save dozens of victims trapped by high water or reported missing in the disaster, local officials said. Among the missing were 23 to 25 people listed as unaccounted for at an all-girls Christian summer camp located on the banks of the rain-engorged Guadalupe, 65 miles (105 km) north-west of San Antonio, authorities said. The region was beset by death and disaster on Friday after months' worth of heavy rain fell in a matter of hours. In less than an hour, the river rose 26 feet (7.9m). The flooding swept away mobile homes, vehicles and holiday cabins where people were spending the 4 July weekend, the BBC said. Search teams are conducting boat and helicopter rescues in the fast-moving water that overtook riverfront communities and children's summer camps. But the search has been hampered by limited access to the area. Phones are down, which has also made communication with people difficult. The US National Weather Service declared a flash flood emergency for parts of Kerr county, located in south-central Texas Hill Country, following the heavy downpours. Kerr county sheriff Larry Leitha said at least 24 fatalities have been confirmed from what his office called the 'catastrophic flooding'. A state of emergency has been declared in several counties and the White House has offered additional help. Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One at the end of a day of public events on Friday, Trump said 'we'll take care of them,' when asked about federal aid for the disaster. We'll bring you the latest updates on this developing story.
The Independent
2 hours ago
- Climate
- The Independent
Why flash floods are so dangerous as Texas storm leaves 24 dead
A monstrous, swift-moving flood swept through the Hill Country of west-central Texas Friday, while many families celebrated 4 July. Latest reports suggest at least 24 have been killed. Additionally, nearly two dozen remain missing - many of them children attending a Christian camp. The search continues as desperate families post social media pictures of their loved ones in a desperate bid to find them. The tragedy has been officially categorised as a flash flood, the nation's top storm-related killer. Severe flooding in central Texas on Thursday and Friday has resulted in at least 24 deaths. Many more were reported missing () Flash floods form rapidly According to the National Weather Service, a flash flood is flooding that begins within six hours, and often in as little as three hours, of heavy rainfall. Waters rise so quickly that people are caught off guard, according to the weather service.. Many people run into trouble while traveling. If at home or work, the water can rise so quickly people are trapped before they have time to think about escape. That is just what happened to residents along the Guadalupe River in Kerr County and the surrounding area after at least 10 inches (25 centimeters) poured from the sky early Friday morning. There was advance notice in Texas On Thursday afternoon, the National Weather Service issued a flood watch, estimating rising water of up to 7 inches (17 centimeters) in spots. A 'watch' means conditions are favorable for a flood and people should be prepared, but hazardous conditions might not develop. But the watch was upgraded to a flood warning overnight, a notice that impacted 30,000 people. A warning is issued when flooding is imminent or occurring, the weather service says. Flash floods are deadly Last year, 145 people died in flash floods, according to the weather service. On average over the past 30 years, floods have claimed 127 lives annually. Floods trap people in vehicles Nearly half of all flood-related fatalities involve vehicles. Many people don't realize that a car becomes difficult to control in just 6 inches (15 centimeters) of water and can be swept away in as little as 18 inches (46 centimeters). So instead of finding a detour, too often people try to drive through water at underpasses or other low-lying areas. Flash floods can happen anywhere It can happen anywhere, according to the weather service, which says that 'the normally tranquil streams and creeks in your neighborhood can become raging torrents if heavy rain falls overhead.' An area can be flooded even without rain — if it's downstream of a torrential rainstorm and a swollen stream heads its way.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Camp Mystic summer camp flooding: What to know
(NewsNation) — Heavy rains on Friday caused a flood emergency in Central Texas, which led to reports of between 23 to 25 missing girls at Camp Mystic and 24 fatalities in the state overall. Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said the families whose daughters are unaccounted for have been notified. Also, parents who have not been contacted by the camp should know their daughters are safe. 'We will do everything humanly possible 24/7, looking in every tree and turning over every rock, to find your daughter or son,' he said. 'The 500 people in the field are looking for your daughter.' Camp Mystic is an all-girls camp among many summer camps in the area next to the Guadalupe River. The camp is operated privately for Christian girls and was established in 1926. Indonesia suspends search for 29 missing after ferry sinking because of poor visibility The camp was evacuated overnight after the area was hit with up to 10 inches of rain, but some of the campers were left behind. Several of the cabins were reportedly flooded, while others washed away. The roads surrounding the cabins were washed out. California's largest blaze this year explodes in size as hot weather raises wildfire risk statewide The camp told Patrick it has no power, no water, and no Wi-Fi. The highway being washed away made it harder for help to arrive quickly. Nearly 20 helicopters and 400 to 500 rescue workers are taking part in the search-and-rescue mission in the area. Authorities say some individuals have already been rescued from trees, but no information was given on whether these were the missing girls or others in need of rescue. Officials noted they've found 13 bodies during their search. The Kerr County Sheriff's Office says specific information about the confirmed fatalities won't be released until the next of kin are notified. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
BreakingNews.ie
2 hours ago
- Climate
- BreakingNews.ie
Search for missing girls from summer camp after Texas floods kill at least 24
At least 24 people have been killed and many others are missing, including more than 20 girls from a summer camp, after a storm caused severe flooding in Texas. The destructive force of the flash floods after the Guadalupe River burst its banks just before dawn on Friday washed out homes and swept away vehicles in Texas Hill Country. Advertisement There were hundreds of rescues around Kerr County, including at least 167 by helicopter, authorities said, after nearly a foot of rain fell. The total number of missing is not known, but the sheriff said between 23 and 25 of them were girls who had been attending Camp Mystic, a Christian summer camp along the river. Families are reunited at a reunification centre after flash flooding hit the area (AP/Eric Gay) On social media, parents and families posted desperate pleas for information about loved ones caught in the flood zone. 'The camp was completely destroyed,' said Elinor Lester, 13, one of hundreds of campers at Camp Mystic. Advertisement 'A helicopter landed and started taking people away. It was really scary.' She said a raging storm woke up her cabin around 1.30am on Friday (7.30am on Friday BST). When rescuers arrived, they tied a rope for the girls to hold as the children in her cabin walked across the bridge with floodwaters whipping around their knees. The flooding in the middle of the night on the July 4 US holiday caught many residents, campers and officials by surprise. First responders scan the banks of the Guadalupe River for individuals swept away by flooding in Ingram, Texas (Michel Fortier/The San Antonio Express-News via AP) Officials defended their preparations for severe weather and their response, but said they had not expected such an intense downpour that was, in effect, the equivalent of months' worth of rain for the area. Advertisement One US National Weather Service forecast this week had called for only between three and six inches of rain, said Nim Kidd, the chief of the Texas Division of Emergency Management. 'It did not predict the amount of rain that we saw,' he said. At a news conference late on Friday, Kerr County Sheriff Larry Leitha said 24 people had been confirmed killed. Authorities said 237 people had been rescued so far.
The National
2 hours ago
- Climate
- The National
Flash floods in Texas leave 24 dead and at least 23 young campers missing
At least 24 people were killed in Texas as torrential rain unleashed flash floods along the Guadalupe River in Texas on Friday, authorities said. Rescue searched for people stranded by high water or missing in the disaster. It was reported that about 23 people, mostly children, were unaccounted for at an all-girls Christian summer camp on the banks of the bursting river. Texas Governor Greg Abbott said late on Friday that nearly after 18 hours after the crisis began, search-and-rescue operations would press on through the night and into Saturday. Mr Abbott said resources devoted to the effort would be "limitless". US President Donald Trump told reporters on board Air Force One that "we'll take care of them", when asked about federal aid for the disaster. The US National Weather Service declared a flash flood emergency for parts of Kerr County in south-central Texas Hill Country, about 100km north-west of San Antonio, following thunderstorms that dumped as much as a 30cm of rain. Dalton Rice, city manager for Kerrville, the county seat, told reporters the extreme flooding struck before dawn with little or no warning, precluding authorities from issuing advance evacuation orders as the Guadalupe swiftly rose above major flood stage. "This happened very quickly, over a very short period of time that could not be predicted, even with radar," Mr Rice said. "This happened within less than a two-hour span." State emergency management officials had warned as early as Thursday that west and central Texas faced heavy rains and flash flood threats "over the next couple of days", citing National Weather Service forecasts ahead of the Fourth of July holiday weekend. But the weather forecasts "did not predict the amount of rain that we saw," Nim Kidd, director of the Texas Division of Emergency Management, told a news conference on Friday night. Independence Day fireworks displays ended up being cancelled in flood-stricken communities throughout the region, including Kerrville, where the waterfront site for a planned Fourth of July celebration was submerged by the rain-swollen river. At Friday night's briefing, Kerr County Sheriff Larry Leitha said 24 flood-related fatalities had been confirmed, up from 13 earlier in the day. One more person found dead in neighbouring Kendall County was not confirmed to be a flood-related casualty, he said. Searching for the missing girls Officials said they were searching for 23 girls listed as missing from among more than 750 children at summer camp sites along the banks of the Guadalupe River, Lt Gov Dan Patrick said. The missing campers had all been attending Camp Mystic, a private Christian summer camp for girls. "We're praying for all those missing to be found alive," Mr Patrick said. It was not clear whether anyone unaccounted for might have ended up among the deceased victims tallied countywide by the sheriff. Otherwise, all other campers were safe, authorities said, with campers being evacuated throughout the day. "Everybody is doing everything in their power to get these kids out," Kerr County Judge Rob Kelly, the top local elected official, had said at a news briefing on the disaster hours earlier. Mr Kelly said a number of scattered residential subdivisions, recreational vehicle parks and campgrounds were hit hard. Asked why more precautions were not taken with stormy weather in the forecast, Mr Kelly insisted a disaster of such magnitude was unforeseen. "We have floods all the time. This is the most dangerous river valley in the United States," he said. "We had no reason to believe this was going to be anything like what's happened here. None whatsoever." Mr Patrick said the Guadalupe River had risen by eight metres in 45 minutes as heavy showers soaked the region. As of Friday night, emergency personnel had rescued or evacuated 237 people, including 167 by helicopter. With additional rain forecast in the region, Mr Patrick warned that an ongoing threat for possible flash flooding extended from San Antonio to Waco for the next 24 to 48 hours. On Friday night, Mr Abbott signed a disaster declaration to hasten emergency assistance to Kerr and a cluster of additional counties hardest hit by the floods. Personnel from the US Coast Guard and the Federal Emergency Management Agency also were activated to assist local authorities in confronting the crisis, officials said.
