Latest news with #JulyFourth
San Francisco Chronicle
4 hours ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Hundreds were reported missing after deadly Texas floods. Most of them were found safe
DALLAS (AP) — Texas officials labored to account for more than 160 people originally reported missing along the Guadalupe River after the deadly July Fourth floods before ultimately concluding that most were safe and only three individuals still haven't been found, the top executive in the hardest-hit county said Monday. 'Most of them were tourists that came into town and left and went back home and didn't report that they were there,' Kerr County Judge Rob Kelly said at a special meeting of the county commissioner court. He called the process a 'Herculean effort." The flash floods killed at least 135 people in Texas, and most of the deaths were in Kerr County, where destructive, fast-moving water rose 26 feet (8 meters) on the Guadalupe River, washing away buildings and vehicles in the area about 60 miles (100 kilometers) northwest of San Antonio. The sharp revision in the number of missing by Kerr County officials on Saturday followed a familiar pattern in the often chaotic aftermath of large-scale disasters. Hundreds of people were reported missing in the initial days after the floods through a phone hotline and email address, which launched investigators on an 'exhaustive effort' to verify the status of each of those individuals, Kerrville police spokesperson Jonathan Lamb said. 'We understand how critical it is to report this information accurately — not only for the families affected but for the integrity of our emergency response as a whole,' Lamb said. Sharp swings follow disasters Drastic changes in the missing count after a disaster aren't unusual. For instance, the death count from the 2023 Maui fire was eventually found to be just over 100 — far below the 1,100 initially feared missing. In 2017, a wildfire in Northern California's wine country killed more than 20 people, but most of the 100 people initially reported missing were located safe. The 2018 wildfire that largely destroyed the California town of Paradise ended up killing nearly 100 people, though Butte County investigators at one point had the names of more than 3,000 people who were not accounted for in the early days of the disaster. The names were whittled down when the list was published in the local paper, and many people realized for the first time that officials were looking for them. Tourists and campers reported missing Texas' Hill Country is a popular tourist destination, where campers seek out spots along the Guadalupe River amid the rolling landscapes. Vacation cabins, RV parks and youth campgrounds fill the riverbanks and hills of Kerr County, including Camp Mystic, a century-old Christian summer camp for girls where at least 27 campers and counselors died in the floods. The flooding was far more severe than the 100-year event envisioned by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, experts said, and it moved so quickly in the middle of the night that it caught many off guard in Kerr County, which lacked a warning system. Tracking down the missing At a July 14 news conference, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott had lowered the number of still-missing in the state to about 100 and suggested that pinning down that number was difficult. In the days after the floods, officials had put the number of missing at about 170 statewide with all but about 10 coming from Kerr County alone. Campers, residents or people who registered at RV parks or hotels are easier to account for, Abbott said. Others may have been reported missing by a friend, family member or coworker. In Travis County, which includes Austin, the floods killed at least 10 people. The sheriff's office has said one person remains on their missing list but may be removed if they can verify sightings of the person. Kristen Dark, a spokesperson for the sheriff's office, said investigators work the missing person and decedent list 'just like we would work any other cases.' For instance, if someone reports that they haven't seen their neighbor, deputies might begin by reaching out to the neighbor's employer and family. 'They use all kinds of different avenues to see if they can find out either that the person hasn't been seen or that the person is alive and here's where they are,' she said.
Winnipeg Free Press
4 hours ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Hundreds were reported missing after deadly Texas floods. Most of them were found safe
DALLAS (AP) — Texas officials labored to account for more than 160 people originally reported missing along the Guadalupe River after the deadly July Fourth floods before ultimately concluding that most were safe and only three individuals still haven't been found, the top executive in the hardest-hit county said Monday. 'Most of them were tourists that came into town and left and went back home and didn't report that they were there,' Kerr County Judge Rob Kelly said at a special meeting of the county commissioner court. He called the process a 'Herculean effort.' The flash floods killed at least 135 people in Texas, and most of the deaths were in Kerr County, where destructive, fast-moving water rose 26 feet (8 meters) on the Guadalupe River, washing away buildings and vehicles in the area about 60 miles (100 kilometers) northwest of San Antonio. The sharp revision in the number of missing by Kerr County officials on Saturday followed a familiar pattern in the often chaotic aftermath of large-scale disasters. Hundreds of people were reported missing in the initial days after the floods through a phone hotline and email address, which launched investigators on an 'exhaustive effort' to verify the status of each of those individuals, Kerrville police spokesperson Jonathan Lamb said. 'We understand how critical it is to report this information accurately — not only for the families affected but for the integrity of our emergency response as a whole,' Lamb said. Sharp swings follow disasters Drastic changes in the missing count after a disaster aren't unusual. For instance, the death count from the 2023 Maui fire was eventually found to be just over 100 — far below the 1,100 initially feared missing. In 2017, a wildfire in Northern California's wine country killed more than 20 people, but most of the 100 people initially reported missing were located safe. The 2018 wildfire that largely destroyed the California town of Paradise ended up killing nearly 100 people, though Butte County investigators at one point had the names of more than 3,000 people who were not accounted for in the early days of the disaster. The names were whittled down when the list was published in the local paper, and many people realized for the first time that officials were looking for them. Tourists and campers reported missing Texas' Hill Country is a popular tourist destination, where campers seek out spots along the Guadalupe River amid the rolling landscapes. Vacation cabins, RV parks and youth campgrounds fill the riverbanks and hills of Kerr County, including Camp Mystic, a century-old Christian summer camp for girls where at least 27 campers and counselors died in the floods. The flooding was far more severe than the 100-year event envisioned by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, experts said, and it moved so quickly in the middle of the night that it caught many off guard in Kerr County, which lacked a warning system. Tracking down the missing At a July 14 news conference, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott had lowered the number of still-missing in the state to about 100 and suggested that pinning down that number was difficult. In the days after the floods, officials had put the number of missing at about 170 statewide with all but about 10 coming from Kerr County alone. Campers, residents or people who registered at RV parks or hotels are easier to account for, Abbott said. Others may have been reported missing by a friend, family member or coworker. In Travis County, which includes Austin, the floods killed at least 10 people. The sheriff's office has said one person remains on their missing list but may be removed if they can verify sightings of the person. Kristen Dark, a spokesperson for the sheriff's office, said investigators work the missing person and decedent list 'just like we would work any other cases.' For instance, if someone reports that they haven't seen their neighbor, deputies might begin by reaching out to the neighbor's employer and family. 'They use all kinds of different avenues to see if they can find out either that the person hasn't been seen or that the person is alive and here's where they are,' she said. ____ Associated Press writer Nadia Lathan in Austin contributed to this report.
Hamilton Spectator
4 hours ago
- Hamilton Spectator
Hundreds were reported missing after deadly Texas floods. Most of them were found safe
DALLAS (AP) — Texas officials labored to account for more than 160 people originally reported missing along the Guadalupe River after the deadly July Fourth floods before ultimately concluding that most were safe and only three individuals still haven't been found, the top executive in the hardest-hit county said Monday. 'Most of them were tourists that came into town and left and went back home and didn't report that they were there,' Kerr County Judge Rob Kelly said at a special meeting of the county commissioner court. He called the process a 'Herculean effort.' The flash floods killed at least 135 people in Texas, and most of the deaths were in Kerr County, where destructive, fast-moving water rose 26 feet (8 meters) on the Guadalupe River, washing away buildings and vehicles in the area about 60 miles (100 kilometers) northwest of San Antonio. The sharp revision in the number of missing by Kerr County officials on Saturday followed a familiar pattern in the often chaotic aftermath of large-scale disasters. Hundreds of people were reported missing in the initial days after the floods through a phone hotline and email address, which launched investigators on an 'exhaustive effort' to verify the status of each of those individuals, Kerrville police spokesperson Jonathan Lamb said. 'We understand how critical it is to report this information accurately — not only for the families affected but for the integrity of our emergency response as a whole,' Lamb said. Sharp swings follow disasters Drastic changes in the missing count after a disaster aren't unusual. For instance, the death count from the 2023 Maui fire was eventually found to be just over 100 — far below the 1,100 initially feared missing. In 2017, a wildfire in Northern California's wine country killed more than 20 people, but most of the 100 people initially reported missing were located safe. The 2018 wildfire that largely destroyed the California town of Paradise ended up killing nearly 100 people, though Butte County investigators at one point had the names of more than 3,000 people who were not accounted for in the early days of the disaster. The names were whittled down when the list was published in the local paper, and many people realized for the first time that officials were looking for them. Tourists and campers reported missing Texas' Hill Country is a popular tourist destination, where campers seek out spots along the Guadalupe River amid the rolling landscapes. Vacation cabins, RV parks and youth campgrounds fill the riverbanks and hills of Kerr County, including Camp Mystic, a century-old Christian summer camp for girls where at least 27 campers and counselors died in the floods. The flooding was far more severe than the 100-year event envisioned by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, experts said, and it moved so quickly in the middle of the night that it caught many off guard in Kerr County, which lacked a warning system . Tracking down the missing At a July 14 news conference, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott had lowered the number of still-missing in the state to about 100 and suggested that pinning down that number was difficult. In the days after the floods, officials had put the number of missing at about 170 statewide with all but about 10 coming from Kerr County alone. Campers, residents or people who registered at RV parks or hotels are easier to account for, Abbott said. Others may have been reported missing by a friend, family member or coworker. In Travis County, which includes Austin, the floods killed at least 10 people. The sheriff's office has said one person remains on their missing list but may be removed if they can verify sightings of the person. Kristen Dark, a spokesperson for the sheriff's office, said investigators work the missing person and decedent list 'just like we would work any other cases.' For instance, if someone reports that they haven't seen their neighbor, deputies might begin by reaching out to the neighbor's employer and family. 'They use all kinds of different avenues to see if they can find out either that the person hasn't been seen or that the person is alive and here's where they are,' she said. ____ Associated Press writer Nadia Lathan in Austin contributed to this report.
Sky News AU
9 hours ago
- Automotive
- Sky News AU
Biz behind obnoxiously loud New York ‘churchero' car speakers used at meet-ups insists, ‘our clientele is all families'
The owners of a vehicle audio shop that installs some of the gigantic 'churchero' speaker systems at the root of obnoxiously loud car meetups in the Big Apple are asking city residents and lawmakers to cool their engines. Luis Colon and his wife, Jeanette Beato, owners of Allstar Auto Solutions in Passaic, NJ, said that if appropriately regulated, these events could be 'family-oriented' and raise money for charities. 'Ninety-nine of the guys involved in car music don't want [trouble],' Colon insisted to The Post after its report on the dangers of the illegal car meetups. Colon and Beato, both Bronx natives, said their shop had been thriving on providing the 'boom systems,' which can cost anywhere from $1,500 to $60,000. But recent negativity involving the 'car music' community has slowed business to about half of what it was. Critics 'are making it seem like it's worse than drug dealers right now,' Colon said of the meet-ups. The couple said some of their customers come from as far away as Texas, Missouri and Florida to get their speaker installations. They promote their business at organized car meetups, including one gathering of more than 400 cars in Middletown, NY, in May and an upcoming show in Atlantic City, NJ, in August, which are permitted and have police on hand to support traffic and other safety measures. 'They have events like this outside of the city, and you even see families there,' Beato said. 'Our clientele is all families.' The pair is calling on 'car music' enthusiasts and community leaders to create clear parameters and 'better administration' for hosting festivals featuring their giant audio systems — including in designated areas and at appropriate hours. 'It's something where a lot of money could be made and put to good use,' said Colon, 46. 'Give us a place, we'll make money and donate to charity.' Nick Terzo, who grew up in the Hudson Valley and lives in Miami, runs a car-show company called Clean Culture that hosts approximately 35 events annually in the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico. He said his events feature some booming 'churchero' systems but that he's figured a way to abide by the law by keeping them in designated areas, including over the July Fourth weekend at a minor-league baseball stadium in Lakewood, NJ, that attracted roughly 2,000 people. 'I'm hearing some loud music,' acknowledged Terzo, 32. 'it might not affect me as much, but I can understand where people could complain and have a problem with it. 'I want to give these people a platform to come out and showcase their cars and get these guys off the streets where [their sound systems] might cause a hassle to the average person.' But Colon and Beato said it's not only critics who are damaging business. 'The tariffs that are going on are hurting our business as well,' Colon said. 'There was a hundred-dollar increase on some items from May to June.' Victor Martinez, who works at Inspire Auto Sound and Detail in Motte Haven in The Bronx, agreed that drivers are thinking twice about installing 'churchero' systems and that tariffs on speakers are hurting sales, too. 'The stuff that used to cost 30 or 40 bucks now costs 90 or a hundred plus tax' now, Martinez said. 'It's bad.' Residents in Queens, The Bronx, and Nassau County, LI, have told The Post they've been dealing with long-standing disturbances caused by 'car music' meetups. They are calling on local lawmakers to empower the NYPD to confiscate and aggressively destroy 'churchero' systems. 'If the offending sound device is detachable from the vehicle, the NYPD may seize the device itself,' an Police Department rep told The Post in an e-mailed statement. 'However, if the device is an integrated, attached component of the vehicle, the vehicle may be seized. 'If the offending sound device is coming from a moving vehicle, and it can be safely stopped, the previous criteria would be applied.' But Colon and Beato, who say 'music is good for the soul,' explained they are hoping for harmony between the 'car music' community and the public. 'If we could speak to somebody willing to hear us out, we'll have much better results out of all of this,' Colon said. 'But if we don't find anybody to listen, people will keep going outside playing music when they're not supposed to, getting tickets and getting arrested.' Originally published as Business behind obnoxiously loud New York 'churchero' car speakers used at meet-ups insists, 'our clientele is all families'
18 hours ago
- Climate
Texas flooding: Gov. Greg Abbott calls special legislative session for flood emergency planning
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott called a special session for the state legislature on Monday to discuss emergency procedures and early warning systems in the wake of the deadly flooding earlier this month. "We must ensure better preparation in the future," Abbott said in a statement posted on social media. The session is scheduled to begin at noon local time, according to a press release from his office. More than 130 people were killed earlier this month as historic flash flooding tore through central Texas over the July Fourth weekend. In addition to three people missing in Kerr County, there were still three people missing in Travis County and one person listed as missing in Burnet County, according to the most recent update last week. Abbott on Sunday said the special session would address preparedness and recovery in the event of future flooding. The agenda for Monday's sessions is expected to include discussions on flood warning systems, flood emergency communications, relief funding and natural disaster preparations and recovery, Abbott said.
