Latest news with #KerrCountyFloodDisasterJointInformationCenter
USA Today
2 days ago
- Climate
- USA Today
Angry storms, 'heat dome' threaten to fuel dangerous weather week
Bouts of severe weather coupled with unrelenting heat threaten to provide Americans with a tumultuous and possibly deadly weather week, forecasters say. Multiple rounds of thunderstorms will bring risks of flash flooding through the Midwest and East on the periphery of a "heat dome" that could bring triple-digit temperatures to parts of multiple states, AccuWeather warned. More than 50 million Americans from Texas to Missouri were already under National Weather Service extreme heat warnings or advisories on July 20. Thunderstorms at night could bring hail downpours from southern Nebraska to Canada, with wind gusts possibly reaching 85 miles per hour. The severe weather threat sweeps across the Midwest and East on July 21, with Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky and West Virginia all facing the possibility of flash flooding and gusty winds. AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Alex Sosnowski said that much of the region was hammered by heavy thunderstorms recently and can't absorb another round. "We are highly concerned about the risk of dangerous to life-threatening flash flooding in the zone from southern Illinois and Indiana to central and eastern Kentucky, central and southern West Virginia and southwestern Virginia," Sosnowski said. Heat dome could last for weeks A bulge in the jet stream developing as high pressure builds could create a persistent heat dome lingering well into August, AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Chad Merrill said. The Kansas City, Missouri, area, which hasn't hit 100 degrees in two years, could reach the figure multiple times this week, he said. Dallas could see 100 degrees for the first time in 2025. "This has the look of a long-lasting heat wave with limited rainfall," Merrill said. "Drought will expand through the central Plains by mid-August and worsen in Kansas and Nebraska, where there are already pockets of moderate to extreme drought." Number missing in Texas floods drops from 97 to 3, officials say Number of people missing in deadly Texas flooding drops to 3 The number of people thought to be missing in the devastating floods in Kerr County, Texas, over the Fourth of July holiday weekend has been revised down from 97 to three, officials announced July 19. The city of Kerrville, Texas, said the Kerr County Flood Disaster Joint Information Center confirmed that "through extensive follow-up work among state and local agencies, many individuals who were initially reported as missing have been verified as safe and removed from the list." On July 15, Gov. Greg Abbott said 97 people were still listed as missing in the greater Kerrville area, down from 160-plus about a week ago. As of July 17, Abbott said, the death toll stood at 135 statewide, with 116 from Kerr County perishing in the floods. Read more here. Contributing: Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy
USA Today
3 days ago
- USA Today
Number missing in Texas floods drops from 97 to 3, officials say
The number of people thought to be missing in the devastating floods in Kerr County, Texas, over the Fourth of July holiday weekend has been revised down from at least 97 to three, officials announced July 19. The city of Kerrville, Texas, said the Kerr County Flood Disaster Joint Information Center confirmed that "through extensive follow-up work among state and local agencies, many individuals who were initially reported as missing have been verified as safe and removed from the list." 'We are profoundly grateful to the more than 1,000 local, state, and federal authorities who have worked tirelessly in the wake of the devastating flood that struck our community,' Kerrville City Manager Dalton Rice said. On July 15, Gov. Greg Abbott said 97 people were still listed as missing in the greater Kerrville area, down from 160-plus about a week ago. 'This remarkable progress reflects countless hours of coordinated search and rescue operations, careful investigative work, and an unwavering commitment to bringing clarity and hope to families during an unimaginably difficult time,' Rice said. Kerr County Judge Rob Kelly thanked law enforcement and others who helped verify the number missing. 'Your dedication, professionalism, and compassion have brought comfort and answers to so many." Kelly had said earlier that a large percentage of those unaccounted for were probably visiting the area. He said many tourists had come for the Independence Day weekend fireworks and concert. Historic flooding overwhelmed the banks of the Guadalupe River in the predawn hours of July 4. Recovery operations are continuing to search for those still missing. As of July 17, Abbott said, the death toll stood at 135 statewide, with 116 from Kerr County perishing in the floods. Contributing: John Bacon
