Latest news with #Leitha
New Indian Express
23 minutes ago
- Climate
- New Indian Express
Search for missing girls as Texas flood death toll rises to 43
HUNT: Rescuers searched Saturday for 27 girls missing from a riverside summer camp in the US state of Texas, after torrential rains caused devastating flooding that killed at least 43 people, with more rain pounding the region. "We have recovered 43 deceased individuals in Kerr County. Among these who are deceased we have 28 adults and 15 children," said Kerr Country Sheriff Larry Leitha. Leitha earlier put the number of evacuated people at 850, including eight reported injured. Addressing a press conference, Texas Governor Greg Abbott said he was expanding a state disaster declaration and was requesting additional federal resources from US President Donald Trump. Texas Department of Emergency Management chief Nim Kidd said air, ground and water-based crews were scouring the length of the Guadalupe River for survivors and the bodies of the dead. "We will continue the search until all those who are missing are found," he said. The flooding began Friday -- the start of the fourth of July holiday weekend -- as months' worth of rain fell in a matter of hours, causing the Guadalupe River to rise by 26 feet (eight meters) in 45 minutes. The National Weather Service (NWS) warned that more rain was forecast, and that "excessive runoff may result in flooding of rivers, creeks, streams, and other low-lying and flood-prone locations." In Kerrville on Saturday, the usually calm Guadalupe was flowing fast, its murky waters filled with debris. "The water reached the top of the trees. About 10 meters or so," said local resident Gerardo Martinez, 61. "Cars, whole houses were going down the river." Flash floods, which occur when the ground is unable to absorb torrential rainfall, are not unusual. But scientists say that in recent years human-driven climate change has made extreme weather events like floods, droughts and heat waves more frequent and more intense.
New Straits Times
2 hours ago
- Climate
- New Straits Times
Search for missing girls as Texas flood death toll rises to 43
HUNT, United States: Rescuers searched Saturday for 27 girls missing from a riverside summer camp in the US state of Texas, after torrential rains caused devastating flooding that killed at least 43 people -- with more rain pounding the region. "We have recovered 43 deceased individuals in Kerr County. Among these who are deceased we have 28 adults and 15 children," said Kerr Country Sheriff Larry Leitha. Leitha earlier put the number of evacuated people at 850, including eight reported injured. Addressing a press conference, Texas Governor Greg Abbott said he was expanding a state disaster declaration and was requesting additional federal resources from US President Donald Trump. Texas Department of Emergency Management chief Nim Kidd said air, ground and water-based crews were scouring the length of the Guadalupe River for survivors and the bodies of the dead. "We will continue the search until all those who are missing are found," he said. The flooding began Friday -- the start of the fourth of July holiday weekend -- as months' worth of rain fell in a matter of hours, causing the Guadalupe River to rise by 26 feet (eight meters) in 45 minutes. The National Weather Service (NWS) warned that more rain was forecast, and that "excessive runoff may result in flooding of rivers, creeks, streams, and other low-lying and flood-prone locations." Multiple flash flood warnings remained in place over the weekend in central Texas. In Kerrville on Saturday, the usually calm Guadalupe was flowing fast, its murky waters filled with debris. "The water reached the top of the trees. About 10 meters or so," said local resident Gerardo Martinez, 61. "Cars, whole houses were going down the river." Flash floods, which occur when the ground is unable to absorb torrential rainfall, are not unusual. But scientists say that in recent years human-driven climate change has made extreme weather events like floods, droughts and heat waves more frequent and more intense. On Saturday, Sheriff Leitha said 27 children from the Camp Mystic Christian summer camp in the flooded Kerr County were still missing. Around 750 girls were enrolled at the camp. US media reported that four of the missing girls were dead, citing their families. The camp, located along the banks of the Guadalupe, was a picture of disarray, with blankets, mattresses, teddy bears and other belongings caked in mud. The windows of camp cabins were shattered, apparently by the force of the water. Michael, who only gave AFP his first name, was searching the camp for his eight-year-old daughter. "I was in Austin and drove down yesterday morning, once we heard about it," he said, adding that he was hoping for a "miracle." The Heart O' The Hills summer camp, located about a mile from Camp Mystic, confirmed on Saturday that its director Jane Ragsdale was among the dead. Department of Homeland Security head Kristi Noem told a press conference that Trump wanted to "upgrade the technologies" at the weather service and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Trump's administration has faced criticism from scientists and disaster management agencies after cutting funding and hundreds of staff at the NOAA, in charge of weather forecasts and preparedness, and the NWS. "We need to renew this ancient system," Noem said. When asked about claims that residents were given insufficient warning of the floods, Noem said she would "carry your concerns back to the federal government." Officials have said the speed and level of flooding was shocking. "We didn't know this flood was coming," Kerr County official Rob Kelly said Friday. Kerrville city official Dalton Rice said rescuers were facing "very difficult" conditions, warning people against traveling to the site. Rice added it was not known how many people may have been visiting the popular camping area, and declined to give an overall figure for how many were missing. Soila Reyna, 55, a Kerrville resident who works at a local church helping people who lost their belongings, witnessed the devastation unfold. "It has been years since we had a flood, but nothing like this," Reyna said. "Nothing like as catastrophic as this, where it involved children, people and just the loss of people's houses... It's just crazy," she added. With rescuers fanning out across the region, Kerrville Mayor Joe Herring urged the community to come together. "People need to know today will be a hard day," he said. - AFP
Qatar Tribune
6 hours ago
- Climate
- Qatar Tribune
Nine children among 27 dead in Texas flooding
Agencies Texas Rescuers in the US state of Texas are scrambling to locate more than two dozen children still missing from a Christian summer camp after a powerful storm caused flash floods that authorities say have killed at least 27 people. Kerr County Sheriff Larry Leitha told reporters on Saturday that the death toll included nine children. Leitha said around 800 people had been evacuated from the region, about 137km (85 miles) northwest of San Antonio, as flood waters receded on Saturday morning. Torrential downpour on Friday caused the fast-flowing Guadalupe River to rise nearly nine metres (29 feet) near the Camp Mystic summer camp, where around 750 children were staying. Twenty-seven attendees were still unaccounted for, according to Dalton Rice, city manager of the nearby town of Kerrville in Kerr County.. The Heart O' The Hills summer camp, located about 1.6km from Camp Mystic, confirmed on Saturday that its director, Jane Ragsdale, was among the dead. While the National Weather Service (said the flash-flood emergency had largely ended for Kerr County – the epicentre of the flooding – it warned of more heavy rain to come, maintaining its flood watch until 7pm local time (00:00 GMT on Sunday). Rice said that more than 1,000 rescuers were on the ground to help with search-and-rescue efforts. Helicopters and drones were being used, with some people being plucked from trees. US Coast Guard helicopters had flown in to assist. page 7
Yahoo
10 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Authorities search for missing campers as Texas flooding kills at least 24
A massive search is underway to find at least 20 young girls at a Texas summer camp as the Lone Star State is combats flash flooding that has killed at least 24 people. At least 23 Camp Mystic campers are still missing. Kerr County Sheriff Larry Leitha said authorities were able to access the camp on Friday to begin evacuating the children. Camp Mystic, an all-girls summer camp, is the only camp where kids are unaccounted for amid the floods in the state's south-central region, according to Leitha. The search has continued in the area known as Hill country after a rain storm pushed the Guadalupe River above its banks. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) issued a disaster declaration for 15 counties affected by flooding late Thursday, stating that Texas 'will stop at nothing to ensure every missing person is fully accounted for.' The longtime director of a nearby summer camp, Heart O' The Hills, Jane Ragsdale died in the floods on Friday. 'We are mourning the loss of a woman who influenced countless lives and was the definition of strong and powerful,' the camp said in a statement. The organization added that the camp was not in session and most of the people who were at the camp have been accounted for or are currently on higher ground. Texas officials have not provided an estimate of how many people are missing from the floods that started on Wednesday. 'The one thing I hear the most are the prayers that are being sent for those who are in harm's way,' Abbott said. 'There is an extraordinary collaboration to make sure that we address everybody's concern as quickly as possible.' On Friday, Texas lawmakers diverted their attention from the 4th of July festivities to address the flooding in the state. 'This breaks my heart. Please join me in praying for the families who've lost their loved ones and for the speedy recovery of those missing,' Rep. Troy Nehls (R-Texas) said. 'Special thank you to the National Guard, first responders, law enforcement officers, and volunteers working to save lives.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Metro
11 hours ago
- Climate
- Metro
Desperate search for missing children after Texas floods leave at least 24 dead
At least 27 people including nine children have died in the flash floods that have swept through Kerr County in central Texas. Search and rescue operations are continuing in 'harsh' terrain after the Guadalupe River rose more than eight metres in less than an hour overnight Thursday and devastated several towns. At least 27 children are missing from Camp Mystic, a Christian girls' summer camp which is located on the river. Emergency services have evacuated more than 850 uninjured people and eight injured people, the Kerr County Sheriff's Office said this afternoon. The update came as Donald Trump put out a message on Truth Social saying he and his wife Melania are 'praying for all of the families impacted by this horrible tragedy.' Kerr County Sheriff Larry L. Leitha told a press conference in Texas this morning, local time, that the death toll currently stands at 27, including 18 adults and nine children. Six of the adults and one child were unidentified at the time he spoke. 'Our thoughts and prayers go out to the loved ones,' Sheriff Leitha said. 'We are working hard to locate anyone who is still missing and to ensure they are safe.' Rescue and recovery operations are taking place more than 24 hours into the tragic event, Sheriff Leitha told reporters. 'We will not stop until every single person is found,' he said. 'We've got all the resources we need we're here for the long haul. 'As I said numbers will be changing rapidly.' Kerrville Mayor Joe Herring Jr said that 'it will be a hard day' as he outlined how people 'from across the state and the world' can help via following the city's Facebook page. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Kerrville City Manager Dalton Rice said there are 27 'potentially missing campers' while 'the unknown is how many people were here visiting, on vacation, doing other things in the community that we do not have numbers [for].' 'These numbers are going to change throughout the day,' Mr Rice said. He said a 'primary search' is taking place covering a 'harsh environment' with personnel turning over rocks and searching culverts and trees. Trump said on the social network that his administration is working with state and local officials on the ground in Texas. He wrote: 'Our Brave First Responders are on site doing what they do best. GOD BLESS THE FAMILIES, AND GOD BLESS TEXAS!' Camp Mystic was devastated by the flooding as the disaster in the middle of the night on the Fourth of July holiday caught many residents, campers and officials by surprise. 'The camp was completely destroyed,' said 13-year-old Elinor Lester, one of hundreds of campers at Mystic. 'A helicopter landed and started taking people away. 'It was really scary.' More Trending One young girl was shown being rescued after clinging to a tree for safety. More rain is expected in central Texas today, which may bring heavy downpours and flooding due to a slow-moving storm over the region, according to the National Weather Service. Forecaster Jason Runyen said the threat could last into Sunday morning. Do you have a story you would like to share? Contact MORE: Terrifying moment six girls swept away by a sudden flood surge towards waterfall's edge MORE: Hero pensioner jumps into the Thames to save girl, 7, from drowning MORE: Young girl clings to tree for life amid Texas floods that have killed 24
