6 days ago
Texas flash-flood death toll rises to at least 69 with more bad weather forecast
The death toll from flash flooding in central Texas has risen to at least 69, Governor Ted Abbott said on Sunday, with more bad weather forecast.
Among the victims, most of whom were in Kerr County, were 21 children, the county sheriff said. A search is continuing for 11 girls and a counsellor who were staying at a camp near the Guadalupe River, which rose to about eight metres during the storms, breaking its banks.
The US National Weather Service declared a flash flood emergency for parts of Kerr County in the south-central Texas Hill Country, about 100km north-west of San Antonio, after thunderstorms dumped as much as 38cm of rain on the area at the holiday weekend.
US President Donald Trump said on Sunday that he has signed a major disaster declaration for Kerr County.
"These families are enduring an unimaginable tragedy, with many lives lost, and many still missing," he said in a post on Truth Social. "The Trump administration continues to work closely with state and local leaders."
Mr Trump has indicated in the past that his administration plans to scale back the federal government's role in responding to natural disasters, leaving states to shoulder more of the burden.
Officials said more than 850 people had been rescued, including some clinging to trees, although it was unclear exactly how many people in the area were still missing.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, who oversees the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, said a "moderate" flood watch issued on Thursday by the National Weather Service had not accurately predicted the extreme rainfall and said the Trump administration was working to upgrade the system.
Some experts have questioned whether cuts to the federal workforce by the administration, including to the agency that oversees the National Weather Service, led to a failure by officials to accurately predict the severity of the floods and issue appropriate warnings.
More rain was expected in the area on Sunday. The National Weather Service issued a flood watch for Kerr County into the evening.
The UAE sent its condolences and solidarity on Sunday to the US after the floods. In a statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed its sympathy to the families of the victims, as well as to the people and government of the US.
