Latest news with #disaster
New York Times
27 minutes ago
- General
- New York Times
‘We're Going to Rebuild.' A Hard-Hit Texas Town Looks to the Future.
Robert Brown, a Dallas businessman, owns what used to be a handsome five-building vacation estate in Hunt, Texas, set above a sloping bank on the Guadalupe River. This week, a work crew was hauling away river mud from the buildings, and tearing out drywall and waterlogged insulation. The July 4 flooding, the worst anyone can remember in the small Hill Country community of Hunt, has left at least 129 people dead in Central Texas, with scores more still missing. The grief is particularly acute in unincorporated Hunt, where at least 27 people from a girls' summer retreat, Camp Mystic, were killed. Much of the town is now trashed, with debris lodged in the branches of the trees and heaps of soggy junk along Highway 39, the main road that runs along the Guadalupe. On Wednesday, skilled horse-riders in cowboy hats and ball caps were searching Mr. Brown's property for bodies. But Mr. Brown, who grew up in coastal Corpus Christi, Texas, is not giving up on Hunt. After the workers gut his buildings, he said he wants them to renovate them. It is a decision colored by the deep connection he feels to the Hill Country, a region in the middle of Texas that is also central to the state's history, spirit and western mythology. 'We always had a major love for the Hill Country growing up in Corpus Christi, down on the water,' Mr. Brown said last week. 'It was our so-called Colorado, I guess, for us. We considered those mountains back in the day,' he said of the Texas hills. Texas, a state larger than any country in Europe, is a place of staggering geographic variety. But the Hill Country has a distinctly western feel, with a rolling, rugged topography that spreads across 26 counties and a trove of natural and cultural riches. The Comanche once traded with German settlers here. The state flower, the bluebonnet, explodes in bloom in the spring. The yearly Kerrville Folk Festival preserves and promulgates the rich mosaic of vernacular Texas music. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
'Maybe they should've had bells,' the president suggested.
President Donald Trump suggested the tragic loss of life that occurred in Texas as a result of historic flooding could have been mitigated if the county had 'bells... or something, go off.' In an interview with his daughter-in-law Lara Trump on her Fox News show, My View with Lara Trump, the president spoke about the deadly floods that has killed at least 129 people. On Friday, he visited Kerrville, Texas, where he met with officials and spoke to the media alongside wife Melania. Lara asked her father-in-law, 'What is your message to the people who are suffering down there, to the parents of the young girls at the camp who were killed?'
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Military deployed in parts of Spain due to floods
A disaster relief unit of Spain's military was deployed to the northeastern city of Zaragoza after severe storms caused flooding across the province on Saturday.
Yahoo
7 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
'I've never seen anything like this': President Trump says in visit to flood-ravaged Texas
President Donald Trump showered praise on the recovery efforts in Central Texas and pledged the federal government's full support as he visited the state Friday a week after devastating floods ripped through communities. Trump said his administration is doing "everything in its power to help Texas" after last weekend's July 4 floods killed at least 120 people while the search continues for 160 others still missing. "This is a tough one," Trump said during his July 11 trip, kicking off a 47-minute discussion in Kerrville, Texas, with local, state and federal officials. "It's hard to believe the devastation. Trees that are 100 years old just ripped out of the ground. I've never seen anything like this, and I've seen a lot of bad ones." More: 'Filled with grief and devastation' : Trump surveys Texas flood damage. Live updates Trump said he met with parents who lost children in the flood. "Nobody has any idea how and why a thing like this could happen," he said as he remembered the "young angels" who died while staying at the girls' camp, Camp Mystic. The president's visit to Texas sought to blunt criticism from Democrats who have alleged the president's cuts to the National Weather Service might have slowed the agency's weather forecasts and flood alerts getting to residents on the morning of July 4, as heavy rain pushed floodwaters from the banks of the Guadalupe River. Trump said the federal government has deployed more than 400 first responders and enabled 1,500 rescues during the flood. "The people here ‒ first responders, the sheriff's office, all of the police, law enforcement, they've done an unbelievable job," Trump said. Trump and first lady Melania Trump surveyed damage near the Guadalupe River in Kerrville that included an overturned tractor, several downed trees and plastic debris as the president received a briefing from Texas Gov. Gregg Abbott and local officials. Wearing a white "USA" cap, Trump nodded his head as he listened to officials. Along the way to the site, residents standing in front of strips malls and at intersections waved as Trump's motorcade rolled by. "All across the country, Americans' hearts are shattered," Trump said. "All the beautiful souls. We're filled with grief and devastation at the loss of life. And unfortunately, they're still looking. There's a lot of missing children." Melania Trump offered her "deepest sympathies" to everyone who lost loved ones. "We are grieving with you. Our nation is grieving with you," she said, pointing to a bracelet she received from the camp in honor of the girl campers who died. "I will be back. I promise." Trump has avoided playing the blame game in response to the flood disaster in Texas, taking a drastically different approach in the Republican-led state compared to Los Angeles' wildfires in January, which he pinned largely on Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom. Trump last year accused then-President Joe Biden of being slow to respond to Hurricane Helene's devastation in North Carolina. More: Why are flash floods so deadly? How to stay safe from their shocking power. "They failed us in North Carolina, but when we got in on Jan. 20, they fixed it up in no time," Trump said of FEMA. He snapped at a reporter who asked about concerns with the community's flood alert system. "Only an evil person would ask a question like that," Trump said. "I think this has been heroism ... It's easy to look back and say, 'Oh what could have happened here and there.'" CNN reported that new cost control rules enforced by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem slowed FEMA's response in Texas. DHS has disputed the report. A new DHS policy requires that Noem personally sign off on all contracts of more than $100,000 issued by FEMA and other divisions of her department. Democrats led by Texas Reps. Greg Casar and Rep. Jasmine Crockett on the House Oversight Committee sent letters Friday seeking "answers" from FEMA, the Department of Commerce Inspector General and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which oversees the weather service. "The tragic loss of life underscores the urgent need to understand what contributed to this disaster and how we can better prepare for future disasters," their letter to NOAA reads. "Rigorous oversight is needed not only to provide answers to grieving communities in Central Texas, but also to save lives in future extreme weather events." On his way to Texas on Air Force One, Trump was joined by Abbott and the state's two Republican U.S. senators, Ted Cruz and John Cornyn. Rep. Wesley Hunt, R-Texas, whose congressional district is near Houston, not the flooded area, also joined the president. Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, joined the president at the roundtable. At one point, Trump gave the microphone to television personality and loyal supporter Dr. Phil, who had a seat at the table. The White House's budget chief told reporters earlier Friday the Federal Emergency Management Agency has the funding to assist in flood recovery efforts even as the Trump administration has talked about eliminating FEMA. Russ Vought, director of the White House Office of Management and Budget, said FEMA has about $13 billion in its reserves to pay for necessary expenses in Texas. "The president has said to Texas, anything it needs it will get," Vought said, adding that, "We also want FEMA to be reformed. We want FEMA to work well … The president is going to continue to be asking tough questions of all of his agencies." Earlier this week, Noem continued her call for FEMA to be "eliminated as it exists today" to put more control in the hands of local and state authorities. Her push comes as FEMA has deployed hundreds of specialists and distributed supplies to the flooded areas in Texas. Noem called the flood an "unprecedented event" a she joined Trump in Texas, adding that she's never heard of a flood that "happened like this before." Reach Joey Garrison on X @joeygarrison. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 'This is a tough one' Trump says in visit to flood-ravaged Texas
Yahoo
7 hours ago
- Yahoo
Texas flooding death toll rises; new flood watch in effect
Over a week since an inundated Guadalupe River sent floodwaters tearing through homes and youth camps in Texas, optimism for rescuing any of the dozens of people still missing from Hill Country on July 12 has steadily faded as the death toll continued to rise. Hundreds of rescuers, many of them volunteers, have scoured miles of destruction for any sign of the missing. But they haven't rescued anyone alive since July 4, the day of the flood, officials in the hardest-hit Kerr County said. Some 160 people are missing from the county alone. As of the morning of July 12, the death toll had risen to at least 129, with authorities in Kerr and Travis counties reporting more bodies recovered. The toll in Kerr County rose to at least 103, including 67 adults and 36 children, according to the county's Joint Information Center. In Travis County, the toll rose to nine from eight, spokesperson Hector Nieto confirmed to USA TODAY. Officials previously said at least 27 campers and counselors from Camp Mystic, the beloved all-girls Christian camp, were among the dead. "I've never seen anything like this, and I've seen a lot of bad ones," President Donald Trump said as he and first lady Melania Trump surveyed the damage on Friday. "It's hard to believe the devastation." Authorities in Texas, including the governor, have pledged that crews will not stop their search until every missing person is accounted for. Dozens remain missing in Hill Country, with the majority lost from Kerr County. Experts say that the number of people reported missing in the wake of disasters is often inflated, however. About 170 people are believed to be missing, including 161 missing in Kerr County. Other counties have reported on a few missing, including one in Burnet County: Volunteer Fire Chief Michael Phillips. Phillips was last seen one week ago as he was responding to a rescue call before he and his vehicle were swept into the raging waters. The vehicle has been located but Phillips was not inside. "Specialist teams and equipment continue to deploy into the search area and work themselves to exhaustion or until nightfall in the effort to find him," the Burnet County Sheriff's Office said Saturday. The hard-hit Texas Hill Country has a flood watch in effect through the evening of July 13, according to the National Weather Service office serving Austin and San Antonio. Between 1 and 3 inches of rain could fall, with isolated amounts of nearly 6 inches possible in areas, the weather service said in an X post the morning of July 12. Runoff may result in dangerous flash floods of low-lying areas, which can include rivers, creeks and other low-water crossings. Officials said the watch includes the southern Edwards Plateau, which includes Kerr County, and along the Interstate 35 corridor between Austin and San Antonio. The watch is in effect until 7 p.m. July 13. More than 19 million people are under flood watches in Texas, Oklahoma and New Mexico on July 12, according to the National Weather Service. The weather service office serving Austin and San Antonio warned of the potential for locally heavy rainfall and flash flooding in hard-hit areas of Texas Hill Country through July 13. "Locally heavy rain on already saturated ground is capable of causing flash flooding this weekend," the Kerr County Sheriff's Office said in a Facebook post. - Dinah Voyles Pulver From Arkansan Black Hawk helicopters to Wisconsin K-9 teams, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott gave thanks to states aiding in response to the Hill Country floods. The efforts following the deadly floods have required scores of resources to assist in searching for missing people. 'Our ongoing recovery operations are boosted by the support of other states,' Abbott posted to X on July 12. Abbott also thanked California, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Carolina and Virginia for providing their resources. The support also included swift water boats and drones to aid Texas officials. The family of Katherine Ferruzzo, a counselor at Camp Mystic who remained among the missing for the last week, said her remains were found Friday. Ferruzzo was a recent graduate of Memorial High School in Houston and was headed to the University of Texas at Austin in the fall. She planned to become a special education teacher, the family said in a statement on Saturday. "We are incredibly grateful to all the search and rescue professionals and volunteers who have remained steadfast in their efforts to locate the victims of this tragedy. We would especially like to thank the Texas Rangers," the family said in the statement provided by a spokesperson, Paige Donnell. Dozens of children and staff members from Camp Mystic were among the dead, authorities have said. The nearly century-old camp in Hunt, Texas, is one of several along the Guadalupe River and saw some of the worst flooding on July 4. Also among those reported dead were the camp's owner, Dick Eastland, campers Sarah Marsh, 8; Hanna and Rebecca Lawrence, 14; and counselor Chloe Childress, 19. "Katherine has a fierce and loving spirit, and we have no doubt she did all she could to save the lives of the girls in her cabin," her family said in a previous statement. The overwhelming response from community members near and far has become perhaps too generous, officials in Kerrville said on Saturday. The Kerrville Police Department said so many people have brought food for its staff, some has gone to waste. All its needs, including meals, are taken care of, the police department said. The police department also asked law enforcement officers in the region to stop showing up unannounced to help, as it is coordinating with agencies to assign officers to certain tasks. On Friday, the city of Kerrville asked volunteers to stop coming to help, as the most urgent needs are being handled by first responders and families within the community who were affected by the flooding. "Your generosity and support mean more than words can express," the city said. "Please don't lose heart – your help WILL be needed. As the days and weeks unfold, there will be many opportunities to step in and support our neighbors. We promise to share updates as specific volunteer needs arise." More than 10 months after Hurricane Helene spawned floods that ripped through western North Carolina last year, the bodies of Lysa Gindinova's 3-year-old cousin, Yevhenii Segen, and their grandmother, Tatiana Novitnia, have still not been found. The two were swept away by floodwaters, and the family wrestles with the fact they may never see them again. 'It doesn't feel real,' Gindinova told USA TODAY. Families in Texas are starting to face that same haunting realization after the deadly Hill Country flash floods as volunteers continue to scour the region for the missing. Much like last year's North Carolina floods, the Texas floods left behind mountains of debris: piles of crushed trailers and cars, stacks of downed cypress trees and walls of hardened mud that make recovery challenging. The amount of debris and destruction have made the grim task slow and taxing. Troy Tillman, 34, a sheriff's detective from just outside Lubbock, Texas, described uncovering a Ford F-250 pickup – completely submerged in mud and rock along the Guadalupe in Center Point, about 10 miles downriver from Kerrville. If a 3-ton truck like that is buried, Tillman thought, what else could be entombed at their feet?‒ Rick Jervis and Christopher Cann Kerr County said it is expecting a large number of "spontaneous volunteers" to help with recovery efforts on Saturday. Volunteers have been a key part of search and rescue in the days since the flood, with officials sometimes asking volunteers to stay away so qualified personnel can conduct some of the grueling work. Volunteers are asked to register with Texas Community Recovery and check in at Tivy Antler Stadium in Kerrville before attending a safety briefing. Officials in Texas have faced relentless questions about what could have been done to prevent the high death toll and short amount of warning time in the Hill Country flooding. In Kerr County, Sheriff Larry Leitha has said he's not dodging the questions, but is focusing on the top priority of locating each missing person and identifying each victim found. Trump on Friday rejected concerns about whether communities along the Guadalupe River were adequately prepared for the disaster. 'I think everybody did an incredible job under the circumstances,' Trump said. 'Only a very evil person would ask a question like that.' Gov. Greg Abbott earlier in the week said "blame" was the "word choice of losers." As cleanup and recovery continues in Texas Hill Country, a renewed threat of flash flooding is in store over the weekend, forecasters said. Scattered showers are expected to develop Saturday afternoon and evening in south-central Texas, including parts of areas that already flooded. Heavy rain can quickly run off already wet ground, forecasters said. In Kerrville, there is about a 35% chance of an inch of rain falling through Sunday morning, the weather service office serving Austin and San Antonio said. "The expected heavy rainfall totals along with already sensitive, wet antecedent conditions may lead to scattered to potentially numerous instances of flash flooding," the National Weather Service said. Abbott activated emergency response resources on Friday at the Texas Division of Emergency Management in response to the forecast: "Texas continues to stand ready to deploy all necessary resources to support Texans as severe storms move across our state,' he said. Over 13.5 million people were under flood watches from the National Weather Service across parts of Texas, Oklahoma and New Mexico on Saturday morning. Here's a breakdown of the Texas flooding death toll, according to county officials: Kerr County: 103 Travis County: 9 Kendall County: 8 Burnet County: 5 Williamson County: 3 Tom Green County: 1 Contributing: Christopher Cann, Joey Garrison, Bart Jansen, Karissa Waddick and Michael Loria, USA TODAY; Reuters This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Texas flooding deaths rise; Saturday flood watch
