Four girls missing from a summer camp were found dead as a desperate search for dozens of other campers continues after devastating floods hit Texas, killing at least 51.
At least 15 children were killed as a result of what Texas GOP Congressman Chip Roy called a “once-in-a-century flood.” More than 850 people from around the region have been rescued or evacuated, officials said Saturday.
Two girls — 13-year-old Blair and 11-year-old Brooke — were among those killed by the floods, their father told CNN on Saturday night. Harber said Blair “was a gifted student and had a generous, kind heart,” and described Brooke as “like a light in any room, people gravitated to her and she made them laugh and enjoy the moment.”
There are also 27 girls still missing from Camp Mystic, an all-girls Christian summer camp along the Guadalupe River that was ravaged by the floods, officials said. At least four girls who attended Camp Mystic have been confirmed dead, according to reports, marking a tragic end to a day-long search.
The unexpected flash flooding struck on Friday after torrential rain along the Guadalupe River. The destructive force of the fast-rising waters just before dawn on Friday washed out homes and swept away vehicles.
Witness recalls ‘indescribable’ moment of the flooding
Tonia Fucci, a Pennsylvania resident visiting her grandmother for the Independence Day weekend, woke early on Friday to the sound of heavy rain “coming down in buckets.”
“It’s indescribable, the sounds, of how loud they were, which turned out to be … the massive cypress trees that came down along the river,” she told a Reuters reporter in an interview the next day.
Ms Fucci filmed on her phone a torrent of muddy water flooding the road to her grandmother’s house and two recreational vehicles in a parking lot, with their wheels submerged in water.
“I’m still in shock today,” Fucci told Reuters news agency. “There’s so many missing children and missing people. You just want them to be found for the sake of the families. But, you know, it’s not going to be a good ending… There’s no way people could have survived the swiftness of the water.”
Ms Fucci said she had received National Weather alerts on her phone hours after the flood had already hit. The residents of the town had to rely on one another, as they ran to their neighbors to see who needed help before rescue teams arrived.
“Something I’ve never seen before. You knew it was tragedy,” Ms Fucci said.
ICYMI: Congressman reunited with daughters after flooding
Representative August Pfluger shared that he and his wife were reunited with their two daughters, who were attending Camp Mystic.
“Camille, Vivian and I are now reunited with Caroline and Juliana who were evacuated from Camp Mystic,” he wrote. “The last day has brought unimaginable grief to many families and we mourn with them as well as holding out hope for survivors.”
Texas officials question scaled-back Weather Service’s actions on the night of the floods – but experts say the agency did all it could
Texas officials are questioning the actions of the National Weather Service leading up to Friday’s deadly floods, as fellow meteorologists defend the agency.
Some state and local officials say the NWS didn’t provide accurate forecasts ahead of Friday’s destructive flooding, months after President Donald Trump’s administration gutted the agency and experts warned forecasts could suffer.
Keep reading:
62-year-old woman found dead in San Angelo
A 62-year-old woman was found dead amid floodwaters in San Angelo, Texas.
Tanya Burwick’s body was recovered several blocks from her submerged car, the San Angelo Police Department said.
Death toll rises to 52
Fifty-two people have been killed by the disastrous flooding in central Texas, according to a new tally Saturday evening by The New York Times.
Trump ‘heartbroken’ over Texas flooding
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said President Donald Trump is “heartbroken” over the Texas flooding.
“Know that President Trump is absolutely heartbroken by what’s happened here in Texas,” Noem said.
“Relief will be coming,” Noem added, noting that Trump has indicated he’ll accept Texas Governor Greg Abbott’s request for federal aid.
Man recounts rescuing victim caught in floodwaters
Texas resident Carl Jeter told CNN he helped rescue a woman swept away in the Guadalupe River as heavy storms battered the state.
The woman was stuck in the Guadalupe River for four hours before pulling herself up onto a tree, Jeter told CNN.
He called the police to rescue her, but when they didn’t arrive within 30 minutes, he sprang into action.
Jeter said he got into his car and flagged down a nearby rescue officer. Soon afterward, a water rescue team helped get the woman to safety.
She then waited inside Jeter’s home until a family member picked her up.
“It’s a true miracle,” Jeter told CNN. “We’ve been on the river for a long time and that’s not something that is survivable.”
Photos of rescue teams searching for missing campers after Texas Hill Country flash flood
Photos of rescue teams searching for missing campers after Texas Hill Country flash flood
How the Texas Hill Country flood went from small water flow to deadly tide in a matter of hours
Most of the missing were attending Camp Mystic, a popular summer camp along the Guadalupe River.
What began as a routine flood watch quickly turned into a deadly disaster. The National Weather Service predicted between 1 and 3 inches of rain, with some isolated spots possibly getting 5 to 7 inches. Instead, parts of Kerr County were slammed with 10 to 15 inches, and in some places, over 20 inches, within a few hours.
Keep reading:
