Torrential rainfall caused sudden floods along the Guadalupe River, Texas, on Friday (4), killing at least 24 people, local authorities said. Rescue teams run to save dozens of people islanded by the flood or given missing in the disaster.
At least 23 girls were missing as a Christian summer camp, located on the banks of the Guadalupe River, flooded with the rains.
At a news conference on Friday night (4), almost 18 hours after the beginning of the July 4th crisis, Texas governor, Greg Abbott, said that search and rescue operations would continue at night and Saturday (5).
Abbott added that the resources intended for effort would be “unlimited”.
Speaking to reporters aboard the Air Force One plane at the end of a day of public events, he said “we will take care of them,” when asked federal aid for the disaster.
The US National Meteorology Service declared a state of emergency by sudden flooding in parts of Kerr County in the south-central Texas Hill Country, about 105 km northwest of San Antonio after strong storms.
Dalton Rice, municipal administrator of Kerrville, headquarters of the county, told reporters that the extreme flood occurred before dawn, with little or no warning, preventing the authorities from issuing early evacuation orders, as the.
“This happened very fast, over a very short period of time, impossible to predict, even with radar,” Rice said. “This happened in less than two hours,” he said.
State emergency management authorities warned on Thursday (3) that the West and the Center of Texas would face heavy rains and threats of sudden floods “in the coming days”, citing predictions of the National Meteorology Service before the prolonged holiday.
But the meteorological predictions in question “did not foresee the amount of rain we saw,” W. Nim Kidd, director of Texas Emergency Management Division, said at a news conference on Friday night.
They were canceled in affected communities, including Kerrville, where the venue by the sea for the celebration of US Independence Day, planned for Friday night, was submerged by the river full by rain.
In the Briefing on Friday night, Kerr County Sheriff Larry Leitha said 24 flood-related deaths were confirmed above 13 recorded at the beginning of the day.
Another person found dead in the neighboring neighbor of Kendall was not confirmed as a flood victim, said Leitha.
Deputy Governor Patrick said the Guadalupe River level rose 8 meters in 45 minutes while heavy rains flooded the region.
Until Friday night (4), emergency teams had rescued or evacuated 237 people, including 167 helicopter.
With more rain forecast in the region, Patrick warned that a continuous threat of possible sudden flood would extend from San Antonio to Waco for the next 24 to 48 hours.
Governor Abbott has signed a disaster statement to accelerate emergency assistance to Kerr and a set of additional counties more affected by the floods.
Authorities said US coastal guard officials and the federal emergency management agency were also called in to help local authorities face the crisis.
