Texas authorities confirmed on Saturday (5) the death of 27 people after strong floods reach the central region of the state. As water level began to retreat along the Guadalupe River, rescue teams are mobilized in search and recovery operations.
According to local authorities, more than 850 people were safely removed, as well as eight rescued wounds alive. Among the dead are 18 adults and nine children. So far, six of the adults have been identified. One of the children has not yet confirmed its identity.
“More than 24 hours have passed since this tragic event, and the Kerrville Police Department, the Kerrville Fire Department, the Kerr County Sheriff Office and other rescuers from all over Texas continue to perform rescue and recovery operations,” the authorities said at a press conference.
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Kerr County Sheriff Larry L. Leitha reinforced the commitment of the teams to locate all victims. “I want to assure everyone that we will not stop until each person is found. We have all the necessary resources and we are here for the time it takes,” he said. “I can’t say how long it will last. It will take a while.”
At least 23 girls who participated in a summer camp are missing after the flood. Family members began to publicize photos and information on social networks in an attempt to locate their daughters.
“I ask Texans to come together in prayer. On our knees, pray that we find these girls,” Deputy Governor Dan Patrick said at a news conference. A rescue operation acts to help the victims. So far, 237 people have been removed from the flooded area, many of them with the support of helicopters.
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State authorities had issued weather alerts the day before. The initial forecast indicated between 7.5 and 15 centimeters of rain, but the accumulated volume reached 25 centimeters in a few hours.
According to Patrick, the Guadalupe River rose about 8 meters in just 45 minutes, flooding the Summer Camp Mystic, which is near Rio, in the city of Hunt. There were about 750 people camped during the last July 4th holiday.
Texas governor, Greg Abbott, promised to follow the searches for survivors 24 hours a day. “Let’s not stop until everyone appears,” he said.
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Camping
Rescue teams began to evacuate Camp Mystic campers early Friday afternoon, 13. She said she woke up around 1:30 am with the noise of thunder and saw the water rising to the windows of the cabin where she slept.
The young woman was in a higher part of the camp called Senior Hill, reserved for older girls. Already the cabins closest to Rio, where there are the younger campers, were quickly taken by the water. According to the teenager, the girls from the low areas ran to the hill, where they passed the dawn without food, electricity or drinking water.
“The camp was completely destroyed. It was really scary. The people I know are fine, but I know there are still missing,” he said.
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The teenager’s mother, Elizabeth Lester, said her other son, who was in a nearby camp, Camp La Junta, also had to escape the flood. According to her, one of the counselors woke up with the water invading the cabin and helped the boys escape the windows. Both Camp La Junta and Camp Waldemar, another camp near Rio, reported on social networks that all campers and employees are safe.
Elizabeth rediscovered her daughter still in shock. “She had a teddy bear and a book in her hands. My children are safe, but knowing that others are still missing is consuming me,” he said.
According to reports from family members, many people received calls from authorities informing that their daughters had not yet been located. In an email sent to the campers, the Camp Mystic management said that if they have not been directly contacted, it means that their daughters are among those who have already been found.
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In Ingram, neighboring city, a elementary school was transformed into a reunification center. Hundreds of families focused on the scene, waiting for the arrival by the rescued bus.
In addition to the camps, authorities reported damage to trailer parks and other residential areas near the river. State and local authorities advised residents not to travel through the Rio region, where dozens of roads were “impassable”.
Camp Mystic is in a track known as “Alley of Sudden floods,” explained Austin Dickson, CEO of the Texas Hill Country Community Foundation, an organization that is coordinating donations to disaster response teams. “When it rains, water is not absorbed by the ground,” said Dickson. “She goes down the hill running.”
The region was once the scene of a similar tragedy. In 1987, a sudden flood reached a Christian camp nearby and caused the death of ten teenagers after the bus they were in was dragged by the current.
Camp Mystic Chloe Crane’s teacher and former counselor said the camp, founded in 1926, is a refuge for girls who seek to gain confidence and independence. Despite the good memories, the place, she said, became a horror story for many campers and counselors.
(With information from Estadão Contents and Reuters)
