Kerrville, July 6: A grueling search for 27 missing girls in Texas has continued for a third day after raging floodwaters surged into a summer camp. At least 51 people, including 15 children, were killed, with most of the deaths coming in Kerr County in the state’s Hill Country. Authorities have not said how many people were missing beyond the children from Camp Mystic, a Christian summer camp along the Guadalupe River in Kerr County where most of the dead were recovered.
The destructive, fast-moving waters rose 26 feet on the river in only 45 minutes before daybreak Friday, washing away homes and vehicles. Flash flood watches remained in effect and more rain fell in central Texas on Sunday. Searchers used helicopters, boats, and drones to look for victims and rescue people stranded in trees and from camps isolated by washed-out roads. Officials said more than 850 people were rescued in the first 36 hours.
Gov. Greg Abbott vowed that authorities will work around the clock and declared Sunday a day of prayer for the state. He urged every Texan to join him in prayer this Sunday – for the lives lost, for those still missing, for the recovery of our communities, and for the safety of those on the front lines.
Survivors shared terrifying stories of being swept away and clinging to trees as rampaging floodwaters carried trees and cars past them. Some fled to attics inside their homes, praying the water wouldn’t reach them. The area is known as “flash flood alley,” but the flooding in the middle of the night caught many campers and residents by surprise even though there were warnings. (AP)
