The Death Toll from Texas Floods has Risen to at Least 107

At least 109 people, many of them children, have died as a result of the July Fourth flash flood in the central Texas Hill Country. Four days after a devastating flood event in the United States, Governor Gregg Abbott announced that authorities are investigating the whereabouts of more than 180 people.

Remarkably, heavy rains hit Kerr County and Kerrville, a town of 25,000 residents, causing a disaster zone due to flooding in the Guadalupe River basin, resulting in the majority of fatalities and the search for more victims.

Addressing the State's Disaster

Texas Governor Greg Abbott announced that 94 flood victims, including 27 campers and counsellors from Camp Mystic, have been recovered in Kerr County alone, with about a third of them being children. The camp director also perished, following a tour of the area by air.

Moreover, five girls and a camp counsellor remain unaccounted for, while 15 other flood-related fatalities have been confirmed across Texas Hill Country's “flash flood alley,” bringing the total to 109 lives lost. Local sheriffs and media reports suggest 22

flood deaths outside Kerr County. The governor confirmed 15 more fatalities.

Besides, authorities are anticipating a rise in the death toll as floodwaters recede and the search for more victims intensifies. Law enforcement agencies have compiled a list of 161 people “known to be missing” in Kerr County, checked against those who might be out of touch due to the holiday or out of town.

Finding Every Single Person

The governor said that they are searching for 12 people missing in the Kerrville flood zone, northwest of San Antonio. The search is a priority for the authorities, as they need to find every single missing person. Country singer Pat Green revealed his brother, sister-in-law, and two children were among the victims.

Further, rescue teams from federal agencies, neighbouring states, and Mexico are working to find missing victims amid intermittent thunderstorms and showers. However, hopes of finding more survivors have faded, with the last alive victim found in Kerr County last Friday. Lieutenant Colonel Ben Baker of the Texas Game Wardens described the work as treacherous and time-consuming.

A family photo album was discovered in flood debris by Sandi Gilmer, a 46-year-old Army veteran and chaplain. Despite not knowing the number of people in the album, Gilmer returned it to a family member.

Reasons for a Disaster

Last Friday, over a foot of rain fell in the region, causing a flood that killed dozens and left debris, uprooted trees, and overturned vehicles. Public officials are now questioning whether they could have alerted people in flood-prone areas sooner.

The state emergency management agency warned of a flash

flood threat in central Texas on the eve of the disaster. However, twice as much rain as predicted fell over two branches of the Guadalupe, causing water to race into the single river channel and causing a disaster in Kerrville.

Notably, City Manager Dalton Rice said the unforeseen outcome took only two hours, leaving too little time for a mass evacuation without putting more people in danger.

Ultimately, climate change is increasing the frequency of extreme flood events, leading to warmer, wetter weather patterns in Texas. Sheriff Larry Leitha has declined to discuss emergency operations and preparedness, and emergency 911 calls began in Texas following a flash-flood alert. A Texas legislature special session is scheduled to investigate emergency response and provide funding for disaster relief.

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