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The Texas flash floods killed at least 81 people over the holiday weekend on July 4th, leaving others still missing, including the girl taking part in summer camp. The devastation along the Guadalupe River outside San Antonio has drawn massive search efforts as authorities face questions about their preparations and the speed of their initial actions.
Here’s what you need to know about the fatal floods, the enormous weather system that has driven both inside and outside Carr County, Texas, and ongoing efforts to identify victims.
A massive rain fell at the wrong time in a flood-prone location
The floods were the worst midway through a long holiday weekend when many people were asleep.
In the central part of the state, Texas Hill Country naturally has a flash flooding tendency due to crushed stone packing, as the soil is raining rather than raining along the surface of the landscape. Friday’s flash flood started with a particularly bad storm that dropped most of the 12 inches (30 cm) of rain in the dark early morning hours.
After a flood monitoring notice on Thursday, the National Weather Service office issued an emergency warning around 4am, poses a possible catastrophic damage and a serious threat to human life. By at least 5:20am, some areas of the city of Kerrville say the water levels are surprisingly high. Huge rain flowing through the hills hastily sent water down the Guadalupe River, rising 26 feet (8 meters) in just 45 minutes.
The death toll is expected to rise, and the number of missing is uncertain
Gov. Greg Abbott said Sunday that it was confirmed that it was not recorded statewide, with many more confirmed to be missing.
Searchers found 68 bodies, including 28 children, in Kerr County, home to Texas Hill Country youth camp, Sheriff Larry Leesa said Sunday afternoon. Deaths in nearby counties had killed 79 as of Sunday evening.
The ten girls and counselors were not yet explained at Camp Mystic, a Christian summer camp on the river.
For campers of the past, tragedy has transformed happy memories into sadness.
No missing numbers were released across other nearby campsites and areas beyond the uncounted mystic campers.
“I don’t want to start estimating at this point,” said Dalton Rice, manager of the city of Kerrville, on Saturday, that there is a high chance of an influx of visitors on the July 4 holiday.
The Good Shepherd Episcopuls School rescue team is heading for the hunt to serve food and support families after destroying the floods in Texas.
Authorities face scrutiny over flash flood warnings
Survivors described the flood as a “black wall of death” and said they had not received emergency warnings.
“No one saw this coming” Saturday, said on Thursday, “No one saw this coming.” Various officials call it “100 Years of Flow.” This means that water levels are very low based on historical records.
And the records behind these statistics don’t always take into account the climate change that humans claim. It is difficult to connect certain storms to warming planets, but as soon as they occur, meteorologists say the warm atmosphere can retain more moisture and the intense storms can cause more rain.
Additionally, authorities are being scrutinized as to whether riverside residents and youth summer camps were warned or not told to evacuate earlier than 4am.
Officials noted that the public can get tired of too many flood alerts and predictions that have turned out to be minor.
Kerr County officials have offered suggestions for a more robust flood warning system, similar to the tornado warning system, but said that members of the public were caught up at the expense.
Authorities left the news briefing on Sunday after reporters asked again about warnings and delays in evacuation.
Monumental clearing and reconstruction efforts
Flash floods erase campsites and tear homes from the foundation.
“It’s going to take a long time before we can clean it up, it’s much less rebuilding it,” Kelly said on Saturday after investigating the destruction from the helicopter.
Other major flood events have forced residents and business owners to give up, including in the area where Hurricane Helen hit last year.
President Donald Trump said he is likely to visit the flood zone on Friday.
The AP photographer has achieved the scale of destruction and one of Texas’ biggest rescue and effort recovery.
After sweeping a fatal flood across central Texas, questions have increased about possible gaps in the timeline and warning systems of issued weather warnings.
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