Some 32 people, including 14 children, have been confirmed dead following flash floods in central Texas, authorities said on Saturday as rescuers continued a frantic search for campers, vacationers and residents who were still missing.
Officials said more than 850 people had been rescued, including some who were clinging to trees, after a sudden storm dumped up to 15 inches of rain in an area around the Guadalupe River, about 137 km northwest of San Antonio.
Among the missing were dozens of people from the Camp Mystic summer camp, most of them reported to be young girls, after river waters rapidly rose 29 feet.
“We know that the rivers rise, but nobody saw this coming,” said Kerr County Judge Rob Kelly, the top local official in the region.
Kerr County Sheriff Larry Leitha said eight of the confirmed dead, including three children, had yet to be identified.
The US National Weather Service said that the flash flood emergency has largely ended for Kerr County, following thunderstorms that dumped more than a foot of rain. That is half of the total the region sees in a typical year. A flood watch, however, remained in effect until 7pm (8am, Singapore time) for the broader region.
Kerr County sits in the Texas Hill Country, a rural area known for its rugged terrain, historic towns and other tourist attractions.
Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick said an unknown number of visitors had come to the area for an Independence Day celebration by the river.
“We don’t know how many people were in tents on the side, in small trailers by the side, in rented homes by the side,” he said on Fox News Live.
