Rescuers in Texas raced against time on Sunday (Jul 6) to find dozens of missing people, including children, swept away by flash floods that killed at least 78, as forecasters warned of new deluges.
At least 40 adults and 28 children were killed in the worst-hit Kerr County, Sheriff Larry Leitha told reporters.
State officials said at least ten more people were killed by torrential rainfall and ensuing flash floods in nearby areas.
“You will see the death toll rise today,” warned Texas public safety chief Freeman Martin at a press conference.
“Across the state, in all the areas affected by flooding, there are 41 known missing,” Texas Governor Greg Abbott said.
Local Texans joined forces with disaster officials on the ground and in helicopters to search for the missing, including 11 girls and a counselor from a riverside Christian summer camp where some 750 people had been staying when disaster struck.
In a terrifying display of nature’s power, the rain-swollen waters of the Guadalupe River reached treetops and the roofs of cabins in Camp Mystic as girls slept overnight Friday, washing away some of them and leaving a scene of devastation.
Blankets, teddy bears and other belongings ended up caked in mud. Windows in the cabins were shattered, apparently by the force of the water.
