Concerns Rise as Texas Flood Death Toll Soars; 160+ Missing

• Rescue workers in central Texas are sifting through heaps of muddy debris.
• The death toll has risen to 119, with over 160 individuals still unaccounted for.
• An official remarked that, “as tragic as it is, the situation could have been much worse.”

HUNT: On Wednesday, the casualty count from the Texas flash floods reached 119, with concerns that this number could more than double as over 160 people remain missing.

Search efforts in central Texas were ongoing as workers navigated through muddy debris left by the floods on July 4. Governor Greg Abbott has ordered flags to be flown at half-staff in memory of the victims.

Kerr County, which was the hardest hit by the flooding, reported that 161 individuals are currently missing.

Located in a region of Texas known as “Flash Flood Alley,” Kerr County has experienced severe damage, with at least 95 fatalities, including 36 children, according to Sheriff Larry Leitha’s statements to the press.

This tragic list includes 27 girls and counselors from a summer camp who went missing early on Friday when the Guadalupe River overflowed its banks.

As of Wednesday, five campers and one counselor from Camp Mystic were still unaccounted for, along with another child not associated with the camp, Leitha confirmed.

Additionally, at least two dozen other fatalities were confirmed across the state, based on reports compiled by the AFP.

Over 2,000 rescue personnel, police, and specialists have mobilized to the affected areas, described by Leitha as an “all hands on deck” operation.

Ben Baker from the Texas Game Wardens indicated that search and rescue operations using helicopters, drones, and dogs faced significant challenges due to the flooding, mud, and debris.

“Large debris piles can obstruct recovery efforts, and navigating these areas is very risky,” Baker stated.

Meanwhile, scrutiny has increased regarding whether funding cuts under the Trump administration compromised warning systems and the overall handling of rescue efforts.

During several tense press conferences on Tuesday and Wednesday, officials dodged inquiries about the emergency response’s timeliness.

“There will be a thorough review of what took place,” Sheriff Leitha noted, adding, “these issues need to be addressed.”

However, officials emphasized that the priority remains to find the missing individuals and reunite them with their families.

‘Door to door’

Kerrville police officer Jonathan Lamb recounted the courageous efforts of both authorities and volunteers who rescued hundreds from their homes or vehicles.

Officers went “door to door, waking people up” in Kerr County during the early hours of Friday, sometimes even “pulling them out of windows” from homes and trailers swamped by flooding, Lamb informed reporters.

He added, “As tragic as this disaster is, it could have been so much worse.”

The National Weather Service (NWS) has issued forecasts for scattered storms in the Hill Country, warning of isolated heavy rainfall.

In neighboring New Mexico, flash floods claimed three lives in Ruidoso, as reported on the village’s website, which noted that the Ruidoso River had surged to a historic 20 feet (six meters).

Bodies in the mud

In Hunt, Texas, an AFP team observed recovery workers diligently sifting through debris with helicopters hovering above.

Javier Torres, 24, was digging through mud in search of his grandmother after having located his grandfather’s body.

During his search, he also discovered the bodies of two children, apparently swept away by the river.

Trump is scheduled to visit Texas on Friday alongside First Lady Melania Trump.

“We deployed many helicopters from across the region… Their professionalism was key in rescuing many individuals,” Trump remarked about the response efforts.

Shel Winkley, a weather specialist at Climate Central, attributed the severity of the disaster to geographical factors and the ongoing extreme drought, which causes dry soil to absorb less rain.

This part of Texas, particularly Kerr County, was experiencing a severe drought, with temperatures above average since May, Winkley explained to reporters.