24 dead in Texas floods, more than 20 missing from a girls summer camp

(AP) KERRVILLE, TX As search crews performed boat and helicopter rescues in swift-moving floodwaters, 24 people were killed and numerous more, including over 20 girls attending a summer camp, were still missing Friday after months of intense rain poured on Texas Hill Country in a matter of hours.

Social media was flooded with desperate appeals from loved ones looking for any information about those trapped in the flood zone. The Guadalupe River experienced flash flooding after central Kerr County received at least 10 inches (25 centimeters) of rain over night.

Kerr County Sheriff Larry Leitha reported 24 fatalities during a press conference late Friday. According to authorities, 237 individuals have been rescued thus far, 167 of them were transported by helicopter.

In the tiny town of Hunt, the missing kids were enrolled in Camp Mystic, a Christian camp situated beside the Guadalupe River. According to 13-year-old Elinor Lester, she and her cabinmates had to be airlifted to safety.

Around 1:30 a.m., a violent storm woke up her cabin. Lester claimed that when rescuers got there, they tied a rope for the girls to grip while the kids in her cabin crossed the bridge while the floodwaters whipped around their knees and calves.

She claimed that the camp had been totally demolished. After landing, a chopper began removing passengers. It was quite frightening.

Rescue efforts are still on for an undetermined total number of missing people, and officials indicated the death toll could alter as the scenario continues to unfold.

The deceased were still being identified by authorities.

According to Bob Fogarty, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service’s Austin/San Antonio office, a river gauge near Hunt recorded a rise of 22 feet (6.7 meters) in around two hours. After recording a level of 29 and a half feet (9 meters), the gauge malfunctioned.

“You won’t realize how bad it is until it’s on top of you because the water is moving so quickly,” Fogarty added.

Individuals shared photos of their loved ones and asked for assistance in locating them on the Kerr County sheriff’s office Facebook page.

According to Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, at least 400 personnel were on the ground assisting with the response. Some people were being rescued from trees by nine rescue teams, fourteen helicopters, and twelve drones.

According to Patrick, perhaps 23 of the approximately 750 girls enrolled in Camp Mystic were among the missing.

He stated that search teams were doing everything they could to locate everyone.

At 3:30 a.m., Erin Burgess woke up in Ingram to thunder and rain. She claimed that only twenty minutes later, water was rushing into her house across the river. She recounted a torturous hour spent clinging to a tree while they waited for the water to subside sufficiently to enable them to walk up the hill to a neighbor’s house.

While my boyfriend and my dog drifted away, my son and I floated to a tree and grabbed onto it. We found them, she replied, but he was lost for a while.

Fortunately, her 19-year-old son is more over six feet tall, Burgess added. Holding on to him was the only thing that kept me alive.

Kerrville resident Matthew Stone, 44, reported that he had not received any notification on his phone when police knocked on homes at 5:30 a.m.

There was no emergency alert. Stone stated that there was nothing. Then: a death wall that is completely dark.

Stone claimed that cops rescued a neighbor by using his paddle boat. He and the rescuers believed they heard someone shouting for assistance. He said he could see no one from the ocean.

Families wept and applauded as loved ones disembarked from cars carrying evacuees at a reunification site set up in Ingram. An elderly woman who was unable to descend a ladder was lifted by two soldiers. A woman in shorts and a dirty T-shirt was behind her, holding a little white puppy.

Later, a girl was crying in her mother’s arms while standing in a puddle wearing a white Camp Mystic T-shirt and white socks.

According to 54-year-old Barry Adelman, flooding forced everyone in his three-story home—including his 9-year-old grandson and 94-year-old grandmother—into the attic. Before it eventually subsided, the water began to flow through the attic floor.

He remarked, “I was horrified.” I was terrified on the inside, but I had to face my grandson and reassure him that everything would be alright.

Rain was predicted, and a flood watch for at least 30,000 people was raised to a warning for the night. However, Fogarty noted that totals in several locations surpassed projections.

Patrick pointed out that a wide area was at risk of flooding and severe rain.

“We’re not exactly sure where it’s going to land, but everything was done to give them a heads up that you could have heavy rain,” Patrick said. Naturally, as night fell yesterday night, we entered the early morning hours, which is when the storm began to intensify.

Judge Rob Kelly, the county’s top elected official, responded, “We do not have a warning system,” when asked how Kerr County residents were informed so they could evacuate.

Kelly said, “Don’t worry, nobody knew this kind of flood was coming,” in response to reporters’ questions about why additional safety measures weren’t implemented.

“We constantly have floods,” he continued. The United States’ most hazardous river valley is this one.

According to Austin Dickson, CEO of the Community Foundation of the Texas Hill Country, which was gathering money to support NGOs assisting with the tragedy, the region is referred to as “flash flood alley” due to the hills’ thin soil layer.

According to Dickson, water does not seep into the ground when it rains. Down the hill it rushes.

According to Dickson, the Hill Country economy depends heavily on the river tourist sector. According to him, children from all over the nation attend renowned summer camps that have been around for a century. There are many of rental cabins and river houses between Hunt and Ingram.

According to Dickson, it’s a relatively peaceful river with stunningly brilliant blue water that has drawn tourists for many years.

–By Jim Vertuno and Hannah Fingerhut of the Associated Press