Texas Flooding
Over 100 people lost their lives in a catastrophic flooding in Texas on Monday, as rescuers continued search for more people swept away by torrents of water.
Among the dead were at least 27 girls and counsellors who were staying at a youth summer camp on a river when disaster struck over the Fourth of July holiday weekend.
Despite the situation, forecasters have warned of more flooding as rain continuous to fall on saturated ground, hindering recovery efforts involving helicopters, boats, dogs, and some 1,750 personnel.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, Texas Governor, Greg Abbott said, “There is still a threat of heavy rain with the potential to cause flooding, with the number of victims expected to rise still.
U.S president, Donald Trump has described the floods that struck in the early hours of Friday as a “100-year catastrophe” that “nobody expected.”
The president, who previously said disaster relief should be handled at the state level, has signed a major disaster declaration, activating fresh federal funds and freeing up resources.
At least 104 flood-related deaths were reported across central Texas.
Kerr County, through which the Guadalupe River runs, was the hardest hit, with at least 84 people killed, including 28 children, according to the local sheriff’s office.
The toll includes 27 who had been staying at Camp Mystic, an all-girls Christian camp that was housing about 750 people when the floodwaters struck.
Camps are a beloved tradition in the long US summer holidays, with children often staying in woods, parks, and other rural areas.
Texas Senator Ted Cruz described them as a chance to make “lifetime friends — and then suddenly it turns to tragedy.”
But some residents were questioning the absence of more robust flood-warning systems in this region of south and central Texas, where such deluges are so frequent that it is known colloquially as “Flash Flood Alley.”
Experts stress the NWS sent out timely forecasts, and climate scientist Daniel Swain pinned the problem on a failure of “warning dissemination.”
San Antonio mother Nicole Wilson — who almost sent her daughters to Camp Mystic, launched a petition on Change.org urging Governor Greg Abbott to approve a modern warning network.
“Five minutes of that siren going off could have saved every single one of those children,” she told AFP.
At a candlelight vigil in San Antonio on Monday night, Texans gathered to pray for the victims of the floods and voice lingering fears.
“I was pretty shocked on the gravity of the situation and how big it was, and I wouldn’t necessarily expect that our rivers would rise so quickly,” said Rebeca Gutierrez, 29.
“Hopefully there’s preventative efforts happening in similar areas to make sure nothing to this degree happens.”
