Texas floods: nearly 110 dead, little hope of survival for the missing
Rescue teams continued their search in Texas on Tuesday in harrowing conditions, even as hopes faded of finding survivors five days after floods killed nearly 110 people.
Kerr County alone, the hardest-hit county, reported 87 deaths, including 30 children, County Sheriff Larry Leitha announced at a press conference Tuesday morning. In total, at least 108 flood-related deaths have been reported in the central part of the state, according to authorities.
Among the victims were 27 children and counselors from the Christian girls' camp Camp Mystic, on the banks of the Guadalupe River, which hosted some 750 people. " At this time, five campers from Camp Mystic and one counselor remain missing ," Leitha added.
Helicopters, drones, and dog teams are still working, said Lt. Col. Ben Baker of the Texas Game Warden Corps, despite the difficult conditions. " Going deep into the piles (of debris) is very dangerous ," he explained. " It's dirty, the water is still there ," he added, also emphasizing the impact the tragedy has had on the rescuers' mental health.
" It's tragic to witness the loss of a human life. But to see that it's a child who lost their life is extremely difficult ," he stressed during the press conference. Hopes of finding survivors are now slim, five days after the flash flood that hit the tourist area on Friday, in the middle of the long weekend. " As far as I know, the last rescue (...) was made on Friday ," said Jonathan Lamb of the Kerrville police.
In the town of Hunt, the epicenter of the disaster, search teams are sifting through mud and piles of debris, while helicopters are circling overhead. Central Texas is no longer under flood warnings as of Tuesday, but " isolated episodes of heavy rainfall are possible ," the weather service warned.
" I know people are getting tired, but they're getting reinforcements, and volunteers are showing up ," Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said at the cabinet meeting in Washington. US President Donald Trump confirmed he would visit the disaster site on Friday, accompanied by his wife, Melania.
On Monday, the White House blasted criticism that budget cuts to the National Weather Service have undermined the reliability of forecasts and warnings. “ Blaming President Trump for these floods is a heinous lie, which makes no sense during this time of national mourning ,” said spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt.
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