Over 100 dead in Fourth of July's Hill Country Flood Disaster

KERRVILLE, Texas (AP) — The death toll from catastrophic flooding in Texas over the July Fourth weekend surpassed 100 on Monday as search-and-rescue teams continued to wade into swollen rivers and use heavy equipment to untangle trees as part of the massive search for missing people.

Authorities overseeing the search for flood victims said they will wait to address questions about weather warnings and why some summer camps did not evacuate ahead of the flooding that killed at least 104.

The officials spoke only hours after the operators of Camp Mystic, a century-old all-girls Christian summer camp in the Texas Hill Country, announced that they lost 27 campers and counselors to the floodwaters. Kerr County officials said Monday 10 campers and one counselor have still not been found.

Searchers have found the bodies of 84 people, including 28 children, in the county home to Camp Mystic and several other summer camps, officials said.

With additional rain on the way, more flooding still threatened saturated parts of central Texas. Authorities said the death toll was sure to rise.

The raging flash floods — among the nation’s worst in decades — slammed into camps and homes along the edge of the Guadalupe River before daybreak Friday, pulling sleeping people out of their cabins, tents and trailers and dragging them for miles past floating tree trunks and cars. Some survivors were found clinging to trees.

Piles of twisted trees sprinkled with mattresses, refrigerators and coolers littered the riverbanks Monday. The debris included reminders of what drew so many to the campgrounds and cabins in the Hill Country — a volleyball, canoes and a family portrait.

Nineteen deaths were reported in Travis, Burnet, Kendall, Tom Green and Williamson counties, local officials said.

Among those confirmed dead were 8-year-old sisters from Dallas who were at Camp Mystic and a former soccer coach and his wife who were staying at a riverfront home. Their daughters were still missing.

Calls for finding why warnings weren’t heard

Authorities vowed that one of the next steps would be investigating whether enough warnings were issued and why some camps did not evacuate or move to higher ground in a place long vulnerable to flooding that some local residents refer to as “flash flood alley.”

That will include a review of how weather warnings were sent out and received. One of the challenges is that many camps and cabins are in places with poor cellphone service, Kerrville City Manager Dalton Rice said.

“We definitely want to dive in and look at all those things,” he said. “We’re looking forward to doing that once we can get the search and rescue complete.”

Some camps were aware of the dangers and monitoring the weather. At least one moved several hundred campers to higher ground before the floods.

Sen. Ted Cruz, a Texas Republican, said recent government spending cuts to the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the National Weather Service did not delay any warnings.

“There’s a time to have political fights, there’s a time to disagree. This is not that time,” Cruz said. “There will be a time to find out what could been done differently. My hope is in time we learn some lessons to implement the next time there is a flood.”

The weather service first advised of potential flooding on Thursday and then sent out a series of flash flood warnings in the early hours of Friday before issuing flash flood emergencies — a rare step that alerts the public to imminent danger.

Authorities and elected officials have said they did not expect such an intense downpour, the equivalent of months of rain. Some residents said they never received any warnings.

President Donald Trump, who signed a major disaster declaration for Kerr County, said he plans to visit the state on Friday. He had said Sunday that he does not plan to rehire any of the federal meteorologists who were fired this year.

“This was a thing that happened in seconds. Nobody expected it,” the president said.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said local and federal weather services provided sufficient warnings.

Crews search for dozens of people

More than three dozen people were unaccounted for across the state and more could be missing, Gov. Greg Abbott said Sunday.

Search-and-rescue crews at one staging area said Monday that more than 1,000 volunteers had been directed to Kerr County.

Kerrville city officials urged people to stop flying drones over the area after they said a private drone operating illegally Monday afternoon collided with a helicopter involved in emergency operations. The helicopter was forced to make an emergency landing and is out of service until further notice.

Little time to escape floods

Reagan Brown said his parents, in their 80s, managed to escape uphill as water inundated their home in the town of Hunt. When the couple learned that their 92-year-old neighbor was trapped in her attic, they went back and rescued her.

“Then they were able to reach their tool shed up higher ground, and neighbors throughout the early morning began to show up at their tool shed, and they all rode it out together,” Brown said.

Elizabeth Lester, a mother of children who were at Camp Mystic and nearby Camp La Junta during the flood, said her young son had to swim out his cabin window to escape. Her daughter fled up the hillside as floodwaters whipped against her legs.

From New Braunfels

A New Braunfels restaurant has confirmed that one of their employees and her husband were tragically killed in the recent floods in the Texas Hill Country.

“It is with heavy hearts that we share the devastating news that our beloved server and friend, Megan Moeller and her husband, Jake, lost their lives in the recent flooding that has deeply affected our Texas communities.”

Avery’s Kitchen said on Facebook that the search continues for her parents, Deeann and Gary Knetsch, as well as their daughter, Harley.

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The U.S. Attorney’s Office in San Antonio is warning the public of “fraudsters seeking to profit” after floods ripped through the Texas Hill Country.

“Millions of people fall victim to scams every year. Natural disasters and severe weather can create opportunities for fraud, occurring at a time when people may be especially vulnerable, or targeting charitable intentions.”

The U.S. Attorney’s Office warns that millions of people every year fall for scams targeting those in communities affected by natural disasters.

This includes by phone, text, email, and even door-to-door to target the most vulnerable. If you think you may have been preyed upon, submit a report at www.justice.gov/disastercomplaintform.

Burn Ban Issued

A burn ban has been issued for Kerr County, starting at 5 p.m. on July 7.

The ban comes at the request of Kerr County Sheriff Larry Leitha, who said people who are burning debris we causing problems with ongoing search and rescue operations.

Officials say the heat put off by the fires can interfere with the heat-detecting cameras used in the search and rescue process, as well as posing a safety concern for crews searching for bodies.

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Texas Senator Ted Cruz and Lt. Governor Dan Patrick have both spoken on the damage and destruction throughout the Texas Hill Country.

Both have stressed their support for the region and have thanked the presidential administration for its support.

Ag. Commissioner Sid Miller is deploying TDA resources to help support those in need who have been affected by the devastating floods.

“This is one of the worst natural disasters to hit the Lone Star State,” Commissioner Miller stated. “Families are in shock, farms are flooded, fencing has been destroyed, and worst of all, lives have been lost. During this challenging period, TDA is prepared to assist Texans affected by the situation.”

The AgriStrees Helpline is a 24/7 mental health support service staffed by professionals familiar with the challenges of rural life. If you or a loved one experiences a mental health crisis during this time, call 833-897-2474.

The STAR Fund is a donation-supported funding for eligible farmers and ranchers in counties listed in the Governor’s Disaster declaration.

Ranchers needing hay can use TDA’s Hay Hotline, a free service linking hay providers and those in need, including during emergencies, for donations.

Over 100 dead in Fourth of July’s Hill Country Flood Disaster

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