At least 21 children are among the bodies recovered so far, according to county officials responding to the natural disaster.
KERR COUNTY, Texas — The end of the holiday weekend brings continued searching and desperation in the Hill Country, where dozens remain unaccounted for after catastrophic flooding overwhelmed Kerrville, Hunt and surrounding Kerr County communities early on July Fourth.
Kerr County authorities, alongside state and federal officials, said Sunday morning that search-and-rescue teams had recovered at least 59 bodies so far, including 21 children. We’re beginning to learn more about them here.
The search effort, anchored by the Texas National Guard, has involved hundreds of local and state personnel, including the Department of Public Safety, Texas Game Wardens, and Texas Parks and Wildlife. The Coast Guard is also assisting in the recovery efforts. Officials said 11 young Camp Mystic campers who remain unaccounted for. One camp counselor is also still missing.
Kerr County area officials say the rescue operations will continue until everyone is found.
“Everyone in the community is hurting, keep everybody in your thoughts as we continue to navigate through this,” said Kerrville City Manager Dalton Rice in a Sunday morning news conference. “We need to keep personal drones out of the sky – they are dangerous”
More than 800 people had been rescued as of Sunday morning as fellow Texans look to assist through donations drives and online funds.
Authorities still have not said how many people were missing beyond the children from Camp Mystic, a Christian summer camp along a river in Kerr County where most of the dead were recovered.
The destructive, fast-moving waters rose 26 feet (8 meters) on the Guadalupe River in just 45 minutes before daybreak Friday, washing away homes and vehicles. The danger was not over as rains continued pounding communities outside San Antonio on Saturday and flash flood warnings and watches remained in effect.
Searchers used helicopters, boats and drones to look for victims and to rescue people stranded in trees and from camps isolated by washed-out roads.
Governor Greg Abbott vowed that authorities will work around the clock and said new areas were being searched as the water receded. He declared Sunday a day of prayer for the state.
“I urge every Texan to join me in prayer this Sunday — for the lives lost, for those still missing, for the recovery of our communities, and for the safety of those on the front lines,” he said in a statement.
Authorities were coming under scrutiny over whether the camps and residents in places long vulnerable to flooding received proper warning and whether enough preparations were made.
The hills along the Guadalupe River in central Texas are dotted with century-old youth camps and campgrounds where generations of families have come to swim and enjoy the outdoors. The area is especially popular around the July Fourth holiday, making it more difficult to know how many are missing.
“We don’t even want to begin to estimate at this time,” Kerrville City Manager Dalton Rice said earlier.
The mayor says if you want to help the easiest way is to follow the City of Kerrville’s Facebook page.
“We will not stop until every single person is found,” Kerr County Sheriff Larry Leitha said. “It’s going to take a while.”
Reunification line
Amidst the catastrophic Fourth of July Flooding, the City of Kerrville Emergency Management has established a reunification intake line for parents of campers who are unaccounted for.
If you do not know where your camper is, call 830-258-1111 and say the name of your missing person and you will be directed to a shelter. For other missing persons, call 830-257-8181.
‘Nobody saw this coming’
The weekend forecast had called for rain, with a flood watch upgraded to a warning overnight Friday for at least 30,000 people.
“We know we get rains. We know the river rises. But nobody saw this coming,” said Kerr County Judge Rob Kelly, the county’s chief elected official.
The county had considered a flood warning system on the river similar to a tornado warning siren about six or seven years ago, but Kelly said the idea never got off the ground and the cost would have been an issue.
Kelly said he was heartbroken seeing body bags at the funeral home and the devastation on the ground during a helicopter tour.
“The rescue has gone as well as can be expected. It’s getting time now for the recovery,” he said. “And that’s going to be a long, toilsome task for us.”
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