Search and rescue teams are reacting to the massive drop in the number of people considered lost in the Texas Hill Country floods.
On Saturday night, officials released that the number of missing in Kerr County had dropped from 97 earlier this week – to just three, with many of those people discovered alive and well.
“From as high as it was to as low as it is now, first and foremost, that’s the work of God,” said John Taylor with Heroes for Humanity.
Taylor joined the search efforts in Kerr County in the wake of the July 4 flooding of the Guadalupe River, just weeks after he left the military.
He led a team as they worked through the wreckage searching for survivors and victims.
“Everybody took a great sense of pride knowing that we were directly assisting in returning these people back to their loved ones and family members,” said Taylor of the search efforts. “So that way they could have that closure that they need.”
Taylor said a number of groups deserved praise for contributing to the recovery mission, including GulfSAR, the Raccoon Platoon, FEMA Search and Rescue teams of firefighters from out of state, firefighters and police from Mexico, and the Texas Hunt Lodge in Ingram.
Five days after the flooding hit, Texas Governor Greg Abbott announced on July 9 that 161 people were considered missing in Kerr County.
As the death toll rose to 107, the number of missing remained at 97 from July 22 to 26. Initially, officials said that the search for those victims could take more than six months.
But Saturday night, a new announcement came: officials said the number of people missing in Kerr County had dropped to three, with the death toll not changing from 107.
“Through extensive follow-up work among state and local agencies, many individuals who were initially reported as missing have been verified as safe and removed from the list,” county leaders said in a statement.
“What happened here is Texans helping Texans come together and make things happen,” said Taylor. “All coming together collectively on a mission and making things happen.”
Search leaders said the update was a milestone in the Hill Country’s journey towards recovery.
But their teams would not be leaving until the remaining missing victims were found.
“The momentum’s not stopping,” said Taylor. “It doesn’t matter if there’s three or if it was 30 that were left, our team is still going to be out there, day in, day out.”
Great Job Keenan Willard & the Team @ NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth Source link for sharing this story.
