At least 43 people, including 15 children, were killed in the Texas floods, which continue to wreak havoc in Kerr County, officials said on Saturday (local time).
The rescue teams searched through a badly damaged area in central Texas, as they looked for survivors among the wreckage of broken trees, flipped cars, and muddy debris. Their search focused on finding 27 girls who went missing after a flash flood struck their summer
The floods took place all of a sudden when a storm lashed up to 15 inches of rain around the Guadalupe River – an amount typically seen over several months but came down just in a few hours. The disaster unfolded on Friday morning as the downpour was much heavier than what was expected, causing a sharp rise in the river to 26 feet (8 meters) in just 45 minutes. This swept away homes and cars in devastating damage to property.
The threat was not over, as heavy rain continued to come down in areas near San Antonio on Saturday, while flash flood warnings and alerts were still in place.
US Secretary for Homeland Security Kristi Noem said that the “moderate" flood warning issued by the National Weather Service the day before did not predict the intensity of the rain correctly, adding that the Trump administration was working to improve the warning system.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed condolences over the loss of lives in Texas.
“Deeply saddened to learn about the loss of lives, especially children in the devastating floods in Texas. Our condolences to the US Government and the bereaved families," he posted on X.
Kerrville City Manager Dalton Rice said that 43 bodies had been recovered so far in the Hill Country, which included 28 adults and 15 children, news agency AP reported.
At least three people died and 10 others were missing in Travis County, where the state capital is located. One more person was confirmed dead in Kendall County, and two people died in Burnet County. In Burnet, a firefighter also went missing after being swept away by floodwaters while trying to help in a rescue, according to county emergency official Derek Marchio.
Authorities used helicopters, boats, and drones to search for the missing people and rescue those stranded in trees and from camps isolated by washed-out roads.
Over 850 people had been rescued so far, news agency Reuters reported.
Source: ANI