Texas Floods: The death toll in the devastating flash floods in the US State of Texas has reached 78, while 41 are missing as of Sunday (local time). The deceased include 28 children, with the most from Kerr County, as per reports.
The death toll in the Texas floods is expected to rise as more storms are expected in the next 24-48 hours in the region, potentially impeding rescue operations as workers are already facing venomous snakes as they work through mud and debris.
Moreover, US President Donald Trump said he would “probably" visit the flood-stricken state on Friday. “This is a 100-year catastrophe and it is just so horrible to watch," he told reporters. “I would have done it today, but we’d just be in their way."
US officials are facing questions over their preparedness and efficiency as the crisis unfolds. Here is what we know so far about the deadly flooding in Texas:
The death toll in the catastrophic Texas floods currently stands at 78, including 28 children. At least 68 fatalities were from Kerr County, which was the epicentre of torrential rains that caused flash floods.
Sending his condolences from New Jersey, Donald Trump said, “It’s a horrible thing that took place, absolutely horrible. So we say, God bless all of the people that have gone through so much, and God bless, God bless the state of Texas."
Trump also issued a major disaster declaration, after which the Federal Emergency Management Agency was activated on Sunday and is deploying resources to first responders in Texas to deal with the crisis.
More than 850 people have been rescued so far, according to officials, including those clinging to trees, after a sudden storm dumped up to 15 inches (38 cm) of rain across the region.
Survivors have described the floods as a “pitch black wall of death" and said they received no emergency warnings, according to the Associated Press. Officials are facing criticism for not alerting residents and youth summer camps along the river before 4 am or issuing an earlier evacuation notice.
Amid questions over gaps in evacuation efforts, Trump suggested that the situation was a “Biden setup", although he refrained from blaming the former President for the current devastation. “That was not our setup," he told reporters.
He also said he would not hire back any of the federal meteorologists who were fired this year as part of widespread government spending reductions, but declined to comment on whether he would phase out the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
Joaquin Castro, a Democratic US congressman from Texas, told CNN that fewer personnel at the weather service could be dangerous. “When you have flash flooding, there’s a risk that if you don’t have the personnel … to do that analysis, do the predictions in the best way, it could lead to tragedy," Castro said.
