Emergency officials in Hunt, an unincorporated community in western Kerr County, Texas, are urging CNN teams and others in the area to seek higher ground due to the potential for incoming floods.
CNN staff received an emergency alert on their phones declaring “high confidence” of river flooding and urging people to move to higher ground.
Eleven girls and one counselor are still missing from Camp Mystic, officials previously said, which is nestled in Hunt along the Guadalupe River.
Highway 39 from Hunt to Ingram, Texas, was inundated with cars as CNN teams and others worked to evacuate.
Gov. Greg Abbott said Sunday that flash flooding could still pose a danger for some regions of Texas over the next few days as “more heavy rainfall” is expected.
Heavy rainfall could lead to flash flooding in the Big Country, Concho Valley, Central Texas and again in Kerrville, the governor said during a news conference.
He said there’s “nothing expected at this time to the magnitude of what was seen in Kerrville,” but noted the threat still remains.
Abbott said people in those regions “need to realize, for one, you’re in an area with land that’s already saturated with water. But for another, when more water comes down, it could lead to rapid flash flooding events.”
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said the state is now broadening its efforts as more storms are expected within the next 24 to 48 hours but emphasized Kerrville remains a priority.
“We’re in Austin today as opposed to Kerrville because of deadly storms have swept across central Texas and areas outside of the Kerrville area and because of more expected storms that will pose life-threatening danger over the next 24 to 48 hours,” Abbott said during a Sunday afternoon news conference.
He added, “I want to emphasize, however, even though we now are broadening the area that we’re focused on, we are not at all reducing our focus on Kerrville.”
Abbott said the city remains “a key focus in so many different ways. We continue 24/7 operations to search for anybody who was affected by that deadly storm,” he said, adding state and federal resources are still assets available to Kerrville.
At least 41 people are missing in connection with the flash floods that struck central Texas early Friday, according to Gov. Greg Abbott.
“Across the state, in all the areas affected by flooding, there are 41 known missing,” Abbott said during a news conference Sunday afternoon.
Friends and family of those with confirmed information about a missing loved one are asked to contact local authorities, Abbott said, but noted any calls made based on unconfirmed information could slow down the search and rescue process.
“If you’re doing that, you’re interrupting official business, and that could be potentially illegal,” Abbott said. “Call only if you have specific information.”
Along the Guadalupe River in central Texas, where devastating floods killed at least 68 people and 11 girls from a local summer camp are still unaccounted for, search teams have been finding kids’ T-shirts that washed away in the storm.
The rescuers have been laying the shirts out to dry and be seen.
At a mini mart in Center Point, Texas, a sign at the cash register informs first responders that ice, drinks, and deli food are free for the police, firefighters and other officials that are part of the search and rescue teams.
One of the store employees tells CNN they couponed out $1,000 yesterday, and that mini marts across this area are all doing the same thing.
Down the street from the store, Casey White and his team from Martin County, Texas, worked through the night to prepare food in the San Angelo area. They brought it over to Center Point to distribute.
It’s a team effort that started with White, his cousin and his friend, but, “it’s growing it’s growing every minute,” and, “now we have like 20 people here helping,” White said.
People have been dropping off more food and donations, and the group has served about 250 people today and expects to stay until dark.
The team has a grill going in the back of a truck, cooking and serving pulled pork, brisket, sausage, and pasta salad along with drinks. They are waving signs up to cars that say, “Jesus is Alive,” and, “Free Food and Water.”
At one point, a fire truck that drove by honked at the team serving food, prompting cheers from the group.
One person has died in Williamson County, Texas, after this weekend’s flash floods, according to local officials.
County Judge Steven Snell said search efforts continue for two missing people in the county, which is north of Austin. Officials are beginning to shift into recovery mode and are planning to formally assess the damage to the region, Snell added.
Officials in several Texas counties have now confirmed a total of 68 deaths in connection with the flooding.
They include:
• 59 deaths in Kerr County
• 4 deaths in Travis County
• 3 deaths in Burnet County
• 1 death in Kendall County
• 1 death in Williamson County
Former President George W. Bush said in a statement on Sunday he and his wife are “heartbroken by the loss of life and the agony so many are feeling.”
“Those who have lost their precious children are facing a grief no parents should ever know,” Bush, who served as Texas governor before his presidency, said in a statement. “We are grateful to the first responders and volunteers who are working to find the missing and comfort the grieving at Camp Mystic and along the Guadalupe.”
Former First Lady Laura Bush used to be a counselor at Camp Mystic, a spokesperson for the couple, Freddy Ford, confirmed on Sunday.
Former President Barack Obama said in a statement he and his wife, Michelle, “are praying for everyone who has lost a loved one or is waiting for news — especially the parents.”
Search and rescue operations continue in Hunt, Texas, as volunteers say they remain hopeful that they will be able to recover survivors despite authorities saying the likelihood deceases as time passes.
“Obviously, we’d love to recover survivors, certainly. That’s our hope. But if the contrary occurs, we’re prepared for that,” Brooks Holzhausen, a volunteer member of the group 300 Justice, told CNN.
@cnnSearch efforts are underway in Hunt, Texas, to find survivors outside of Camp Mystic. Brooks Holzhausen, with the volunteer group 300 Justice, spoke to CNN detailing the collaboration with state and local law enforcement to help bring missing people home. #CNN #News #Texas #Flood
A Center Point, Texas, resident captured a video that shows how quickly floodwaters took over the area in just under 40 minutes.
Gavin Walston told CNN he began filming around 7:10 a.m. local time and let the camera roll to show what was unfolding.
The video starts out by showing water from the Guadalupe River quickly flowing in from around the corner and rushing into the area.
The loud rush of the waters can be heard along with the cracking of trees nearby.
As the flow of water continues, the piles of debris can be seen in larger amounts as tree trunks and branches float along the river.
Within just a few minutes the area, which was nearly barren before, is completely overtaken by the rushing waters.
At one point the flow begins to overtake the bridge, sending debris and water onto the roadway as cars drive by. Eventually local authorities arrive and urge those on the bridge to get off.
About 34 minutes into filming, a house can be seen floating down the river and toward the bridge.
It eventually comes into contact with a tree and pile of debris. Windows can be heard shattering as it becomes lodged against the bridge as water flows by.
Walston told CNN the house was empty at the time but he saw a cat clinging to a screen door window. He could not confirm whether the cat was able to exit the house as he left the area, as advised by local authorities.
Hundreds of volunteers combed the banks of a tributary of the Guadalupe River on Sunday, searching for those still missing after deadly flooding struck Kerr County, Texas, on Friday.
Authorities acknowledge that the likelihood of finding survivors decreases as time passes, but community members remain determined, hoping to at least provide closure for those still missing loved ones.
“You’re searching for something you hope you don’t find,” said Fred Hernandez. “But at the same time, if you’ve got family members that are missing, you hope there are people out there looking.”
Searching through difficult terrain and debris can be difficult, Hernandez noted.
“It’s obviously an unorganized mess,” he said.
Sharra Loveladay told CNN that in her 34 years living in the community, she has received flash flood warnings but has never seen anything close to the devastation of this weekend.
Lovelady said it was important for her to join the search effort. She personally knows a 26-year-old who is missing, around the same age as her own children. Among the missing and dead are “pillars of the community,” whose loss will impact many people, she noted.
Joseph Eisenbach, a rancher from Central Texas, brought a couple of horses to assist in the search. He said the horses help cover more ground as they look.
“If it was my babies, I would want somebody looking, so that’s why I’m here,” he said.
Elizabeth Schumacher searched on horseback alongside Eisenbach. She told CNN it has been an emotionally charged day.
She said seeing personal belongings — like boots, clothes, and furniture — scattered across the terrain has been difficult to take in.
“You know somebody’s whole life just was swept away, and hopefully not them as well, but you have to be aware that that’s also happening,” she said.
Like the other volunteers, she knows she is searching for something no one wants to find.
“Do I necessarily want that person to be me who finds them? Maybe not. I’m not that brave. But I hope we do find them, because I can’t imagine not knowing what happened,” she said.
Volunteers are searching for missing people after flash flooding along the Guadalupe River swept through parts of central Texas.
Ryan Logue, a Kerrville, Texas, native, told CNN’s Isabel Rosales one of the challenges volunteers face is the sheer expanse of land and water that needs to be covered.
Watch a portion of the interview below:
Under rain and thunderstorms, search and rescue efforts have continued in earnest today in Hunt, Texas, outside Camp Mystic, the summer camp where 11 girls and one counselor are still missing following this weekend’s flash floods.
State and local law enforcement are working alongside volunteers to search through debris along the Guadalupe River. Uniformed officers are guiding K-9s to look through brush around the camp and water’s edge, while volunteers use chainsaws to cut apart trees.
Wearing a medical boot, Brooks Holzhausen of San Antonio worked with others from his group 300 Justice to clear the brush.
“We’ve got some retired SEALs that are with us, so a bunch of strong backs,” Holzhausen said. “So we’re trying to get to the bottom of all of this.”
It’s hard work, not only physically but emotionally for an area close to his family.
“Having daughters, that … sorry,” he said, trailing off as he got emotional. “Daughters that went through Mystic as counselors years ago. So, special place.”
Holzhausen said his daughters are heartbroken at the news about the camp.
The video below shows some of the scenes from today’s operations:
FEMA has been activated in Texas, the Department of Homeland Security said, after President Donald Trump announced Sunday he signed a major disaster declaration for the state following deadly flooding in Kerr County.
“We are currently deploying federal emergency management resources to Texas first responders, and will work closely with state and local authorities to ensure the people of Texas get the support they need as search efforts continue and recovery begins,” said Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem in a statement.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott requested the federal aid on Saturday, saying at a news conference that Trump is “deeply concerned” about the situation and understands the “magnitude of devastation.”
State and local leaders in central Texas have said that they are getting everything they need from the federal government so far as search and rescue efforts enter a third day.
“These families are enduring an unimaginable tragedy, with many lives lost, and many still missing. The Trump Administration continues to work closely with State and Local Leaders. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem was on the ground yesterday with Governor Greg Abbott, who is working hard to help the people of his Great State,” Trump said in a post on social media Sunday morning.
The US Coast Guard is flying “two helicopters in the Llano, Texas area and is assisting with two helicopters and three C-144 airplanes equipped with thermal cameras to find more survivors,” the Department of Homeland Security said, noting that 850 people have been rescued.
Search and rescue efforts continue across central Texas as the death toll rose to more than 60 people in connection with the catastrophic flooding due to torrential rains early Friday.
River levels in the areas of central Texas affected by the floods have now largely receded to where they were before the storm, according to National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration flood gauges.
Here’s the latest:
- Death toll: Local officials in several Texas counties have now confirmed a total of 67 fatalities in connection with the flooding, including, 59 in Kerr County, four in Travis County, three in Burnet County and one death in Kendall County. During a news conference this morning, Kerr County officials said among the 59 victims there, 38 are adults and 21 are children. Of those, 18 adults and four children have yet to be identified.
- Missing campers: 11 campers and one counselor from Camp Mystic, a girls’ summer camp near the Guadalupe River, remain missing, Kerr County Sheriff Larry Leitha said Sunday morning.
- Evacuation questions remain: Officials in Kerrville, Texas, did not directly answer questions about why camps were not evacuated, despite the Texas Division of Emergency Management’s warning days earlier a storm like this could occur. When pressed by reporters Kerrville City Manager Dalton Rice said, “That, that is a great question, but again, we want to make sure that we continue to focus. We still have 11 missing children that we want to get reunited with our families.”
Local officials in several Texas counties have now confirmed a total of 67 fatalities in connection with the flooding.
They include:
• 59 deaths in Kerr County• 4 deaths in Travis County• 3 deaths in Burnet County
• 1 death in Kendall County
A timelapse video captured Friday shows how quickly floodwaters rose along the Llano River in Kingsland, Texas.
Kingsland is in central Texas, about 95 miles northeast of Camp Mystic.
The sped-up video shows water rushing in and rising along the river over a span of 30 minutes.
The roadway and trees disappear as floodwaters completely overtake the area. A group of people initially standing on the roadway can be seen backing up as the water rises, eventually leaving the area.
Watch the timelapse here:
One Texas mayor offered some simple, time-tested advice when addressing his community, which was hit hard by deadly flooding on Friday.
“Look for the helpers,” Kerrville Mayor Joe Herring Jr. said at a news conference Sunday, quoting the beloved children’s television host Fred Rogers.
“You will always find people who are helping in Kerrville. Those helpers are the city staff, county personnel, state agencies and federal agencies,” Herring said. “The entire Kerrville City Council is on site today. We’re doing everything we can.”
The priorities right now are to rescue those in trouble and find those who are lost, he noted.
The community remains united to help those who are grieving the loss of loved ones from the devastating flooding, Herring added.
Officials in Kerrville, Texas, did not directly answer questions about why camps were not evacuated, despite the Texas Division of Emergency Management’s warning days earlier that a storm like this could occur.
“One of the questions that still hasn’t been answered three days into this, is despite TDEM’s warning on July 2, July 3 that something like this could happen, that the threat existed, that, why that information didn’t get down to the camps, and why they weren’t evacuated? Can you answer that now?” a reporter pressed Rice Dalton, city manager of Kerrville, during a news conference today.
“That, that is a great question, but again, we want to make sure that we continue to focus. We still have 11 missing children that we want to get reunited with our families. Until we can get, until we can get reunited with our, with the families, we are not, we are not going to stop, we are not going to stop until we do. So, thank you,” Rice responded.
Remember: The National Weather Service warned of “life-threatening flooding” along the river in a series of early morning alerts. However, questions remain about how many people received those warnings, whether critical vacancies at forecast offices affected the dissemination of alerts, and whether warning fatigue had been growing among residents in a region described as one of the most dangerous in the country for flash flooding.
Search and rescue efforts continue for 11 campers and one counselor from Camp Mystic, a girls’ summer camp near the Guadalupe River, Kerr County Sheriff Larry Leitha said Sunday morning.
“We extend our sincerest condolences and prayers for every single family affected by this tragedy, and we continue to work around the clock and reunite these families,” Leitha said. “We will continue to search, our search efforts until everybody is found.”
