Hill Country flooding death toll rises to 32 as search continues for missing girls, other survivors

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The official death toll from the catastrophic floods that hit the Texas Hill Country rose to 32 as of Saturday afternoon, officials announced during a news conference held with Gov. Greg Abbott and other local and federal officials.

Among the 32 dead were 18 adults and 14 children. Five of those adults and three of the children remain unidentified.

Twenty-seven girls from Camp Mystic, a Christian camp for young girls, were also still missing as friends and families posted desperate messages online seeking help locating them. Many more people could still be unaccounted for, officials warned, noting that visitors to the area for the July 4th weekend make it difficult to assess an exact number of people unaccounted for.

“We will be relentless in going after and assuring that we locate every single person who’s been a victim of this flooding event,” Abbott said.

Abbott expanded the disaster declaration he issued Friday night to include Bexar, Burnet, Caldwell, Guadalupe, Travis and Williamson counties given continued rain and ongoing flooding. He also officially requested that President Donald Trump declare the situation a federal disaster, allowing for more federal resources. U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, who also attended the news conference, said Trump indicated he would approve the request.

“That response and that relief will be coming,” Noem said.

She added that the U.S. Coast Guard and U.S. Border Patrol were already involved in rescue efforts while U.S. Customs and Border Protecting were assisting with coordination.

In the span of 36 hours, first responders have rescued more than 850 people, some clinging to trees to stay safe amid the rising water, Abbott said.

Meanwhile, the threat of flooding around Texas remained, and local, state and federal officials urged caution. Officials in Georgetown have evacuated parts of the city as more rain is expected Saturday in south Central Texas. There is a possibility of an additional two to four inches over the area andsome isolated pockets could see as much as 10 inches, according to the National Weather Service.

A flood watch remains in effect until 7 p.m.

In response to criticisms of the warning provided by National Weather Service ahead of the flood, Noem said upgrading their technology was among the reforms Trump sought to make at the department.

However, the agency has been dealing with staffing shortages after cuts by the Trump administration led to nearly 600 layoffs and retirements. Whether those cuts had any affect on the National Weather Service’s ability to predict or warn people of the oncoming flood remains an open question.

As floodwaters receded in the Kerrville area, the damage was becoming clear. Dozens of tree trunks were snapped in half, some at 90 degree angles. Black and silver power lines were tangled with branches along the side of the road. A few tree trunks appeared to have been stripped bare of their bark from the rushing water.

At Cross Kingdom Church, Pastor Justin Carpenter started collecting clothing, nonperishable food, toiletries and cat and dog food Friday afternoon. They had reached capacity with donations and were turning other potential helpers away. So far, only about half a dozen people had shown up seeking help. Because the areas most affected has lost cell service, it’s been hard to reach people in need.

“The biggest thing would be to get the word out into the community that we’re here and ready to give everything out,” he said.

Billy Lawrence, a 73-year-old San Angelo man, has dealt with this type of tragedy before. During flooding in the summer of 1987, he spent more than 30 days looking for bodies. The first one he found was of a child in a tree, 20 feet up.

But he said this flood is twice as bad as it was in 1987. On Saturday, he was back patrolling the river for bodies. A former volunteer with the Red Cross, he said he’s gotten used to the morbid practice.

“I’m used to death. I’ve been around it a lot,” Lawrence said.

He noted there are about 20 camps along the river in this area and said the camp counselors should receive training to check the weather every night.

“I’m not blaming them. They just have to do that,” he said.

President Donald Trump expressed his condolences in a post on his social media platform, Truth Social.

“Melania and I are praying for all of the families impacted by this horrible tragedy,” Trump wrote. “Our Brave First Responders are on site doing what they do best. GOD BLESS THE FAMILIES, AND GOD BLESS TEXAS!”

About 10 inches of rain fell within a few hours, causing flooding along the Guadalupe River which rose 26 feet in 45 minutes.

The death toll in an area historically prone to major flooding has raised questions about whether people near the river, including many vacationers in town for the Fourth of July weekend, received sufficient warning.

The private forecasting company AccuWeather and the National Weather Service sent warnings about potential flash flooding hours before the devastation.

“These warnings should have provided officials with ample time to evacuate camps such as Camp Mystic and get people to safety,” AccuWeather Chief Meteorologist Jonathan Porter said in a statement that called the Texas Hill Country one of the most flash-flood-prone areas of the U.S. because of its terrain and many water crossings.

Local officials defended their actions Friday while saying they had not expected such an intense downpour that was the equivalent of months’ worth of rain for the area.

One National Weather Service forecast earlier in the week had called for up to six inches of rain, said Nim Kidd, chief of the Texas Division of Emergency Management. “It did not predict the amount of rain that we saw,” he said.

However, Porter emphasized that people and officials should always take safety precautions when there is a potential for flooding.

“People, businesses, and governments should take action based on Flash Flood Warnings that are issued, regardless of the rainfall amounts that have occurred or are forecast,” Porter said. “Flash Flood Warnings indicate an immediate risk to life and property in the warned area.”

The Associated Press contributed reporting.

This article originally appeared in The Texas Tribune, a member-supported, nonpartisan newsroom informing and engaging Texans on state politics and policy.