After a devastating storm in the Texas Hill Country killed at least 27 people, rescuers continued their search on Saturday for over two dozen missing girls and many more who were swept away by a river’s violent current. Nine children perished in the tragedy.
In the forty-five minutes leading up to sunrise on Friday, the swiftly rising waves of the Guadalupe River swept away houses and cars, increasing their devastating power by 26 feet. Flash flood warnings and watches were still in force for portions of central Texas, and villages outside of San Antonio were hit hard by continuing heavy rainfall on Saturday.
In a Friday statement, officials justified their actions by stating that they were unprepared for the heavy rain that fell on the region, amounting to months’ worth of precipitation.
A previous prediction from the National Weather Service had indicated as much as six inches of precipitation, according to Nim Kidd, the head of the Texas Division of Emergency Management. “The amount of rain that we saw was not predicted by it,” he stated.
Drones and helicopters dispatched in a mad dash to find missing
Scrubbing the flooded rivers, culverts, and rocks presented a formidable challenge to the search crews. “Every possible location is being searched,” Rice stated.
There were about a thousand rescue workers on the scene. Some individuals were even taken from trees while others were utilized by helicopters and drones. Assistance was being provided by U.S. Coast Guard helicopters.
Even though it had hundreds of refugees the day before, Saturday was rather calm at one reunion facility, which was located in an elementary school.
People are still flocking here in search of family and friends. Under Bobby Templeton’s leadership, the Ingram Independent School District had some progress, but not much.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem is visiting Texas, according to President Trump’s Saturday statement, and his department is coordinating with local authorities.
A message from Trump’s social media network said, “Melania and I are praying for all of the families impacted by this horrible tragedy.” President Trump’s statement was posted online.
“Dark and forbidding death barrier”
On Friday night, Erin Burgess woke up in Ingram to the sound of thunder and rain. She reported that the river began to flood her home within 20 minutes after that. While waiting for the water to subside sufficiently to climb the hill to safety, she and her teenage son clung to a tree for an excruciating hour.
“Hanging on to him was the only thing that saved me,” she claimed.
While my partner and dog drifted off, my son and I clung to a tree. “We found them after he got lost for a while,” she added.
The 44-year-old Kerrville resident Matthew Stone claimed he had not gotten any phone warnings before the cops began knocking on his house.
“No emergency alert was sent to us. Stone stated that nothing had been found. Afterwards, “a pitch black wall of death.”
‘I was petrified.’
As loved ones stepped off rescue vehicles at a reunion site in Ingram on Friday, families wept and cheered. Two troops helped an elderly woman who was unable to descend a ladder. She was followed by a woman who was holding a little white puppy.
Subsequently, a little child cradled by her mother as she sobbed into her white socks and “Camp Mystic” T-shirt stood in a puddle.
According to Barry Adelman, his 94-year-grandmother and 9-year-grandson were among those forced into the attic as water flooded their three-story home.
“I was staring my grandson down and assuring him that everything would be alright, but deep down I was terrified,” he confessed.
Nobody foresaw the impending arrival of such a deluge.
The question of whether the camp and others nearby had adequate warning and preparations was putting the authorities under intense scrutiny.
A flood watch was increased to a warning for at least 30,000 people overnight Friday, and the weather prediction for the weekend had predicted rain. A vast area was warned of the possibility for severe rain and floods by Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick.
“We did everything in our power to warn them that heavy rain was possible, but we still don’t know where it will land,” Patrick explained. As the sun went down and the hours of the morning drew near, the storm began to hone in.
Tourist hotspot at risk of flooding:
Community Foundation of the Texas Hill Country CEO Austin Dickson noted that the region is called “flash flood alley” because to the thin soil layer in the hills, and that the foundation was gathering funds to aid with the response.
According to Dickson, “water doesn’t soak into the soil” during rainstorms. “The water whips down the hillside.”
The Hill Country’s economy relies heavily on the river tourist business. Summer programs that date back a century attract children from throughout the nation, according to Dickson.
“People have been drawn to it for generations because it’s generally a very tranquil river with really beautiful clear blue water,” Dickson said.