Kerrville: Torrential rains unleashed flash floods along the Guadalupe River in Texas, killing at least 24 people as rescue teams scrambled to save dozens of victims trapped by high water or reported missing in the disaster, local officials said. Among the missing were 23 to 25 people listed as unaccounted for at an all-girls Christian summer camp located on the banks of the rain-engorged Guadalupe, authorities stated.
According to Bahrain News Agency, at a news conference late on Friday, almost 18 hours after the July Fourth crisis began, Texas Governor Greg Abbott said search-and-rescue operations would press on through the night and into Saturday. Abbott noted that resources devoted to the effort would be "limitless." President Donald Trump, speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, assured that federal aid would be provided for the disaster.
The U.S. National Weather Service declared a flash flood emergency for parts of Kerr County in south-central Texas Hill Country, following thunderstorms that dumped as much as a foot of rain. State emergency management officials had warned of heavy rains and flash flood threats, citing forecasts ahead of the holiday weekend. However, W. Nim Kidd, director of the Texas Division of Emergency Management, mentioned that the weather forecasts "did not predict the amount of rain that we saw."
July Fourth fireworks displays were canceled in flood-stricken communities throughout the region. At a briefing, Kerr County Sheriff Larry Leitha reported 24 flood-related fatalities, with one more death in neighboring Kendall County not yet confirmed as flood-related. Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick stated that authorities were searching for 23 missing girls from Camp Mystic, a private Christian summer camp for girls.
Kerr County Judge Rob Kelly emphasized that the disaster was unforeseen, noting, "We have floods all the time. This is the most dangerous river valley in the United States." Emergency personnel had rescued or evacuated 237 people by Friday night, including 167 by helicopter. With more rain expected, Patrick warned of a continued threat of flash flooding. Governor Abbott signed a disaster declaration to expedite emergency assistance to the affected counties. Personnel from the U.S. Coast Guard and the Federal Emergency Management Agency were activated to assist local authorities.