The number of people missing since the July 4 floods in Texas dropped to three this weekend as authorities recovered victims, located those who turned out to be safe, and unmasked a few unsubstantiated or falsified reports, officials said.
Initially at least 160 people had been unaccounted for after the Guadalupe River rose 26 feet in 45 minutes during torrential rains in the pre-dawn hours. The rushing waters claimed riverside homes, vehicles, vacation cabins and youth summer campgrounds full of children and counselors. At least 135 people were killed, most of them in Kerr County, including 27 campers and counselors from the private, century-old Camp Mystic.
“We are profoundly grateful to the more than 1,000 local, state, and federal authorities who have worked tirelessly in the wake of the devastating flood that struck our community,” Kerrville City Manager Dalton Rice said in a statement from the city and Kerr County. “Thanks to their extraordinary efforts, the number of individuals previously listed as missing has dropped from over 160 to three.”
Brandon Bell/Getty Images
Search and rescue operations are performed in the Guadalupe River on July 14 in Kerrville, Texas. (Photo by Brandon Bell/Getty Images)
State and local agencies’ follow-up had paid off as “many individuals who were initially reported as missing have been verified as safe and removed from the list,” Kerrville and Kerry County officials said in their statement.
Local, state, national and international search teams were continuing to comb through the wreckage of the Guadalupe River watershed on Sunday as they worked to “reunite the missing with their families,” city officials said.
On Saturday, Gov. Greg Abbott said he’d received approval to add Hamilton and Travis counties to the list of 13 counties eligible for federal disaster assistance, bringing the total to 15. Hamilton County is about halfway between state capital Austin and Dallas-Fort Worth, while Travis County encompasses Austin itself and surrounding areas. Kerr County is about 60 miles west of Austin.
President Trump toured the devastated areas on July 11. In addition, both the House and Senate have convened special committees to study flooding and disaster preparedness and are set to visit Kerrville and hear from residents on July 31.
Brenda Bazán / The Washington Post via Getty Images
Rescuers search for victims by the Guadalupe River on Friday in Center Point, Texas. (Photo by Brenda Bazán / The Washington Post via Getty Images)
With News Wire Services
