Officers race to seek out Texas flooding survivors as rescue efforts proceed : NPR

[ad_1] <img src="https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/8256x5504+0+0/resize/1100/quality/50/format/jpeg/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fce%2F15%2F1a0c97e84a808ec5784aa7af53ea%2Fgettyimages-2223219906.jpg" data-template="https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/8256x5504+0+0/resize/{width}/quality/{quality}/format/{format}/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fce%2F15%2F1a0c97e84a808ec5784aa7af53ea%2Fgettyimages-2223219906.jpg" class="img" alt="Men ride in an airboat on the Guadalupe River as they look for missing people in Hunt, Texas, on July 6, 2025, following severe flash flooding that occurred during the July Fourth holiday weekend. Rescuers in Texas raced against time Sunday to find dozens of missing people, including children, swept away by flash floods that killed at least 59, as forecasters warned of new deluges." fetchpriority="high"/> Males journey in an airboat on the Guadalupe River as they search for lacking individuals in Hunt, Texas, on July 6, 2025, following extreme flash flooding that occured throughout the July Fourth vacation weekend. Ronaldo Schemidt/AFP by way of Getty Photographs cover caption

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Ronaldo Schemidt/AFP by way of Getty Photographs Officers in Central Texas are desperately looking for survivors after a flash flood on Friday left no less than 78 individuals useless and dozens unaccounted for, together with many youngsters.

Greater than 850 individuals have been rescued to date — many by helicopters, officers stated. Of the useless, 68 of the them have been in Kerr County, officers stated at a Sunday afternoon information convention. The dying toll within the county contains 40 adults and 28 youngsters, Sheriff Larry L. Leitha stated. Along with the deaths in Kerr County, 10 others died because of flooding in surrounding counties, in line with officers.

In the meantime, the search continues for 10 ladies and a counselor lacking from Camp Mystic, a Christian summer season camp subsequent to the Guadalupe River, Leitha stated.

W. Nim Kidd, chief of the Texas Division of Emergency Administration, stated officers are nonetheless holding out hope and are "very a lot fueled by the compassion that we really feel for these households."

"We're doing all the pieces we are able to to seek out their lacking family members," he stated.

Greater than 400 first responders from over 20 businesses in Kerr County have been aiding with the search and rescue, Leitha stated earlier Sunday. As well as, greater than 100 automobiles and a few dozen Ok-9 models have been scouring the realm across the Guadalupe River seeking survivors, in line with the Kerr County Sheriff's Workplace. Greater than 1,000 personnel are aiding in search-and-rescue operations, in line with the Texas Division of Emergency Administration.

The search space has been expanded from Kerr County to incorporate San Saba and Burnet counties, which have been additionally affected by the flooding, officers stated Sunday.

Though first responders have confronted challenges resembling warmth, snakes and impassable roads because of flooding and particles, particles removing was nonetheless underway and enhancing, officers stated Sunday. The officers are additionally cautioning residents to not fly drones within the search areas, together with alongside the Guadalupe River, as a result of it's hampering search drones from businesses.

President Donald Trump, who posted on his social media platform Sunday that he had signed a declaration of emergency for Kerr county, commented later that the flooding was "horrible" and that he would seemingly go to Central Texas on Friday.

"So we are saying God bless the entire folks that have gone via a lot and God bless – God bless the state of Texas, it is an unimaginable place," Trump informed reporters.

Trump additionally stated he would talk about FEMA later when requested if he nonetheless had plans to part out the company.

Extra rainfall forward <img src="https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/8256x5504+0+0/resize/1100/quality/50/format/jpeg/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fd7%2F9d%2Fae09708249b6ba3eaf8d8bad2064%2Fgettyimages-2223214052.jpg" data-template="https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/8256x5504+0+0/resize/{width}/quality/{quality}/format/{format}/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fd7%2F9d%2Fae09708249b6ba3eaf8d8bad2064%2Fgettyimages-2223214052.jpg" class="img" alt="A volunteer looks for missing people, following severe flash flooding that occured during the July 4 holiday weekend, in Hunt, Texas, on July 6, 2025." loading="lazy"/> A volunteer appears for lacking individuals, following extreme flash flooding that occured throughout the July 4 vacation weekend, in Hunt, Texas, on July 6, 2025. Ronaldo Schemidt/AFP by way of Getty Photographs cover caption

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Ronaldo Schemidt/AFP by way of Getty Photographs Flash flood warnings have been issued for Central Kerr County till 7:30 p.m. Elements of the Hill Nation have been underneath a flash flood watch till 7 p.m., in line with the Nationwide Climate Service workplace in Austin/San Antonio.

The bottom within the areas that flooded stays saturated and even "slightly little bit of rain, rainfall and watershed may cause points," in line with Texas Division of Public Security Director Col. Freeman F. Martin, who spoke on Sunday.

An emergency alert cellphone message was despatched out Sunday afternoon to space residents telling them to hunt larger floor due to "excessive confidence of river flooding at North Fork of river."

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott on Sunday warned residents to be "terribly cautious" for the subsequent 24-48 hours and keep away from driving on flooded roads.

He stated individuals had died once they have been swept away in automobiles and warned residents that water on roads may rise very quickly.

"You could assume you possibly can drive via it, solely to seek out out once you're in there that it is too late and that you just're getting swept away," Abbott stated. "If there's any water on the highway, you gotta be protected. There's an previous saying for a purpose... 'flip round, do not drown'."