At least 32 dead in Texas floods: 27 girls missing from summer camp; rescue ops under way

At least 32 folks have died in the extreme flooding that hit Texas Hill Country early Friday, Kerr County Sheriff Larry Leitha confirmed on Saturday afternoon. The victims embrace 18 adults and 14 kids, with 5 adults and three kids nonetheless unidentified.Authorities additionally reported that 27 girls from a Christian summer camp situated alongside the Guadalupe River are among the many missing. Officials consider a few of the campers could also be stranded and unable to succeed in out for assist.A US Congressman has confirmed that his two daughters had been safely evacuated from Camp Mystic, the summer camp for girls.Representative August Pfluger introduced on Saturday by way of a publish on X that he and his spouse have been “now reunited” with their daughters.“The last day has brought unimaginable grief to many families and we mourn with them as well as holding out hope for survivors,” he wrote.“Please join us today as we pray for miracles,” he added. At a information convention on Friday evening, Texas Governor Greg Abbott said that the state is deploying all crucial sources to help ongoing search and rescue operations. This contains personnel from the Texas National Guard and state troopers.Abbott declared a state of catastrophe for a number of counties in the Hill Country area, situated about 70 miles north of San Antonio. On Saturday, he expanded the declaration to incorporate further counties affected by the flooding and formally requested federal help via a signed catastrophe declaration.W Nim Kidd, chief of the Texas division of emergency administration, mentioned Saturday afternoon that authorities are nonetheless “actively searching” for survivors, though he acknowledged that the mission (*27*)“When you talk to the men and women that are up there in those helicopters and out in those boats and walking the ground, they’re looking for live people right now and doing everything they can to continue to search as fast as possible,” Kidd mentioned at a press convention.Governor Abbott, additionally talking on the briefing, emphasised that he has directed all state companies concerned in the efforts to “assume everybody missing is alive” and harassed that “every minute counts.”More than 850 folks have been rescued up to now, many with the assistance of helicopters, based on officers. Texas authorities additionally said that a number of flood-affected areas are nonetheless experiencing energy and web outages.