The death toll from the Texas flash floods has risen to 70 overall, with 59 people dead in Kerr County, local officials said on Sunday.
The number of missing girls from Camp Mystic, a Christian summer camp, has gone down to 11, from an original 27 missing, after further casualties were found in the meantime.
The Guadalupe river surged more than eight metres in just 45 minutes on Friday, destroying homes, camps and vehicles. The disaster unfolded as heavy rains continued across Texas into the weekend, prompting more flash flood warnings.
Search and rescue operations intensified Saturday, with helicopters, boats and drones deployed to retrieve stranded residents and locate the missing.
“We will find every one of them,” Governor Greg Abbott said.
Authorities have come under scrutiny over whether proper warnings were issued to camps and residents in an area long known for severe flash flooding.
Officials defended their actions, stating that they had not expected such an intense downpour, which was equivalent to months’ worth of rain for the area.
The hills along the Guadalupe in central Texas are dotted with youth camps and campgrounds. The area is especially popular around the 4 July holiday, making it more challenging to determine how many are missing.
“We don’t even want to begin to estimate at this time,” said Dalton Rice, the city manager.
Forecast service AccuWeather, along with the National Weather Service, had issued warnings about potential flash flooding hours before the devastation.
Rescue efforts are expected to continue through the weekend as authorities work to account for the missing and assess the full extent of the damage.
