Texas Floods Leave Over 160 Missing as Rescue Efforts Continue

At least 161 individuals remain unaccounted for in a single Texas county four days after severe and catastrophic flash floods swept through parts of the state, Texas Governor Greg Abbott reported.

This information comes as hopes dim for finding more survivors.

Among those missing in the heavily impacted Kerr County are five campers and a counselor from Camp Mystic, a Christian summer camp for girls situated along the banks of the Guadalupe River.

The death toll from the disaster has reached at least 111, according to the most recent county-level figures reported by US media.

Over 90 fatalities are reportedly concentrated in the Kerrville area.

Texas is not the only state affected by extreme weather.

Neighboring New Mexico also faced a flash flood emergency on Tuesday, resulting in at least three deaths.

There, nearly 8.8 centimeters (3.5 inches) of rainfall caused the Rio Ruidoso to overflow and flood the village of Ruidoso.

Fortunately, the floodwaters have since subsided.

In Texas, search and rescue operations remain urgent and ongoing.

Governor Abbott promised that emergency teams “will not stop until every missing person is located.”

He also warned that the number of missing persons may rise in the days ahead and encouraged the public to report anyone they suspect is still unaccounted for.

General Thomas Suelzer of the Texas National Guard described the extensive efforts, noting the use of Chinook and Black Hawk helicopters equipped with rescue hoists.

In total, 13 Black Hawks are involved in the search, including four brought in from Arkansas.

Additionally, authorities have deployed Reaper drones to assist with reconnaissance.

Multiple agencies are collaborating on the rescue mission, including border patrol agents, FBI personnel, and National Guard members.

Over 250 responders have been assigned specifically to the Kerrville area for search and rescue operations.

One volunteer rescuer named Tim told the BBC that he had never witnessed destruction on this scale before.

Having responded to floods in East and Southeast Texas and hurricanes previously, he described the current situation as a “nightmare.”

Another volunteer, Justin, likened the search to “trying to find a needle in a haystack,” referring to the vast swath of devastation stretching for miles.

He explained that there are not enough cadaver dogs to cover the entire area.

Accessing many locations with heavy machinery has proven difficult, so rescuers have been painstakingly sifting through debris by hand and with tools.

However, progress is slow despite their determination.

Questions have been raised about whether authorities adequately warned residents before the flooding and why evacuations were not conducted sooner.

Experts point to a combination of factors, including the severity of the weather, the location of vacation homes, and the timing of the storm.

Governor Abbott, who surveyed the flood zones, said officials had issued storm warnings and anticipated the possibility of flash flooding but were unprepared for the scale of the disaster.

“No one knew it would create a 30-foot wall of water,” he stated.

When asked who might be responsible for the high death toll, Abbott rejected the idea of assigning blame, calling it a “word choice of losers.”

Using a sports analogy, he said mistakes happen in American football, but champion teams do not focus on finger-pointing.

The majority of the fatalities occurred in Kerr County, where torrential rains caused the Guadalupe River to overflow before dawn on Friday, coinciding with the July Fourth holiday.

Camp Mystic confirmed that at least 27 of its campers and staff were among those killed.

Survivors are now focused on rebuilding their lives.

Justin Brown, a longtime resident living along the Guadalupe River for over 25 years, lost his mobile home at the Blue Oak RV Park, along with his two young daughters and dog.

His home was swept away by the floodwaters, leaving behind only a large puddle and debris.

“We were fortunate to have almost everyone evacuated,” Brown told the BBC, praising the efforts of his landlord and emergency personnel who helped get nearly all residents out safely.

Looking at the empty lot where his home once stood, he expressed hope to return as soon as possible.

President Donald Trump announced plans to visit the affected Texas areas with First Lady Melania Trump on Friday.

Meanwhile, in New Mexico, the National Weather Service declared a flash flood emergency for Ruidoso, warning residents to remain alert.

The Rio Ruidoso’s flood crest reached 15 feet, sweeping houses downstream.

A man and two children lost their lives, and many locals remained missing as of Tuesday evening.

Rescue teams used boats to reach those trapped by the rising waters.

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