The rescuers recorded on Saturday 27 girls who disappeared in a summer camp by the river in Texas, after torrential rains caused devastating floods that killed 50 people in the state of the United States.
Multiple warnings of sudden floods remained in place in the center of Texas after the water arose through the communities, with the Guadalupe River increasing 26 feet (eight meters) in just 45 minutes.
Kerr County Summer Camp, where hundreds of disorder were left, with blankets, stuffed bears and other belongings covered in the mud.
“We have recovered 43 people killed in Kerr County. Among the deceased, we have 28 adults and 15 children,” said Larry Leitha, the sheriff of the region devastated by floods.
Multiple victims were also found in other counties, which raised the number of deaths to 50.
The head of the Texas Emergency Management Department, Nim Kidd, said the crews based on air, land and water were traveling the length of the Guadalupe River for the survivors and the bodies of the dead.
“We will continue the search until all those who are missing are,” he said.
Texas governor Greg Abbott said he was expanding a state disaster statement and was requesting additional federal resources from President Donald Trump.
The floods began on Friday, the beginning of the holiday weekend of July 4, since the rain of months fell in a matter of hours.
The National Meteorological Service (NWS) warned that more rain was forecast, and that “excessive runoff can cause floods of rivers, streams, streams and other low and prone locations to floods.”
In Kerville on Saturday, the Guadalupe, usually quiet, flowed quickly, its murky waters full of rubble.
“The water reached the top of the trees. Approximately 10 meters,” said resident Gerardo Martínez, 61. “The cars, the entire houses went through the river.”
Sudden floods, which occur when the ground cannot absorb torrential rain, are not unusual.
But scientists say that in recent years, humans driven by humans has made extreme climatic events such as floods, droughts and more frequent and most intense heat waves.
Devastation in Camp Mystic
On Saturday, Sheriff Leitha said 27 children from Camp Mystic still disappeared in Kerr County flooded. Around 750 girls attended the camp along the banks of Guadalupe.
The American media reported that four of the missing girls were dead, citing their families.
The windows of the camp cabins were shattered, apparently by the force of water.
Michael, who only gave AFP His first name was looking for his eight -year -old daughter.
“I was in Austin and led yesterday morning, once we found out,” he said, and added that he expected a “miracle.”
The Obituario section of the news site of the Kerville community was splashed with tributes to the victims, including the owner and director of Camp Mystic, Dick Eastland.
The director of Heart or ‘The Hills Summer Camp, located at a mile of Camp Mystic, Jane Ragsdale, was also confirmed dead.
In another part of Texas, four people were confirmed dead in Travis County, to the northeast of Kerr, and said 13 people, said the director of the Hector Nieto Public Information Office AFP
The body of a 62 -year -old was found in the city of San Angelo in Tom Green County, along the Concho River, police said.
Two more people died in Burnet County, said the Emergency Management Coordinator of the area, Derek Marchio. AFPcarrying the number of deaths throughout the state to 50.
‘Catastrophic’
The head of the National Security Department, Kristi Noem, said Trump wanted to “improve technologies” in the oceanic and atmospheric weather and atmospheric administration (NOA).
“We need to renew this old system,” Noem told a press conference.
Scientists and disaster management agencies have criticized Trump for reducing funds and staff at NOAA, in charge of time and preparation forecasts, and NWS.
When asked about the statements that residents received an insufficient warning of floods, Noem said “would take their concerns to the federal government.”
Officials and residents were surprised by the speed and intensity of floods.
“We didn’t know that this flood approached,” said Kerr County official, Rob Kelly, Friday.
“The predictions were definitely turned off”, and the rain was “twice what was anticipated,” said Kerville City official, Dalton Rice.
Rice added that rescuers faced “very difficult” conditions, and refused to give a general figure of how many were missing.
Solida Reyna, 55, a resident of Kerville who works in a church that helps the people who lost their belongings, witnessed the devastation.
“Years have spent since we had a flood, but nothing like this,” said Reyna.
“Nothing as as catastrophic as this, where he involved children, people and loss of people’s houses … It’s crazy,” he added.
