At least 13 people are dead and dozens more are missing — including more than 20 children who were staying in area summer camps — as heavy rains caused “catastrophic” flooding along the Guadalupe River, with parts of Kerr County particularly hard-hit by the natural disaster.
Kerr County Sheriff Larry Leitha Jr. said the remains of 13 victims had been found.
“I think there will be more when this is over,” he said at an afternoon news briefing.
Emergency crews continue to search for people feared swept away by the floodwaters, which were spurred when heavy rains soaked the Hill Country overnight.
In an afternoon news briefing, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said about 23 children who were attending Camp Mystic, a local Christian summer camp, are still missing.
“We’re praying for them to be found,” Patrick said.
He said state game wardens were searching the flood zone on foot, looking for survivors. Patrick said the Texas Division of Emergency Management and other agencies had deployed 14 helicopters, 12 drones and 9 rescue teams — 400 to 500 personnel in all — to assist with recovery operations in the Hill Country.
More than 12 inches of rain fell over a 12-hour period, sending the Guadalupe River near Hunt to its second-highest level on record at 29.45 feet, the National Weather Service said. Near Comfort, the river crested at 34.76 feet, more than 6 feet above flood stage and the fifth-highest level on record for that area.
As of 1:30 p.m. Friday, a flash flood emergency remained in effect in South-Central Kerr County, including the Guadalupe River and areas like Hunt, Center Point, Kerrville and Comfort.
Kerr County Judge Rob Kelly said the storms created “a very devastating and deadly flood,” and urged all Kerr County residents who live near the Guadalupe River to evacuate and move to higher ground.
State officials were “surging all available resources” to respond to the “devastating flooding,” Gov. Greg Abbott said.
“That includes water rescue teams, sheltering centers, the National Guard, the Texas Department of Public Safety,” Abbott said in a written statement. “The immediate priority is saving lives.”
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On Friday morning, Kelly told Hearst Newspapers that at least six people were confirmed dead in the current flooding, and the Kerr County Sheriff’s Office also said the floods had resulted in fatalities.
But at a news conference later in the day, Kelly declined to give an estimate on the number of people who were dead or missing.
He said there had been dozens of water rescues, but declined to provide updated casualty numbers, saying officials had been advised not to do so. He did not say by whom.
Kelly, who lives along the Guadalupe River, said floodwaters had reached his home office.
As of when I write this there’s still a lot of people missing, including those camp children, and so by the time you read this there may be good news, really bad news, or both. The Houston Fire Department has sent two teams to assist in rescue operations. Live updates to this story can be found here. I fervently hope for the safety of everyone involved.