Devastating flash flooding has claimed the lives of at least 51 people in Texas, with dozens more still missing, authorities have confirmed.
The historic floods rapidly emerged after torrential rains sent the Guadalupe River surging over its banks, catching communities off guard and raising serious questions about preparedness.
Among the missing are 27 young girls attending Camp Mystic, a Christian summer camp in Kerr County.
The camp was overwhelmed when the river suddenly rose during the early hours of Friday morning.
Xavier Ramirez, 23, told NBC News that five of his family members, including his mother, stepfather, and uncle, were swept away in the floodwaters near Ingram.
One cousin was found clinging to a tree 20 miles downstream.
“One of the trucks [we were in] was found in Ingram, against a tree, crushed and flipped,” Ramirez said.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott confirmed at a press conference that rescue efforts are ongoing, with at least 237 people already saved from the rising waters.
“We’ll put in everything we have in the entire state,” Abbott promised.
Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick added that 14 helicopters, 12 drones, and over 500 personnel are engaged in search and rescue.
The destruction has been widespread.
Kerr County alone recorded 43 deaths, including 28 adults and 15 children.
Additional deaths were reported across Kendall, Travis, Burnet, and Tom Green Counties.
Despite the scope of the disaster, officials are facing mounting criticism over whether enough was done to warn residents, especially those in flood-prone summer camps along the river.
AccuWeather, which issued early alerts alongside the National Weather Service (NWS), said the warnings gave ample time for action.
“These warnings should have provided officials with ample time to evacuate camps such as Camp Mystic,” the private forecasting service stated, noting that the Texas Hill Country is one of the most flash-flood-prone areas in the U.S.
Still, state officials pushed back.
“It did not predict the amount of rain that we saw,” said Nim Kidd, chief of the Texas Division of Emergency Management.
One NWS river gauge failed after logging a 29.5-foot crest, nearly 22 feet of rise in just two hours.
Kerr County Judge Rob Kelly acknowledged that officials had considered installing a river warning system years ago but scrapped the idea due to costs.
“The public reeled at the cost,” he said.
“Nobody saw this coming.”
Meanwhile, President Donald Trump pledged full federal support, telling reporters Friday night:
“We’ll take care of them… It’s terrible, the floods, it’s shocking.”
But as rescue crews work around the clock, Democrats and left-wing media outlets have seized the moment to criticize the Trump administration for proposed cuts to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the parent agency of the NWS.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem responded during a Saturday press conference:
“We know that everyone wants more warning time, and that is why we are working to upgrade the technologies that have been neglected for far too long.”
Despite attempts to politicize the crisis, what’s clear is that families are grieving, communities are shattered, and a state is once again picking up the pieces after being blindsided by one of nature’s most destructive forces.
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