The search for survivors continues into its fifth day following catastrophic and historic flooding in the Texas city of Kerrville, United States, with the death toll now at 108 and dozens still missing.
Many of the victims were children, most of whom had been attending Camp Mystic, a Christian, all-girls summer camp located in Hunt, along the banks of the Guadalupe River in Texas Hill Country.
Scenes of devastation stretch as far as the eye can see, with piles of debris from destroyed homes and businesses scattered across damaged roads and along the banks of the Guadalupe River in Kerrville.
As of Tuesday, the search for survivors continues around the clock, with helicopters circling overhead, scanning the area in hopes of finding some of the missing still alive.
“Texas is grieving right now. The pain and shock of what has transpired over the last few days have broken the hearts of our state,” U.S. Senator Ted Cruz said during a news conference yesterday..
“The children, the little girls who were lost at Camp Mystic, it’s every parent’s worst nightmare,” Cruz continued.
“Just last week, we were picking up our daughter from camp here in Hunt. My girls have gone to camp here for a decade.”
Deaths have been confirmed in six Texas counties: Kerr, Burnet, Travis, Kendall, Williamson, and Tom Green.
Officials say the toll may continue to rise as hundreds of first responders work tirelessly to locate those still missing, many of whom are feared to have been swept downstream.
The Texas Military Department reported that rescue operations have so far led to the successful recovery of more than 500 people, though the total number of rescues is significantly higher.
“Tragedies hit this state. Natural disasters hit this state. And without fail, 100 out of 100 times, we see Texans coming together, helping each other, engaging in acts of heroism,” Cruz said.
“There have been over 850 high-water rescues since this flooding began,” he added.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott, who toured the destruction at Camp Mystic, described the scene as “nothing short of horrific,” emphasizing the trauma the young victims endured.
Meanwhile, Abbott has issued a disaster declaration for more than a dozen counties in Texas Hill Country, and President Donald Trump has signed a major disaster declaration for Kerr County to “ensure that our brave first responders immediately have the resources they need.”
