More than 100 have lost their lives, and numerous others are still missing in devastating flash floods that hit Texas in the early morning hours of July 4. The worst hit has been Kerr County, located in the Hill Country, where swollen river banks and debris-choked land are still impeding rescue efforts.
Authorities have confirmed at least 84 fatalities in Kerr County alone, including 56 adults and 28 children. The county sheriff’s office has stated that 22 adults and 10 children remain unidentified. Authorities are concerned with an increasing number of fatalities as storms continue to plague the area.
The Guadalupe River, swelled by torrential rain before daybreak Friday, burst its banks with catastrophic fury. Flash floods ravaged cabins, trailers, and tents along the riverbank, yanking victims from their beds and carrying them miles down river.
“People were pulled out while they were sleeping. Survivors were clinging to trees,” a local official involved in the rescue efforts stated.
Four days since the tragedy, rescue and search personnel still battle mud-shrouded riverbanks and huge heaps of rubble. Mattresses, fridges, coolers, and felled trees now cover the banks, grim reminders of the festive parties that went awry.
“This is among the country’s worst flash floods in decades,” the BBC reported. Hope for finding more survivors is dwindling as rain and thunderstorms continue to hit hard, making it tougher for emergency personnel.
Texas Flood: Political Storm Rages Over Disaster Readiness
While the state grieves, there is a political controversy that has arisen regarding the disaster preparedness of the federal government. Critics are questioning whether the Trump administration’s recent budget reductions to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the National Weather Service (NWS) undermined early warnings.
The White House shot down such allegations, claiming the reductions did not affect the response. Texas Senator Ted Cruz made a defense of the administration’s response to the catastrophe.
“There’s a time to fight politically, there’s a time to disagree. This is not that time,” Cruz said. “There will be a time to discover what might have been done differently. I hope that eventually we learn some lessons to do it the next time there is a flood.”
As Texas reels from this natural disaster, residents and officials alike hope that the lessons learned will prevent future tragedies of this scale.
