By Stabroek News
(Reuters) 鈥 Torrential rains unleashed deadly flash floods along the Guadalupe River in south-central Texas yesterday, killing at least 13 people and leaving nearly two-dozen girls reported missing from a riverfront summer camp, local authorities said.
The U.S. National Weather Service declared a flash flood emergency for parts of Kerr County, located in Texas Hill Country, about 65 miles (105 km) northwest of San Antonio, following thunderstorms with heavy downpours that dumped as much as a foot of rain.
Dalton Rice, city manager for Kerrville, the county seat, told reporters the extreme flooding struck before dawn with little or no warning, precluding authorities from issuing advance evacuation orders as the Guadalupe swiftly rose above major flood stage.
鈥淭his happened very quickly, over a very short period of time that could not be predicted, even with radar,鈥 Rice said. 鈥淭his happened within less than a two-hour span.鈥
Nevertheless, state emergency management officials had warned as early as Thursday that west and central Texas faced heavy rains and flash flood threats 鈥渙ver the next couple days,鈥 citing National Weather Service forecasts ahead of the holiday weekend.
July Fourth fireworks displays ended up being canceled in flood-stricken communities throughout the region, including Kerrville, where the waterfront site for Friday night鈥檚 planned U.S. Independence Day celebration was submerged by the rain-swollen river.
Kerr County Sheriff Larry Leitha told reporters that 13 people were found dead from flooding in the area, adding, 鈥淚 think there will be more when this thing is over.鈥
Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick said at an earlier news briefing that six to 10 bodies of adults and children had been found, some in cars washed downstream.
He also said authorities were searching for 23 girls listed as unaccounted for among more than 700 children at several summer camp sites near the banks of the Guadalupe River when the site was inundated by floodwaters at around 4 a.m. local time.
鈥淲e鈥檙e praying for all those missing to be found alive,鈥 Patrick said.
It was not clear whether anyone unaccounted for at Camp Mystic, a private Christian summer camp for girls, might have ended up among the deceased victims tallied countywide by the sheriff.
Otherwise, all other campers were safe, authorities said, but the campers could not immediately be evacuated because roads were made impassable by high waters. Camp Mystic鈥檚 director said in a message read to reporters that the facility鈥檚 power, water and internet service also had been cut off.
鈥淓verybody is doing everything in their power to get these kids out,鈥 Kerr County Judge Rob Kelly, the top local elected official, said at a news briefing on the disaster hours earlier.
Kelly said a number of scattered residential subdivisions, recreational vehicle parks and campgrounds were hit hard.
Pressed by reporters why more precautions were not taken with stormy weather in the forecast, Kelly insisted a disaster of such magnitude was unforeseen.
鈥淲e have floods all the time. This is the most dangerous river valley in the United States,鈥 he said, adding, 鈥淲e had no reason to believe this was going to be anything like what鈥檚 happened here. None whatsoever.鈥
In an alert issued on Thursday, the Texas Division of Emergency Management said it had increased the readiness level of its operations center and 鈥渁ctivated additional state emergency response resources鈥 as parts of west and central Texas braced 鈥渇or continued heavy rainfall and flash flooding threats heading into the holiday weekend.鈥
Patrick said the Guadalupe River had risen 26 feet (8 m) in 45 minutes amid heavy showers soaking the region. Search teams were flying 14 helicopters and a dozen drones over the area, in addition to hundreds of emergency personnel on the ground conducting rescues from trees and swift-flowing water.
The Llano River flowing through adjacent Mason County was also reported running at flood stage, posing 鈥渁 life-threatening situation,鈥 the weather service reported.
With additional rain forecast in the region, Patrick warned that an ongoing threat for possible flash flooding extended from San Antonio to Waco for the next 24 to 48 hours.
Personnel from the U.S. Coast Guard and the Federal Emergency Management Agency were activated to assist local authorities in confronting the crisis, officials said.