Kerville, Texas (AP) – Rescue teams were searching for more than two dozen on Saturday Children from a girls camp Officials said many other people still disappeared after a wall of water under a powerful storm in the Texas Hill country, killing at least 27 people. There were nine children among the dead.
Disastrous rapid water With the Gwadalup River, on Friday, 45 minutes before morning increased by 26 feet (8 meters), washing homes and vehicles. This danger did not end as torrential rains continued outside San Antonio on Saturday and flood warnings and watches remained effective for parts of Central Texas.
The city manager of Kerville, Dalton Rice said that some 27 people were missing from the Camp Mystic, a Christian Summer Camp on the banks of the river. He said that an unknown number was still unaware at other places, he said on Saturday.
The Mayor of Kerville, who herring, said, “Today people need to know that there will be a difficult day.”
The explorers used helicopters, boats and drones to see the victims and to protect people trapped in trees and from the camps separated from washed roads. According to the city manager, the total number of missing was not known, who said that he did not want to give an estimate.
The frantic parents and families posted pictures of the arguments for missing loved ones and information.
One of the hundreds of campers at the Camp Mystic, 13 -year -old Ellinor Leaster said, “The camp was completely destroyed.” “A helicopter landed and started taking people away. It was really scary.”
A fierce storm woke up his cabin after midnight on Friday, and when the rescue teams arrived, they tied a rope to catch the girls as they went across a bridge with flood waters around their feet, he said.
Ker County Sheriff Larry Litha said that the dead along with nine children were confirmed on 27. Officials said about 850 people were rescued.
On the fourth holiday of July, the floods in the middle of the night surprised many residents, campers and officials. Texas Hill Country, which sits in the north -west of San Antonio, is a popular destination for camp and swimming, especially around summer holidays.
Accuweather said that private forecasting company and National Meteorological Service sent warnings about possible flash floods before havoc.
“These warnings should have provided enough time to evacuate camps like camps and people for safety,” accuweather said in a statement.
Officials defended their works on Friday, saying they did not expect such a rapid decline that was equal to months of rain for the region.
The forecast of a national weather service earlier called for six inches (152 mm) of rain, said Nim Kid, head of the Texas Division of Emergency Management. He said, “It did not predict the amount of rain that we saw.”
Helicopter, drone is used in heroade search for disappearance
The search workers were facing harsh conditions, earning the rivers, culverts and rocks of the waterfall. “They are looking at every possible place,” Rice said.
More than 1,000 rescue teams were on the ground. Helicopters and drones were being used, some people were being looted from trees. The US Coast Guard was flying for helicopter aid.
A renovation center in a primary school was mostly quiet on Saturday after taking hundreds of withdrawals a day earlier.
“We are still looking for our loved ones. We have got some success, but not much.”
President Donald Trump said on Saturday that Homeland’s Security Secretary Christie Nom was traveling to Texas and his administration was working with officials on the ground.
“Melania and I am praying for all families affected by this terrible tragedy,” Trump said in a statement on her social media network.
‘Death Pitch Black Wall’
In Ingram, Erin Burges woke up for thunder and rain in the middle of the night on Friday. Exactly 20 minutes later, water was poured from the river to his house, he said. He described the hour sticking to a tree with his teenage son and waited for enough water to walk on the hill for safety.
“This is the only thing that saved me, hanging on it,” he said.
“My son and I floated on a tree where we were hung on it, and my lover and my dog ​​went away. He was lost for a while, but we found them,” he said.
Matthew Stone, a 44 -year -old Kerville’s 44 -year -old, said that the police was knocking at the door, but had not received any warning on his phone.
“We did not get any emergency warning. Nothing,” Stone said. Then “a black wall of death.”
‘I was scared to death’
At a renovation center in Ingram, the families cried and were happy on Friday as the loved ones closed the rescue vehicles. Two soldiers took an old woman who could not go down the ladder. Behind him, a woman caught a small white dog.
Later, a girl stood in a puddle in a white “camp mystic” T-shirt and white socks, splashing in her mother’s arms.
Barry Edelman said that Pani pushed everyone into the attic in his three -storey house, including his 94 -year -old grandmother and 9 -year -old grandson.
He said, “I was looking at my grandson on the face and telling him that everything was going to be alright, but I was afraid of death,” he said.
‘Nobody knew that this kind of flood was coming’
The investigation of the officials was increasing whether the camp and other people of the area had received a proper warning and whether adequate preparations were made.
The forecast for the weekend had called for rain, upgrading to a warning on Friday for at least 30,000 people with a flood watch. Texas Lieutenant village. Dan Patrick said that heavy rains and the possibility of flood cover a large area.
Patrick said, “Everything was done to give them a head that you can rain heavily, and we are not sure where it is going to land.” “Obviously, as it got dark last night, we came in the morning of hours when the storm started getting zero.”
Ker County Judge Rob Kelly, Chief Elected Officer of County, said: “We do not have a warning system.”
When it was pushed on why more precautions were not taken, Kelly said that no one knew that such a flood was coming.
Excess pocket of heavy rain is expected
Jason Roonan of the National Weather Service said that a slow -running storm in Central Texas is bringing more rain and more rain and more rainfall on Saturday.
This danger can occur overnight and on Sunday morning, he said.
Popular tourism sector is a flood threat
Austin Dixon, CEO of the Community Foundation, Texas Hill Country, stated that the region is known as “Flash Flood Elle” due to the thin layer of soil, collecting donations to help with the response.
“When it rains, the water does not absorb in the soil,” Dixon said. “It runs down from the hill.”
River Tourism Industry Hill is an important part of the country’s economy. Dixon said that century old summer camps bring children across the country.
“This is usually a very quiet river with a truly beautiful clear blue water that people attract from generations,” Dixon said.
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Ohower reported from Toledo, Ohio.
John Sewer and Jim Wartuno, Associated Press