Officials: Children Missing as Deadly Floods Hit Central Texas
Central Texas was hit with heavy rains on Friday that resulted in rapid flooding and several people reportedly being killed.
The Guadalupe River swelled overnight and by around 4:30 a.m. it was nearly 30 feet deep, NBC 5 reported on Friday.
“At 9:10 a.m., the NWS said the river had crested in Hunt and was falling, but they may again see a rise with additional rainfall. Downstream, at about 10 a.m., the Guadalupe River flood wave reached Comfort and the river rose 26 feet in 45 minutes and was in major flood stage. A River Flood Warning was issued for the river at Spring Branch, north of San Antonio, where it was expected to rise to 34 feet Friday afternoon,” the outlet said.
Video footage showed the swollen river in Kerrville, according to the clip from KENS 5. A reporter for the outlet said police were telling residents living within 100 yards of the Guadalupe River to evacuate:
At least thirteen people have died as a result of the horrific flooding, and Kerr County Judge Rob Kelley confirmed the number to KENS. The victims ages and identities have not yet been reported, the outlet said.
The report continued:
Five to 10 inches of rain had fallen before sunrise due to slow-moving and intense storms in Kerr and Kendall counties, which remain under a Flash Flood Warning until at least noon. That’s likely to be extended after the Guadalupe River crested to one of its highest-ever peaks earlier on Friday morning; water levels in Kerrville rose from 7 feet at midnight to 29 feet by 4 a.m.
The National Weather Service called the flooding a “life-threatening” situation. At least one death was confirmed at Louise Hays Park in Kerrville, which canceled its “Fourth on the River” holiday celebration amid the devastation. The Kerr County Sheriff’s Office said it had responded to “multiple calls for high-water rescues.”
Meanwhile, a KSAT 12 report showed a photo of girls at Camp Mystic that is located along the Guadalupe River evacuating in the middle of the night.
The children appeared to be walking through calf-deep water to a safe location:
In its updated story on Friday, NBC said there were some missing children from summer camps along the river. Camp Mystic said parents of the missing children had been notified and if they had not been notified, their child was accounted for.
However, Kelly said during a briefing that “We can’t say for sure that they’re all accounted for. We know that there are some missing. We know where some of them are; they’re stranded, and we’re working to confirm that with people out at Camp Mystic,” he explained, adding officials were working to find them.
The KENS article said Bandera County had also fallen victim to the flooding. In a social media post just before noon on Friday, the National Weather Service said, “Flash Flood Emergency continues for Kerrville TX, Ingram TX and Center Point TX until 3:00 PM CDT.”
In social media updates on Friday, police in Kerrville said officers and firefighters were evacuating residents, indicating that “Walmart is being used as a temporary reunification center.”
“Many roads and streets are flooding in town. A partial list is Arcadia Loop, most of Thompson Drive, Guadalupe Street, Lowry Street, Herzog and Loop 13, Rio Robles, Riverside Drive, portions of Broadway. Stay out of flooded areas. Do not drive through water. Do not call 911 to ask for updates,” the agency said.
Police later informed residents that “First United Methodist Church, 321 Thompson Drive, has been established as a shelter for those displaced by the flooding. Kerrville Fire Department personnel are monitoring area nursing and assisted living homes, they are sheltering in place at this time. The situation remains active and we will provide more updates as we are able.”
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