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At least 27 people have been confirmed dead, with many more displaced due to flash flooding in Kerr County, Texas, USA.
An assessment of the fatalities reveals that 18 were adults and nine were children swept away by the deluge that devastated the area.
Besides the fatalities, 850 county residents were rescued unharmed, but the number of missing individuals is still unclear.
Dalton Rice, the City Manager of Kerrville, reported this to the media on Saturday, mentioning that 27 children were reported missing from Camp Mystic, located along the Guadalupe River.
Rice noted that emergency officials do not yet have a complete count of missing persons beyond this figure and indicated that rescue operations are ongoing, with officials intensifying searches in hazardous areas.
He advised against personal searches in flood-affected areas, emphasizing that official search and rescue efforts are still in progress. Additionally, grief counselors have been assigned to support affected families, and shelters have been established for residents until conditions improve.
Rice pointed out that emergency personnel are still working to establish how many tourists and visitors are unaccounted for following the flood. Earlier images from the city depicted the extensive flooding, with deep waters inundating bridges and fast-moving currents engulfing roads.
Eyewitness Bud Bolton described the devastation as floodwaters invaded an RV park in Kerrville, recalling the panic as people became trapped in their RVs.
Resident Thomas Rux recounted being alerted to evacuate by the fire department amidst thunder and rain, only to have his vehicle carried away by the fierce floodwaters moments later.
Restaurant owner Lorena exclaimed, “It’s total devastation. Helicopters are coming in to rescue people stranded in trees. It’s terrible.”
In response to the extensive damage, the government has declared a state of emergency across several counties, where numerous roads have been washed away and communication lines are down.
US President Donald Trump remarked that the incident is “shocking” and “terrible,” with the White House promising further assistance.
