On Saturday, July 5th, the search and rescue operations in the flooding in Texas, United States are still ongoing. This disaster has already claimed at least 24 lives and more than 20 children from a summer camp are missing. President Trump stated that the flooding in Texas and the resulting loss of lives are “shocking”.
The torrential rain on Friday caused flooding in the Guadalupe River area in Texas. During a press conference held later on Friday, Kerr County Sheriff Larry Leitha confirmed that 24 people had died. Authorities have reported that around 240 people have been rescued.
Rescue teams are currently making urgent efforts to save dozens of victims who are trapped by high water levels or missing in the disaster.
The National Weather Service (NWS) has warned that some parts of Texas will experience “life-threatening” flash flooding on Saturday and urged residents to take precautions and avoid roads that are flooded.
On Friday, President Trump, aboard Air Force One, stated that he is working with Texas Governor Greg Abbott to coordinate possible federal assistance to mitigate the losses.
The President said, “They still don’t know how many people have died, but it looks like some young people have lost their lives.” Trump described the event as “terrible” and “shocking”.
When asked if the federal government would provide aid, the President replied, “Yes, we will take care of it. We are working with the governor; it’s terrible.”
First Lady Melania Trump expressed condolences to the parents of children affected by the flood on Saturday on the social media platform X. “During this difficult time, my thoughts are with the families in Texas,” she said. “I pray for you in my heart, hoping you find strength, comfort, and resilience.”
Vice President Pence issued a statement on Saturday via the social media platform X, saying, “Our nation’s heart breaks for the victims of Texas and their families. I want every affected person to know that our entire family and millions of Americans are praying for them.”
Parents are eager for news of the missing children from Camp Mystic. Camp Mystic is a Christian girls’ camp located along the Guadalupe River, where the water level rose over twenty feet in less than two hours. On Friday night, around twenty campers were reported missing.
Authorities have deployed helicopters, rescue swimmers, and tactical military vehicles to assist in rescuing and evacuating residents stranded by the flooding in central Texas.
Anxious parents and family members have posted photos of missing children and requested more information.
“The camp is completely destroyed,” said 13-year-old girl Elinor Lester, one of the hundreds of campers at Camp Mystic, as reported by the Associated Press. “A helicopter landed and started taking people away. It was really scary,” she said.
Although the authorities have not yet released the identities of all the deceased, according to a statement from the Hunt city women’s camp “Heart O’ the Hills”, co-owner and director Jane Ragsdale did not survive the flood.
“We received the news that Jane Ragsdale did not make it through the flood,” the statement said. “We mourn the loss of this influential woman who touched countless lives; she was a symbol of strength and resilience.”
The camp, located along the Guadalupe River, has confirmed the whereabouts of most people.