Summary
Rescue crews continued on Tuesday to comb through parts of the Texas Hill Country devastated by catastrophic flash flooding over the Fourth of July weekend, but with more than 100 dead and hope fading for survivors, efforts have increasingly turned to search and recovery.
Here’s where we stand as of 2pm ET today:
Authorities have said at least 107 people have been killed in the flash flooding. In Kerr county, 87 bodies have been recovered as of Tuesday morning. At Camp Mystic, five campers and one counselor remain unaccounted for, officials said.
The homeland security secretary, Kristi Noem, spoke about leading the federal response to the flooding disaster at a cabinet meeting on Tuesday. She said her visit to Texas was “very emotional”. Noem said “Texas is strong” but also noted: “We, as a federal government, don’t manage these disasters. The state does.” She added: “We’re cutting through the paperwork of the old Fema streamlining it, much like your vision of how Fema should operate.”
Questions are mounting over the response to the devastating flooding and a press conference in Texas turned tense. “Right now, this team up here is focused on bringing people home,” said Lt Col Ben Baker, of the Texas game wardens.
Sheriff Larry Leitha told reporters that the county is working on a timeline of how it alerted residents about the flash floods. Responding to a question about the alerts, he said: “As I’ve told you several times, that is not my priority this time. There are three priorities, thats locating the people out there, identifying, notifying the next of kin – that is what I’m taking as my job as sheriff.”
Hope of finding survivors was dwindling. Four days have passed since anyone was found alive in the aftermath of the floods, officials said.
A team of first responders from Mexico joined search efforts on Monday in central Texas. The team traveled from Acuña, in the state of Coahuila, which borders Del Río, Texas, and includes nine members from the civil protection and fire department of Ciudad Acuña and four members from the Fundación 911 organization.
There is a small chance of more storms and rain, but forecasters say the flood-ravaged Texas Hill Country should see a break in storms today. And as of early this morning, all flood watches have been dropped for Texas, but a few flood warnings remain in effect.
Updated
A state legislator in Texas has told the New York Times about efforts to get funding for sirens that would blare warnings during flash flooding.
As questions mount over the official response to the flooding, Wes Virdell – who represents Kerry county – said his office would get a bill under way “to get funding to help implement these sirens”.
Virdell suggested more action was needed. “If you had cell service there, or even a Starlink”, he said, it would help warn people of future weather disasters.
Updated
