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Donald Trump described the flooding as ‘terrible’ as emergency services search for dozens of missing children
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Four girls missing from a summer camp were found dead as a desperate search for dozens of other campers continues after devastating floods hit Texas, killing at least 51.
At least 15 children were killed as a result of what Texas GOP Congressman Chip Roy called a “once-in-a-century flood.” More than 850 people from around the region have been rescued or evacuated, officials said Saturday.
Two girls — 13-year-old Blair and 11-year-old Brooke — were among those killed by the floods, their father told CNN on Saturday night. Harber said Blair “was a gifted student and had a generous, kind heart,” and described Brooke as “like a light in any room, people gravitated to her and she made them laugh and enjoy the moment.”
There are also 27 girls still missing from Camp Mystic, an all-girls Christian summer camp along the Guadalupe River that was ravaged by the floods, officials said. At least four girls who attended Camp Mystic have been confirmed dead, according to reports, marking a tragic end to a day-long search.
The unexpected flash flooding struck on Friday after torrential rain along the Guadalupe River. The destructive force of the fast-rising waters just before dawn on Friday washed out homes and swept away vehicles.
Search crews were facing harsh conditions while “looking in every possible location,” Rice said.
Officials said more than 850 people had been rescued in the last 36 hours and there were heroic efforts at the camps to save children.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem arrived and pledged that the Trump administration would use all available resources. Coast Guard helicopters and planes were assisting to ensure operations can continue even in darkness.
One reunification center at an elementary school was mostly quiet after taking in hundreds of evacuees the day before.
“We still have people coming here looking for their loved ones. We’ve had a little success, but not much,” said Bobby Templeton, superintendent of Ingram Independent School District.
President Donald Trump said his administration is working “on the ground” in Texas to support the state amid devastating floods.
“The Trump Administration is working with State and Local Officials on the ground in Texas in response to the tragic flooding that took place yesterday,” he wrote on Truth Social. “Our Secretary of Homeland Security, Kristi Noem, will be there shortly. Melania and I are praying for all of the families impacted by this horrible tragedy.”
“Our Brave First Responders are on site doing what they do best,” he added. “ GOD BLESS THE FAMILIES, AND GOD BLESS TEXAS!”
Tonia Fucci, a Pennsylvania resident visiting her grandmother for the Independence Day weekend, woke early on Friday to the sound of heavy rain “coming down in buckets.”
“It’s indescribable, the sounds, of how loud they were, which turned out to be … the massive cypress trees that came down along the river,” she told a Reuters reporter in an interview the next day.
Ms Fucci filmed on her phone a torrent of muddy water flooding the road to her grandmother’s house and two recreational vehicles in a parking lot, with their wheels submerged in water.
“I’m still in shock today,” Fucci told Reuters news agency. “There’s so many missing children and missing people. You just want them to be found for the sake of the families. But, you know, it’s not going to be a good ending… There’s no way people could have survived the swiftness of the water.”
Ms Fucci said she had received National Weather alerts on her phone hours after the flood had already hit. The residents of the town had to rely on one another, as they ran to their neighbors to see who needed help before rescue teams arrived.
“Something I’ve never seen before. You knew it was tragedy,” Ms Fucci said.
Representative August Pfluger shared that he and his wife were reunited with their two daughters, who were attending Camp Mystic.
“Camille, Vivian and I are now reunited with Caroline and Juliana who were evacuated from Camp Mystic,” he wrote. “The last day has brought unimaginable grief to many families and we mourn with them as well as holding out hope for survivors.”
Texas officials are questioning the actions of the National Weather Service leading up to Friday’s deadly floods, as fellow meteorologists defend the agency.
Some state and local officials say the NWS didn’t provide accurate forecasts ahead of Friday’s destructive flooding, months after President Donald Trump’s administration gutted the agency and experts warned forecasts could suffer.
Keep reading:
A 62-year-old woman was found dead amid floodwaters in San Angelo, Texas.
Tanya Burwick’s body was recovered several blocks from her submerged car, the San Angelo Police Department said.
Fifty-two people have been killed by the disastrous flooding in central Texas, according to a new tally Saturday evening by The New York Times.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said President Donald Trump is “heartbroken” over the Texas flooding.
“Know that President Trump is absolutely heartbroken by what’s happened here in Texas,” Noem said.
“Relief will be coming,” Noem added, noting that Trump has indicated he’ll accept Texas Governor Greg Abbott’s request for federal aid.
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