The death toll following devastating floods in the U.S. state of Texas has risen to over 100, authorities confirmed. Initial reports indicated 84 fatalities in Kerr County, the area hardest hit, with at least 20 additional deaths reported across five other counties, bringing the confirmed total to a minimum of 104. Search and rescue efforts continue, with 24 individuals still listed as missing.
Tragedy struck Camp Mystic, a girls’ summer camp situated on the Guadalupe River, where 27 campers and staff members lost their lives in the weekend’s torrential rainfall. Ten girls and one staff member remain unaccounted for from the Camp Mystic incident.
While the prolonged severe weather system impacting Central Texas is expected to subside within the next few hours, with only isolated showers anticipated through the end of the week, questions are emerging about the timeliness and effectiveness of pre-disaster warnings. Joe Herring, mayor of Kerrville, a particularly affected town, stated to CNN that he did not receive a prior warning regarding the intensity of the rainfall event. Investigations into the disaster response and warning systems are expected to follow.