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There are at least 13 deaths in Texas flash floods; more than 20 young campers have gone missing

Authorities in Texas said that torrential rains caused deadly flash floods on the Guadalupe River, south-central Texas, Friday. At least 13 people were killed and nearly two dozen girls are reported missing after a riverside summer camp.

After thunderstorms with heavy rains, the U.S. National Weather Service declared an emergency flash flood warning for certain areas of Kerr County in Texas Hill Country. This is located about 65 miles (105 kilometers) northwest of San Antonio.

Dalton Rice, Kerrville's city manager, told reporters that extreme flooding hit before dawn without much or any warning. This prevented authorities from issuing evacuation orders in advance as the Guadalupe quickly rose above the major flood stage.

Rice stated that "this happened very rapidly, in a very brief period of time, which could not have been predicted even by radar." "This occurred in less than two hours."

State emergency management officials warned on Thursday, citing National Weather Service predictions ahead of the holiday weekends, that heavy rains would be expected in the west and central Texas "in the next few days" and could cause flash flooding.

In flood-affected communities, the Fourth of July fireworks displays were canceled, including in Kerrville where the planned U.S. celebration on Friday night was to be held at the waterfront. The river was flooded by rain, and the Independence Day celebrations were submerged.

Kerr County Sheriff Larry Leitha said that 13 people had been found dead in the area due to flooding. He added, "I believe there will be many more after this thing is done."

At an earlier press briefing, Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick stated that six to ten bodies of adults and kids had been discovered. Some were found in cars that had washed downriver.

Pray for the Missing

The authorities are also searching for 23 girls who were listed as missing among over 700 children in several summer camps near the Guadalupe River. This was when floodwaters inundated the area at 4 am local time.

Patrick said, "We pray that all missing people are found alive."

The sheriff did not reveal whether any unaccounted-for girls at Camp Mystic – a Christian private summer camp for young women – were included in the county-wide total of deceased victims.

Authorities said that all campers were otherwise safe. However, they could not evacuate the campers immediately because of high water levels. In a message to reporters, Camp Mystic’s director stated that power, water, and internet services had also been shut off.

At a press conference on the disaster, Kerr County Judge Rob Kelly said that everyone was doing their best to rescue the children.

Kelly stated that a number residential subdivisions as well as RV parks and campgrounds had been severely affected.

Kelly, when asked by reporters to explain why more precautions weren't taken due to the stormy weather forecast, said that a disaster this magnitude was unforeseeable.

"We get floods every day." He said that this is the most dangerous valley of the river in the United States, and added, "We didn't have any reason to think it would be as bad as what happened here." "None at all."

The Texas Division of Emergency Management issued an alert on Thursday stating that it has increased the readiness of its operations centre and "activated more state emergency response resources", as west and central Texas prepare for "continued heavy rainfall and flash flood threats heading into holiday weekend".

Patrick reported that the Guadalupe River rose 26 feet (8 meters) in just 45 minutes, amid the heavy rains soaking up the area. Search teams flew 14 helicopters, a dozen drones, and hundreds of emergency personnel to the area. They were also conducting rescues on the ground from trees and fast-moving water.

The Llano River, which flows through Mason County adjacently, was also reported to be at flood stage. This posed "a life-threatening scenario," according to the weather service.

Patrick warned of a continuing threat of flash flooding from San Antonio to Waco in the next 48 to 72 hours.

Officials said that the U.S. Coast Guard, the Federal Emergency Management Agency and other personnel were mobilized to help local authorities deal with the crisis. Steve Gorman, Los Angeles (Writing and reporting; additional reporting by Ismail Shakil and Jasper Ward; Acharya Bhargav and Toronto; editing by Matthew Lewis).

(source: Reuters)