Search teams are using helicopters, boats, and drones to look for victims in the flash floods that have ravaged central Texas since the beginning of the July Fourth weekend. At least 79 people have died, and many more remain missing, including at least ten girls from a summer camp.
The scenic Texas Hill Country is at the heart of the tragedy, with volunteers and some missing people’s families searching the riverbanks despite being told not to. Authorities in areas closer to Austin, the state capital, have also rescued victims from floodwaters.
Here’s a look at the known number of dead and missing.
Texas Hill Country
Flash floods ripped apart concrete slabs and giant trees along the Guadalupe River’s banks, which were dotted with children’s camps and campgrounds.
As of Sunday, Kerr County officials had confirmed at least 68 deaths and said they had no way of knowing how many people were missing across the county, which had been hit the hardest by the flood.
Kerr County has confirmed the deaths of at least 28 children. The missing campers came from Camp Mystic, a riverside Christian camp for girls in Hunt, Texas.
Travis County
Four people were confirmed dead after flash floods along creeks swept away homes, trailers, cars, and people in the county’s northwest.
Travis County Judge Andy Brown, the county’s top executive, announced Sunday that approximately 50 people had been rescued by helicopter, boat, and foot. They also sent resources to Kerr County, which was hit harder. While a flood watch is still in effect, officials say the initial emergency has been resolved.
“Now we’re going to be moving into recovery,” said Eric Carter, Travis County’s chief emergency management coordinator.
Burnet County
Authorities in the largely rural county, which borders Travis County, reported three deaths and five missing as a result of floodwaters from Cow Creek and other waterways.
Other victims
Kendall County reported two deaths, while Tom Green and Williamson counties both reported one.
According to County Judge Steve Snell, the US military at nearby Fort Hood assisted in the evacuation of 16 people from a home for disabled children in Williamson County, in Austin’s north suburbs. The victim in Tom Green County was a woman, whose body was discovered outside her submerged car in San Angelo.
