As the number of deaths from the Texas floods continues to rise, criticism is pouring in that the administration’s delayed warnings and lax response have led to loss of life.
According to AP and Bloomberg on the 5th, the number of deaths from flooding in Kerr County and other areas in central Texas the previous day has increased to 51. The number of deaths continues to rise as the search for missing persons continues, and the whereabouts of 27 female children who participated in Camp Mystic, a summer camp held by a Christian group in the area, have also not been confirmed, so the scale of the damage is expected to increase further. Authorities are also unable to say how many people are missing.
U.S. media outlets are also reporting questions about whether authorities provided adequate warnings to camps and residents in areas at high risk for flash flooding and whether they were sufficiently prepared to evacuate.
The Guadalupe River, which begins in Kerr County and flows toward San Antonio, swelled 26 feet (about 8 m) in 45 minutes due to heavy rain, and the riverside campground was packed with people celebrating the Fourth of July holiday.
750 girls were attending the historic “Camp Mystic,” which has a history of more than a century. A 13-year-old girl who was rescued from the scene said, “The camp was completely destroyed.”
In response, AccuWeather, a private company that provides weather data, said that it and the National Weather Service (NWS) warned of the possibility of flash flooding hours before the heavy rain arrived.
“This warning should have given officials enough time to evacuate camps like Camp Mystic and get people to safety,” AccuWeather said in a statement.
The company emphasized that the Hill Country, which has been particularly battered by heavy rain, is one of the most prone to flash flooding in the United States due to its geography and multiple waterways. The Hill Country encompasses all or part of more than 20 counties in central Texas.
Authorities and officials say they did not anticipate months of rain falling on the area at once.
“We knew it was going to rain; we knew the rivers were going to rise, but nobody could have predicted this level of rain,” said Judge Rob Kelly, Kerr County’s top elected official. He said Kerr County considered implementing a flood warning system like a tornado warning system six or seven years ago, but funding issues prevented the project from getting off the ground.
Texas U.S. Rep. Chip Roy called the flooding a “once-in-a-century” and acknowledged that there will be criticism and blame as people look for someone to blame.
Texas says 850 people have been rescued so far from flooded roads, with helicopters, boats and drones used to search for them.
The NWS advised residents to seek higher ground as additional heavy rain and flash flooding was expected in the area, and flood watches and warnings were issued for parts of the central region, including Austin and San Antonio.