Devastating floods caused by torrential rains in Texas have claimed more than 100 lives, with others still unaccounted for, including children who were camping. In response, the administration is conducting extensive rescue operations. Carolyn Levitt announced that President Trump might visit the flood-affected region later this week, though a final decision is pending.
According to Kerr County officials, this heavily impacted area, home to Camp Mystic and numerous summer camps, has uncovered the bodies of 84 individuals, 28 of whom are children. Meanwhile, the fatality count across Central Texas has climbed to a minimum of 104.
A CBS News report states that emergency crews are tirelessly tracking down missing individuals and evaluating the losses across various counties. On Monday, officials cautioned that as more areas become accessible and search efforts persist, the death toll could rise further.
'President Trump may visit flood-hit region'
Furthermore, White House Press Secretary Carolyn Levitt emphasized that local and federal weather services had issued sufficient warnings to the Kerr County community before the flooding. She stated that President Donald Trump plans to visit the flood-affected areas in Texas by the weekend, possibly as early as Friday, though the final decision remains to be confirmed.
She defended the administration, explaining that the floods were a natural phenomenon, not a governmental oversight, noting the constant warnings provided in advance, and reaffirming the work done by the national weather services.
She informed that on July 3, the NWS office based in Austin-San Antonio had scheduled briefings for local officials and released flood alerts in the afternoon. Repeated warnings followed on the night of July 3 and the morning of July 4, providing a critical three-hour window before the floods struck.
Water levels surged by 26 feet in 45 minutes
It's noteworthy that intense downfall early Friday led to the Guadalupe River's water level surging by 26 feet (approximately 8 meters) within just 45 minutes, wreaking havoc across the Texas Hill Country region.
Local authorities reported at least 68 fatalities in Kerr County, including 28 children. Additionally, deaths were recorded in other counties such as Travis, Burnett, Kendall, Williamson, and Tom Green, taking the total death toll beyond 100.
