The death toll resulting from the flash floods that affected central Texas on Friday has increased to over 100 individuals, with an unspecified number of others unaccounted for. Search and rescue teams are navigating through mud-covered riverbanks as additional rainfall and thunderstorms pose a continued threat to the region; however, hopes of discovering further survivors are diminishing four days after the catastrophe. Camp Mystic, a Christian summer camp for girls, has confirmed that at least 27 girls and staff members are among the deceased after the Texas Flood. Ten girls and one camp counselor remain missing.
The White House, meanwhile, dismissed suggestions that budget cuts at the National Weather Service (NWS) could have hampered the disaster response. At least 84 victims, 56 adults and 28 children, died in Kerr County, where the Guadalupe River was swollen by heavy rain before dawn on Friday, the July 4 holiday. The county sheriff’s office said that about 22 adults and 10 children have not yet been identified. Camp Mystic stated on Monday: Our hearts are shattered alongside our families who are experiencing this unimaginable tragedy.
Richard Eastland, aged 70, who was both the co-owner and director of Camp Mystic, tragically lost his life while attempting to rescue children, according to the Austin American-Statesman. Local pastor Del Way, familiar with the Eastland family, expressed to the BBC: “The entire community will mourn his loss. He perished as a hero.”
NWS Projected Escalation in Slow-moving Thunderstorms
The National Weather Service forecasted an increase in slow-moving thunderstorms, which could lead to more flash flooding in the area. Critics of the Trump administration have attempted to link the disaster to the numerous job cuts at the NWS’s parent organization, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The NWS office responsible for regional forecasting had five staff members on duty as thunderstorms developed over Texas on Thursday evening, the standard assignment for an overnight shift during severe weather conditions.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt dismissed allegations of assigning blame to the president. “That was an act of God,” she stated during a daily briefing on Monday. “The administration is not at fault for the timing of the Texas flood; however, there were early and consistent warnings, and once again, the National Weather Service fulfilled its responsibilities.” She clarified that the NWS office in Austin-San Antonio conducted briefings for local officials on the eve of the Texas flood and issued a flood watch that afternoon, followed by multiple flood warnings issued that evening and in the pre-dawn hours of July 4.
Trump Blamed Biden for the Texas Flood Destruction
Trump, who is expected to visit Texas later this week, responded cautiously on Sunday when questioned about whether federal government reductions had impeded the disaster response. Initially, he appeared to deflect responsibility toward what he termed “the Biden set-up,” referring to his Democratic predecessor. “However, I would not blame Biden for it either,” he added. “I would simply state that this is a 100-year catastrophe.”
Texas Senator Ted Cruz, a member of the Republican Party, conveyed at a press conference on Monday that now is not the appropriate time for “partisan finger-pointing.” One local advocate, Nicole Wilson, has initiated a petition calling for the installation of flood sirens in Kerr County, measures already implemented in other counties. This matter has been under discussion in Kerr County for nearly a decade; however, funding for such systems has never been allocated.
Texas Lt. Governor Dan Patrick acknowledged on Monday that such sirens might have saved lives and stated they should be installed by the following summer. Concurrently, condolences continued to be extended globally. King Charles III has sent a letter to President Trump to convey his “profound sadness” regarding the catastrophic flooding. The King “offered his deepest sympathy” to those who have lost loved ones, as reported by the British Embassy in Washington.
