The death toll of flash flames in Texas has risen to 69 when rescuers in Texas raced by time to find dozens of people who are still missing.
Those who are still missing are 11 people from a Christian summer camp on the river where around 750 people had stayed when a disaster struck.
The rain-given waters of the Guadalupe River reached tree tops and the roofs of Hutten in Camp Mystic while girls slept at night, washed away a number of them and left a scene of destruction.
Blankets, teddy bears and other possessions ended in mud. Windows in the huts were crushed, apparently by the power of the water.
About 750 people stayed in Camp Mystic when the flood struck. ((Reuters: Sergio Flores))
Lieutenant -Governor Dan Patrick said that heavy rainfall would probably cause more floods on Sunday, because the death toll in the camp and elsewhere in Kerr County rose at least 59.
“We expect that this will unfortunately go higher,” Mr. Patrick Sunday told Fox News.
Civil servants said that 10 people died in other provinces in Texas, for a total of 69.
On Sunday, local officials dropped the number of missing girls from 27 to 11 sharply.
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Large disaster declared
The floods started at the start of the fourth July holiday weekend when months of rain in a matter of hours fell, much of it came at night when people slept.
Flash floods, which occur when the soil is unable to absorb heavy rainfall, are not unusual.
The region in South and Central -Texas, where the flood of the weekend took place, is popularly known as “Flash Flood Alley”.
The floods were caused by sudden rain showers of up to 380 mm. ((AP: Julio Cortez))
But scientists say that in recent years human climate change has made extreme weather conditions such as floods, drought and heat waves more often and more intensively.
US President Donald Trump declared the situation a major disaster and freed resources to help state officials deal with the crisis.
The Federal Emegency Management Agency (FEMA) also sent resources to Texas.
People from elsewhere in Texas came together in Kerr County to help search for killing.
Texans also started flying with personal drones to help the search, but were encouraged to stop because it was a danger to save aircraft.
Pope sends condolences
During a Sunday mass, Pope Leo joined world leaders who expressed shock and sorrow during the events in Texas.
“I would like to express sincere condolences to all families who have lost loved ones, in particular their daughters who were caused in a summer camp in the disaster by flooding of the Guadalupe River in Texas,” said Pontiff born in the US.
“We pray for them.”
Governor of Texas, Greg Abbott, said that camp Mystic “was terribly destroyed in ways I saw in a natural disaster.”
“We will not stop until we said every girl who was in those huts,” he said in a message on social media platform X after a visit to the site.
ABC/wires
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