Search crews found no new victims overnight in Kerr County, where the bulk of the deaths occurred from the Texas floods nearly a week ago, leaving the number of missing there at 161 for a third straight day. The death toll remains at 96 in Kerr County, officials said Thursday, and 120 statewide.
The slowing pace of discovery, even as more than 2,000 emergency workers spread across the county seeking victims, underscored the difficulty of digging through the muddy remains of trailer parks, cabins and campsites, and suggested a much longer wait for families awaiting news of their lost loved ones.
It is unclear how many people remain missing outside of Kerr County. Gov. Greg Abbott last provided a statewide update on Tuesday, when he said 173 people remained unaccounted for.
The floods are among the deadliest U.S. disasters for children in decades. In just Kerr County, 36 children were killed, many from Camp Mystic, a century-old Christian summer camp for girls. Five campers and one counselor from the camp are still missing, Kerr County officials said at Thursday morning news conference.
State and local officials have also faced an onslaught of questions about the lack of warning sirens along the banks of the Guadalupe River, an area known as “Flash Flood Alley,” and whether more could have been done to prepare for the floods. Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said flood-warning signs might have saved lives and needed to be in place by next summer.
Local officials have said they would conduct an extensive review of their preparations and response to the flood. “If improvements need to be made, improvements will be made,” Sheriff Larry Leitha of Kerr County said during a Wednesday news conference.
Gov. Greg Abbott has called on state lawmakers to improve how the state prepares for and responds to the floods in the upcoming special session this month. Mr. Abbott asked lawmakers to consider policies that would improve early warning systems and strengthen emergency communications in flood-prone areas. Lawmakers also plan to address a range of other issues, like regulating intoxicating hemp products and cutting property taxes. Governor Abbott has also called on lawmakers to redraw the state’s congressional maps.
Details about the victims continued to emerge. Among those killed were a 23-year-old police officer and his parents camping in their R.V., children attending sleep-away camp for the first time and a beloved high school teacher.
Pooja Salhotra covers breaking news across the United States.
Talya Minsberg is a Times reporter covering breaking and developing news.
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