Rescuers and volunteers sifted through the muddy remains of trailer parks, cabins and other debris on Thursday morning as they renewed their search for victims of the floods that killed at least 120 people in Central Texas over the weekend.
The search for the 173 people still missing is growing more difficult by the day, but state and federal officials have vowed to continue until every victim is found. It has been almost a week since a torrential downpour caused the Guadalupe River to swell rapidly in the early hours of July 4.
The floods are among the deadliest U.S. disasters for children in decades. In just Kerr County, the hardest-hit region, 36 children were killed, many from Camp Mystic, a century-old Christian summer camp for girls. The bodies of five campers and a 19-year-old counselor had not been recovered as of Wednesday, officials said.
As the search goes on, local and state officials also face 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.
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