Flash flood in Texas: Number of victims rises to 80

After severe flooding, the US state of Texas is left with a picture of devastation. More and more dead children are being found.

Two days after the flash floods began in the southern United States , the horrific extent of the damage is becoming clearer: More and more children have not survived the floods, which came as a surprise to many. A Christian summer camp ("Camp Mystic") in Texas was devastated by the floods, and the search for eleven campers and one counselor is still ongoing. More and more deaths are being reported in the state. And it's raining again.

In the particularly affected area of ​​Kerr County, authorities confirmed 68 deaths. Including fatalities from Central Texas, the number is now around 80. There was initial confusion over the news of two girls being reported.

As US media initially reported, emergency services rescued the two girls from a tree where they had previously waited for more than 24 hours until rescuers found them, according to the Facebook account of a supposed helper. But the supposed "miracle" apparently turned out to be a hoax. As Texas politician Chip Roy later announced on X, the report of the spectacular rescue was false. "The reports from Kendall County are false," the Republican wrote. Kendall County Sheriff Larry Leitha also said that the reports of the rescue were "one hundred percent false."

However, authorities say around 40 people are still missing across the state. Especially in the Kerrville area, many adults were camping near the water and had arrived in RVs.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott reportedly visited Camp Mystic on Saturday. He wrote on Platform X that he was shocked. The facility had been devastated in a way "unlike any natural disaster I've ever seen." Water rose up to the roof of the cabins. "We will not stop until we find all the girls who were in those cabins." He declared Sunday a day of prayer in the state. For example, there was a church service where prayers were said for the victims.

Local television showed black-and-white photos of victims, and more and more stories emerged. There were young children, teenagers, and parents who did not survive the floods that swept through the area on Friday morning. Many took advantage of the long Fourth of July holiday weekend to go to summer camp or camp on the riverbank.

The water came suddenly and caught the victims off guard. Most of them were in their beds, asleep, when the disaster struck. One ten-year-old girl was lucky, as her mother told the New York Times: Her hut was high enough that she could wait there for rescue. Another participant had to run through rushing water to a gallery in the middle of the night. There, she spent a sleepless night as the water rose beneath her. The next day, she was rescued by helicopter. She described the flight only as "noisy."