Rescuers scoured a devastated central Texas landscape of mangled trees, overturned cars and muck-filled debris Saturday in an increasingly bleak mission to locate survivors, including 27 girls who have not been seen since their camp was slammed with a wall of water in a historic flash flood.
The flooding in Kerr County killed at least 43 people, including 15 children, and at least eight people died in nearby counties.
Authorities still have not said how many people were missing beyond the children from Camp Mystic, a Christian summer camp along a river in Kerr County where most of the dead were recovered.
The destructive, fast-moving waters rose 26 feet (8 meters) on the Guadalupe River in just 45 minutes before daybreak Friday, washing away homes and vehicles. The danger was not over as rains continued pounding communities outside San Antonio on Saturday and flash flood warnings and watches remained in effect.
Beege Welborn
Another time lapse of the water rise, this of the Guadelupe.
There were shining little bright spots in the awfulness. A woman was rescued after being swept 20 miles downstream after being washed out of her tent.
Poor little guys describe the waters engulfing their cabins.
So many heroes saving others before themselves who didn't make it out, like camp counselors and dads...
Oh, God bless them all.
Pope Leo offered prayers this morning.
And oh my goodness, are those poor folks going to need every last one of them.
...SUNDAY MORNING PRAYER
Lord, receive the souls of the dead into Your mercy—especially the children.
Be near to the grieving, the missing, the exhausted, and the displaced.
Strengthen every rescuer. Let this land know Your healing.
Raise up hope where all seems lost. Amen.
As for organizations to donate to, so far I know Samaritan's Purse is on the ground, the Cajun Navy was there from almost as soon as they got word.
A local station has a list of options, too.
Local fire departments have also set up relief donation sites, but check those out carefully first.
If you're unsure, it's better to donate to a national, well-known relief organization like SP or CN that allows you to specify your donation for Texas, rather than sending money off willy-nilly to a fundraiser.
Beege UPDATE: Aw, for crying out loud - Fox now has the death count at 65. Heartbreaking.
Scenes of catastrophic destruction stretch along Texas’ Guadalupe River after a "deadly flood wave" pushed a 20-foot surge of water several miles downstream, leaving at least 65 people dead and dozens more missing, including several girls from a summer camp.
And, sadly, officials say the death toll is expected to rise as search and rescue operations continue in hard-hit Kerr County.
And so many precious missing souls still to be found. Please, LORD, let there be miracles among them.
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