Egypt Daily News – More than 160 people remain unaccounted for following the catastrophic flash floods that struck Texas over the Fourth of July weekend, Governor Greg Abbott announced on Tuesday. The disaster has claimed over 100 lives, making it the deadliest inland flood in the United States in nearly half a century.
The sharp increase in the number of missing roughly three times the previously reported figure, came after the state established a dedicated hotline for families to report missing loved ones. Most of those unaccounted for were in Kerr County, an area in Texas Hill Country popular for summer camps and holiday getaways.
Speaking at a press conference, Governor Abbott said many of the missing were likely visitors who had not registered at official lodgings or campsites. The Guadalupe River’s lowlands, dotted with youth camps and campgrounds, were among the hardest-hit areas. One of the worst tragedies unfolded at Camp Mystic, a century-old all-girls Christian camp, where at least 27 campers and counselors lost their lives. As of Tuesday, five campers and one counselor remained missing.
“This is one of the largest search and rescue operations in Texas history,” Abbott said.
Search crews are deploying helicopters, airboats, horses, and heavy equipment to comb through debris fields that stretch for miles. The operation involves hundreds of volunteers and professional teams working to remove massive piles of tree limbs, boulders, and other flood-borne wreckage along the riverbanks.
According to Bob Henson, a meteorologist with Yale Climate Connections, this flood is the deadliest U.S. inland flood since the Big Thompson Canyon disaster in Colorado in 1976, which killed 144 people. Both incidents occurred during holiday weekends and swept through densely populated recreational areas with little warning.
Public officials have come under increasing scrutiny over the apparent lack of timely warnings about rising waters. When asked about accountability, Governor Abbott dismissed questions about responsibility, characterizing them as “the word choice of losers.”
“Every football team makes mistakes,” Abbott said. “The losing teams are the ones that try to point out who’s to blame. The championship teams are the ones who say, ‘Don’t worry about it, man, we got this.’”
Abbott vowed the search efforts would continue until all missing persons are accounted for. He also said that President Donald Trump has promised federal assistance and is scheduled to visit the state on Friday.
Authorities confirmed that no survivors have been found in the last four days. Among the dead recovered in Kerr County were 30 children, according to the local sheriff. The devastation from the flooding extends across several hundred miles, reaching as far as the outskirts of Austin.
