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Search for missing girls as Texas flood death toll rises to 43
Rescuers searched Saturday for 27 girls missing from a riverside summer camp in the US state of Texas, after torrential rains caused devastating flooding that killed at least 43 people -- with more rain pounding the region.
"We have recovered 43 deceased individuals in Kerr County. Among these who are deceased we have 28 adults and 15 children," said Kerr Country Sheriff Larry Leitha.
Leitha earlier put the number of evacuated people at 850, including eight reported injured.
Addressing a press conference, Texas Governor Greg Abbott said he was expanding a state disaster declaration and was requesting additional federal resources from US President Donald Trump.
Texas Department of Emergency Management chief Nim Kidd said air, ground and water-based crews were scouring the length of the Guadalupe River for survivors and the bodies of the dead.
"We will continue the search until all those who are missing are found," he said.
The flooding began Friday -- the start of the fourth of July holiday weekend -- as months' worth of rain fell in a matter of hours, causing the Guadalupe River to rise by 26 feet (eight meters) in 45 minutes.
The National Weather Service (NWS) warned that more rain was forecast, and that "excessive runoff may result in flooding of rivers, creeks, streams, and other low-lying and flood-prone locations."
Multiple flash flood warnings remained in place over the weekend in central Texas.
In Kerrville on Saturday, the usually calm Guadalupe was flowing fast, its murky waters filled with debris.
"The water reached the top of the trees. About 10 meters or so," said local resident Gerardo Martinez, 61. "Cars, whole houses were going down the river."
Flash floods, which occur when the ground is unable to absorb torrential rainfall, are not unusual.
But scientists say that in recent years human-driven climate change has made extreme weather events like floods, droughts and heat waves more frequent and more intense.
- Devastation at Camp Mystic -
On Saturday, Sheriff Leitha said 27 children from the Camp Mystic Christian summer camp in the flooded Kerr County were still missing. Around 750 girls were enrolled at the camp.
US media reported that four of the missing girls were dead, citing their families.
The camp, located along the banks of the Guadalupe, was a picture of disarray, with blankets, mattresses, teddy bears and other belongings caked in mud.
The windows of camp cabins were shattered, apparently by the force of the water.
Michael, who only gave AFP his first name, was searching the camp for his eight-year-old daughter.
"I was in Austin and drove down yesterday morning, once we heard about it," he said, adding that he was hoping for a "miracle."
The Heart O' The Hills summer camp, located about a mile from Camp Mystic, confirmed on Saturday that its director Jane Ragsdale was among the dead.
- 'Catastrophic' -
Department of Homeland Security head Kristi Noem told a press conference that Trump wanted to "upgrade the technologies" at the weather service and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
Trump's administration has faced criticism from scientists and disaster management agencies after cutting funding and hundreds of staff at the NOAA, in charge of weather forecasts and preparedness, and the NWS.
"We need to renew this ancient system," Noem said.
When asked about claims that residents were given insufficient warning of the floods, Noem said she would "carry your concerns back to the federal government."
Officials have said the speed and level of flooding was shocking.
"We didn't know this flood was coming," Kerr County official Rob Kelly said Friday.
Kerrville city official Dalton Rice said rescuers were facing "very difficult" conditions, warning people against traveling to the site.
Rice added it was not known how many people may have been visiting the popular camping area, and declined to give an overall figure for how many were missing.
Soila Reyna, 55, a Kerrville resident who works at a local church helping people who lost their belongings, witnessed the devastation unfold.
"Nothing like as catastrophic as this, where it involved children, people and just the loss of people's houses... It's just crazy," she added.
With rescuers fanning out across the region, Kerrville Mayor Joe Herring urged the community to come together.
"People need to know today will be a hard day," he said.
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F.Criscuolo--INP
