By Katabella Roberts
The number of people who have died from the catastrophic flooding in central Texas over the Fourth of July weekend continues to rise, with at least 119 dead throughout the state, officials said on July 9.
The death toll in Kerr County, the area that was hardest hit by the flooding, was 95 as of Wednesday morning, including 59 adults and 36 children, Kerr County Sheriff Larry Leitha told reporters at a press conference. That figure includes at least 27 campers and counselors from Camp Mystic, the all-girl Christian camp located on the banks of the Guadalupe River in Hunt, Texas. More than two dozen of those who died have yet to be identified, Leitha told reporters.
The other 24 individuals who have died are from surrounding areas, including Travis, Burnet, Kendall, Tom Green, and Williamson counties.
Leitha said 161 people are believed to be missing in Kerr County alone due to the flash flooding, including five children and one counselor from Camp Mystic.
Those figures make up the majority of the more than 170 people still unaccounted for, according to figures provided by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott.
The latest update on the death toll comes as search crews and volunteers continue to scour miles along the Guadalupe River for those still missing after torrential rains lashed the central Texas area, dropping more than a foot of rain in less than an hour, and causing the Guadalupe River to swell to a height of nearly 30 feet (nine meters).
Search crews have not found anyone alive since July 4, and officials anticipate that the death toll will continue to rise significantly.
At a press conference on July 9, Abbott said officials remain focused on finding every single person who went missing in the flooding, adding that authorities are also working to assess how much damage was done and what needs to be done to fully address it.
“We will not stop until every missing person is accounted for,” Abbott said.
The Texas governor has declared a disaster in multiple counties across the region, including Bexar, Burnet, Caldwell, Guadalupe, Travis, Williamson, Bandera, Coke, Comal, Concho, Gillespie, Kendall, Kerr, Kimble, Llano, Mason, McCulloch, Menard, Reeves, San Saba, and Tom Green.
The state has also deployed more than 2,200 personnel and 1,200 vehicles and equipment assets in response to the flooding, according to a statement from Abbott’s office. More than 20 state agencies are also currently responding to flooding threats across the state.
President Donald Trump declared a major disaster for Kerr County on July 6, making federal funding available to individuals affected by the severe weather.
Trump has also said he plans to visit Texas on July 11, along with first lady Melania Trump.
It comes as questions mount over whether local officials could have done more to warn campers and residents who were spending the holiday weekend in the popular tourist area, ahead of the devastating flash floods.
Kerr County is located at the center of a section of Texas Hill Country that is particularly susceptible to flash floods, due to the terrain.
Speaking to the press, Leitha said those important questions will be answered in due course, telling reporters he believes they need to be answered for the sake of the families of those who perished or who are missing, as well as for the general public.
“I want that answer, and we’re going to get that answer,” he said. “We’re not running, we’re not hiding from anything, that’s going to be checked at a later time.”
Reuters contributed to this report.
