At least 24 dead, children still missing after flooding in Texas, sheriff says

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🗞️ Driving the news: At least 24 people have died and over 20 children remain missing after historic flooding swept through Central Texas on Friday, according to Kerr County Sheriff Larry Leitha
• Heavy rainfall caused the Guadalupe River to surge to 29 feet — its second-highest level on record — inundating summer camps and sweeping away vehicles and homes
• Search and rescue operations, including helicopter airlifts, are ongoing amid continued flash flood warnings and additional rain forecasts

🔭 The context: Central Texas, particularly the Hill Country around Kerrville, is prone to flash flooding due to its geography and frequent intense storms
• The Guadalupe River has seen deadly floods before, most notably in 1987 when 10 teenagers died in a similar event
• This disaster struck during a holiday weekend when thousands of campers and visitors were in the area, overwhelming local capacity
• Notably, Kerr County officials admitted there is no flood warning system in place to alert residents and visitors in advance

🌍 Why it matters for the planet: The event highlights the increasing risk of extreme weather events in regions already vulnerable to flooding, a trend linked to climate change as warmer air holds more moisture, intensifying rainfall
• The devastation underscores the need for resilient infrastructure, improved early-warning systems, and adaptive disaster preparedness to protect lives and ecosystems amid more frequent climate-driven extremes

⏭️ What's next: Texas Governor Greg Abbott has signed a disaster declaration for affected counties and mobilised the National Guard, water rescue teams, and public safety resources
• Search efforts will continue through the weekend, with priority on locating missing children from Camp Mystic and other residents swept away
• The focus will shift next to damage assessments, restoring power to thousands of customers, and planning longer-term recovery and mitigation strategies
• Further storms remain a risk in the coming days

💬 One quote: “The flooding damage is catastrophic. It’s the worst flood that we’ve ever seen.” — Jonathan Lamb, Kerrville Police Officer

📈 One stat: The Guadalupe River rose from 7 feet to 29 feet in just hours, as more than four months’ worth of rain fell in roughly four hours, according to officials

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