At least 81 people have lost their lives, 28 of whom are children, and at least 41 other people are still missing following devastating flash floods in Texas that ripped through a children's summer camp.
The flash floods devastated the Texas Hill Country, forcing officials to conduct water rescues along the Guadalupe River. The water rose rapidly early Friday morning and went up to the height of a two-story building.
Texas Flash Floods
Authorities said on Sunday that nearly a dozen people were still missing from Camp Mystic in Kerr County. The area's sheriff, Larry Leitha, spoke during a news conference on Sunday afternoon, saying that 68 of the fatalities so far have occurred in Kerr County.
This number represents an increase from the 43 deaths that were previously reported the night before. The fatalities include 40 adults and 28 children, with 18 of the former and 10 of the latter left unidentified, according to CBS News.
Leitha also said that at least 10 campers from Camp Mystic are still missing, including one counselor who worked there. This represents the first solid statistics that authorities have shared regarding the campers who are still unaccounted for following the tragic floods.
United States President Donald Trump already signed a major disaster declaration for Kerr County on Sunday morning. On Saturday, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said he visited the summer camp for the first time and called the scene he saw "horrendously ravaged."
Now, the National Weather Service is warning residents of the possibility of more flash floods over the next few hours in central Texas. In a forecast discussion, the weather service said that thunderstorms are expected to increase across several areas of the region, with some experiencing slow movement and locally heavy rainfall, NBC News reported.
Children Among Fatalities
Rescuers were seen maneuvering through challenging terrain amid high waters and even snakes while looking for the missing people. Leitha committed to continuing to search until they found every single person who was unaccounted for.
Abbott also issued a warning that additional rounds of heavy rains that could last until Tuesday could result in more devastating flash floods. Authorities gave families a chance to look around the ravaged camp, and one girl was seen walking out of a building while carrying a large bell.
There was also a woman and a teenage girl who briefly went inside one of the cabins in the camp before embracing each other while they cried. One family was seen leaving a blue footlocker while another teenage girl cried while looking out the open window, as per the Associated Press.
