The death toll from floods in Texas, in the southern United States, has surpassed 80 and is likely to rise, local authorities say. There are also 41 missing, and hopes of finding them alive are fading .
A massacre of children, in fact Camp Mystic, a summer camp for girls, was hit, at least 28 of whom died. And some are still missing .
Donald Trump announced that he would "probably" visit the site of the floods on Friday. "This is a disaster unlike anything we've seen in 100 years, and it's just horrible to see what's happening," he told reporters in New Jersey before boarding his plane back to Washington. The US president also denied any connection between budget cuts to the National Weather Service and the high death toll.
Over the weekend, residents complained that they were not warned far enough in advance of the flood risk . Kerr County alone, the hardest hit, has so far recorded 68 deaths, "40 adults and 28 children," county Sheriff Larry Lethia said at a news conference.
In addition to the deaths reported in this county, 10 deaths were reported in neighboring counties, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said. “Across the state, in the flood zones, we have identified 41 people missing,” he said, adding that the actual number is likely higher because many tourists were camping in the region over the long weekend. “We will see the death toll rise today and tomorrow,” as bodies are recovered, Texas Department of Public Safety Director Col. Freeman Martin warned.
The flash floods were caused by torrential rains that hit the central part of the state on Friday morning, the day of American Independence Day, and which caused the level of the Guadalupe River to rise eight meters in just 45 minutes. Almost 300 millimeters of rain fell per hour , a third of the annual average.
The hero
And in this tragedy there is no shortage of “an American hero,” acclaimed on social media and by the press. His name is Scott Ruskan, he is 27 years old and is a member of the Coast Guard and head of triage at Camp Mystic . He helped save 165 people , according to an official from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). “He is an American hero whose selfless courage embodies the spirit and mission of the United States Coast Guard,” the DHS said.
It was his first career rescue mission, and he downplayed his efforts, speaking to the New York Post: “Honestly, I’m primarily a man. I’m just doing a job. This is what I’m committed to, and I think any Coast Guard diver, any Coast Guard pilot, flight mechanic, whoever, would have done the exact same thing in our situation.”
(Unioneonline/L)
