The search for those swept into deadly floods in central Texas continued Sunday as the death toll climbed.
At least 59 people, including 21 children, died in Kerr County, Texas, after the area saw nearly a foot of rain Friday. Eleven children and a counselor at an all-girls Christian summer camp, Camp Mystic, located along the Guadalupe River, remain missing, Kerr County Sheriff Larry Leitha said.
“The work continues, and will continue, until everyone is found,” Leitha added.
Floodwaters rose 26 feet in just 45 minutes before dawn on Friday, uprooting trees and sending a cascade of cars and other debris through the area, with deaths also reported in Burnet, Kendall, and Travis counties.
Officials reiterated that the effort remains a search and rescue mission, not a recovery effort. An incident commander for the Cajun Navy, a volunteer disaster relief group, said people from over six states were aiding. Over 850 people were rescued in the first 36 hours, officials said.
Flash flood warnings remain in place in the Texas Hill Country, with the area expected to see more heavy rain Sunday.
On Thursday, the National Weather Service issued a flood warning for the region and sent out a series of flash flood warnings early Friday. It predicted 2 to 6 inches of rain, though the area ended up seeing 10 inches.
TEXAS SUMMER CAMP GIRLS REMAIN UNACCOUNTED FOR AFTER DEVASTATING FLOODS, OFFICIALS SAY
President Donald Trump said his administration was working with local officials to respond to the devastation.
“Our Secretary of Homeland Security, Kristi Noem, will be there shortly,” he said. “Melania and I are praying for all of the families impacted by this horrible tragedy. Our Brave First Responders are on site doing what they do best. GOD BLESS THE FAMILIES, AND GOD BLESS TEXAS!”
