A flood occurred during the rescue operation during the flood in Texas

• The flood in Texas claimed the lives of at least 136 people.
• Rescue efforts were hampered by the lack of clear commands.
• Local residents raised concerns about the lack of prior warnings.

On July 4, a severe flood occurred in Central Texas, claiming the lives of at least 136 people, including children who were vacationing at Camp Mystic. During the rescue operation, which took place at night, rescuers faced significant challenges due to the lack of clear instructions and insufficient readiness from the leadership.

Records from the rescue operations, previous meteorological services, and witness testimonies indicate that the situation quickly deteriorated. At the beginning of the night, meteorologists reported the absence of rain, but within 40 minutes, the situation had changed. At 1:14 a.m., a prolonged flood warning was issued.

Residents who attempted to seek rescue encountered connectivity issues. Some received alerts, while others were left without information. At Camp Mystic, rescuers began evacuating around 2:30 a.m., but communication with the camp was absent.

At 3:35 a.m., the first calls for rescue began to come in. Rescuers received calls from people who described being on the roofs of their homes or on upper floors as the water began to rise. The water level rapidly increased, reaching nearly 24 feet (7.3 meters) in the Guadalupe River.

At 4:35 a.m., rescuers received reports about children who were stranded in the water at the campground. They attempted to evacuate people, but many perished when their vehicles were swept away.

In addition, the absence of a command center complicated the coordination of rescue efforts. Rescuers, who arrived from other regions, did not receive clear instructions and often relied on verbal information.

As dawn broke, rescuers struggled to assess the scale of the disaster from the flood, yet they still faced difficulties in locating victims. Throughout the day, rescue efforts continued, and the identification of the deceased also began. Local residents and relatives of the victims raised questions about the lack of prior warnings about the flood, especially as the Kerr County area was not under any prior flood warning system.

Tags: USA/Weather