Anadolu: The death toll from flash floods in the US state of Texas has risen to 104, according to numerous news outlets on Tuesday.
Kerr County saw 84 deaths due to the floods, including 56 adults and 28 children, with 15 of the adults and nine of the children as yet unidentified, NBC reported.
In addition to the confirmed deaths, 10 children and one counselor from Camp Mystic, a Christian girls’ camp near Hunt in western Kerr County, remain unaccounted for, according to CBS.
On Monday, the Christian summer camp announced that 27 campers and counselors had died in the floods.
Additional fatalities were reported across multiple counties, with seven deaths in Travis County, four in Burnet County, six in Kendall County, two in Williamson County, and one in Tom Green County, CNN reported.
White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt denied claims that the National Weather Service failed to provide adequate and timely warnings about the flooding.
“They gave out timely flash flood alerts. There were record-breaking lead times in the lead up to this catastrophe. There is ongoing flood monitoring, and these offices were well staffed,” she said.
The New York Times had earlier reported that a number of key positions at the National Weather Service were vacant due to Trump’s budget cuts since taking office, suggesting that these gaps might have hindered a prompt response to the emergency.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres offered condolences through spokesman Stephane Dujarric. “The Secretary-General is deeply saddened by the tragic loss of life,” he said.
“The Secretary-General extends his heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims and expresses his solidarity with all those impacted, the people of Texas and the government of the United States,” Dujarric added.
US President Donald Trump said he plans to visit Texas later this week after signing a major disaster declaration for Kerr County to ensure first responders “immediately have the resources they need.”
Leavitt said Trump’s visit to Texas is “tentatively” planned for Friday. She said they are trying to find the “most appropriate time on the ground,” adding: “We don’t want to interrupt the recovery efforts.”
The flooding began late Thursday and lasted into the early hours of Friday, as heavy rains engulfed the Guadalupe River, pushing it to a crest of more than 39 feet (11.8 meters), surpassing the region’s second-largest modern flood, in 1987.
