With expanding desperation, the rescue mission to locate missing over 160 individuals after devastating flash floods along the Guadalupe River in Texas goes on, even as emergency officials report that no survivor was discovered since the first day the disaster was reported.
The devastating floods, that hit on the dawn of July 4, have so far left 110 people dead, many of them children.
Authorities also state that 27 of the victims were young campers and camp leaders at Camp Mystic, a Christian girls camp that has been popular with Texas families over many generations.
In Kerr County, which has been the most affected, whole neighborhoods have been completely unrecognizable.
It took a few minutes to carry away homes, vehicles, and campsites, leaving destroyed buildings and sad families.
Gov. Greg Abbott was quoted by the reporters on Tuesday, saying that the disaster was one of the darkest days of Texas history, and that 161 people were still missing there in Kerr County alone.
He said that the suddenness of the flood did not give people an opportunity to run away.
Abbott told reporters, “The heart of our fellow Texans are breaking with every single day because of what people in this community and the surrounding area are going through.”
No Live Saves Since Day One
The search and rescue effort was initiated instantly after the floods hit, and helicopters, boats, and even volunteer teams searched the swollen riverbanks and the debris.
READ ALSO: Trump Threatens to ‘Take a Look’ at Deporting Elon Musk Over EV Clash
However, on Wednesday, Jonathan Lamb of the Kerrville Police Department gave some grim tidings:
“We have not had a live rescue since the morning of the flood. That was Friday. It has been picking up corpses since then.”
Hope is dwindling though rescue workers are doing their best. Most of those that went missing are believed to have been carried off by rushing waters at the dawn of the flood when majority were asleep in their cabins, tents or homes.
These are some of the people who are yet to be found: five campers and one counselor of Camp Mystic. The parents and families are sitting around, praying to God and hoping that it would all turn out to be just a dream.
Camp Mystic: A Devastating Loss
Camp Mystic is one of the spiritual and cultural institutions in the state of Texas that have existed almost a century.
Located on the Guadalupe River, its long been a summer camp where young girls go to experience nature, faith and friendship. However, within one eye-blink, a summer of memories became a nightmare.
According to survivors, the situation was horrifying: water flooding cabins before the first light of the day, campers being swept away by the current, and counselors trying to their best to rescue children.
One of the mothers burst into tears, saying, “They never had a chance. In the wooden cabins by the river they slept. It was so sudden; there was no time to know beforehand.”
To commemorate the victims, family members have also started to leave handwritten messages, teddy bears, and camp T-shirts on the fence along the entry point of the camp.
New Mexico Was Also Struck
It is a traumatic time in Texas, with other parts of the country, New Mexico specifically, suffering deep flash floods too. In Ruidoso, three individuals including two young children, died when torrential rains overwhelmed the Rio Ruidoso Tuesday, according to authorities.
The strong rains led to mudslides, road closures, and outages in the areas of southern New Mexico. Evacuation centres are established where the displaced families can shelter, and the National Guard is helping in the relief efforts.
Authorities note in that this year’s drastic weather is all part of a wider trend of climate that has led to more sudden and devastating floods along the southern portion of the U.S.
Countrywide Assistance and Surveillance
As rescuers keep moving around to save the lives, the show of compassion in Texas and the whole country has been staggering.
Red Cross shelters are overwhelmed, neighbors are allowing strangers into their homes, and volunteers are joining by the hundreds to remove debris and aid search efforts.
President Joe Biden has promised complete federal help in Washington.
In a statement, he said, We share the grief of the people of Texas in this moment of unfathomable loss. “We will do all we can to help rescue, recovery, and rebuilding.”
Authorities are urging people to be careful because rivers and streams in the affected regions are still hazardous.
READ ALSO: Pennsylvania Man to Stand Tr!@l for Behe@ding Father and Posting Video Online
Thunderstorms are still sweeping the area with the National Weather Service also issuing flash flood watches in a number of surrounding counties.
Broken-heart, Yet Strength
In the meantime, the Kerr County community is doing what people in Texas love to do most, sticking together.
There are candlelight vigils taking place statewide. Food and donations, as well as prayers, have become centers in local churches and schools.
Pastor Miguel Robles of Kerrville First Baptist Church said, It has been days of darkness, but we are not alone. We are in grief but not without hope.
Searching for those who are missing is going on twenty-four hours a day, although families are awaiting the worst.
