Officers in Texas are dealing with mounting questions on whether or not they did sufficient to get individuals out of hurt’s method earlier than a flash flood swept down the Guadalupe River and killed greater than 100 individuals, together with 27 youngsters and counselors at an all-girls Christian camp.
More than 160 people are nonetheless believed to be lacking in Texas days after flash floods killed over 100 individuals through the July Fourth weekend, the state’s governor mentioned Tuesday. Within the days for the reason that devastation, state, federal and Kerr County officials have deflected pointed questions on preparations and warnings.
The Related Press has assembled an approximate timeline of the 48 hours earlier than, throughout and after the lethal flash flood, starting with the activation of the state’s emergency response assets on July 2 — the identical day Texas signed off on the camp’s emergency plan for disasters.
By dawn on July Fourth, it was clear that some children from Camp Mystic have been swept away by floodwaters at the same time as others have been capable of escape to security of their pajamas.
___
Wednesday, July 2:
The Texas Division of Emergency Administration activated state emergency response assets anticipating the specter of flooding in elements of West and Central Texas.
On the identical day, Texas inspectors signed off on Camp Mystic’s emergency planning, information obtained by the AP present.
Thursday, July 3:
10:00 a.m.: Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick mentioned Friday that county judges and metropolis mayors have been invited to be on a every day name Thursday to debate climate forecasts. Patrick additionally mentioned a regional coordinator personally reached out to officers within the space.
“The message was despatched,” Patrick mentioned. “It’s as much as the native counties and mayors underneath the regulation to evacuate in the event that they really feel the necessity.”
1:18 p.m.: The Nationwide Climate Service’s Austin/San Antonio workplace issued a flood watch estimating rainfall quantities of 1 to a few inches, with remoted quantities of 5 to seven inches for elements of south central Texas, together with Kerr County. “Extreme runoff could lead to flooding of rivers,” the alert learn.
Friday, July 4:
1:14 a.m.: Citing radar, the Nationwide Climate Service issued a flash flood warning for central Kerr County till 4:15 a.m., warning that it was life threatening.
Round 3:00 a.m.: Kerrville Metropolis Supervisor Dalton Rice mentioned he was working on the river path round 3 or 3:30 a.m. Friday and “the whole lot was superb.”
“4 o’clock after I left, there was no indicators of it rising at that time,” Rice mentioned throughout a information convention later. “This occurred in a short time over a really quick period of time.”
Rice mentioned the remoted location and the heavy rain in a brief time frame made a harmful occasion that was not predictable, even with radar and Nationwide Climate Service warnings.
“This isn’t like a twister the place you may have a siren. This isn’t like a hurricane the place you’re planning weeks upfront,” Rice mentioned. “It hit. It hit exhausting.”
Between 3 and 5 a.m.: Floodwaters start to inundate Camp Mystic. Younger campers, counselors and employees are roused from sleep and start a determined rush to greater floor, in keeping with social media accounts. The accounts element how some younger ladies needed to climb by way of cabin home windows. One staffer mentioned she was on the roof with water rising towards her at 4:00 a.m.
3:30 a.m.: Erin Burgess woke as much as thunder at round 3:30 a.m. Friday in her dwelling in Bumble Bee Hills, a housing improvement about midway between Hunt and Ingram. Inside a half hour or so, she advised the AP that the water was speeding into her home. Burgess and her 19-year-old son clung onto a tree exterior for an hour earlier than the water receded.
3:35 a.m.: The Nationwide Climate Service prolonged its flash flood warning for central Kerr County till 7 a.m. primarily based on radar and automatic gauges.
3:35 a.m.: A U.S. Geological Survey gauge alongside the Guadalupe River about 5 miles north of Camp Mystic and a couple of mile east of Hunt exhibits the river had reached almost 16 ft. The river at that location is topic to minor flooding at 10 ft.
Between 4 and 5 a.m.: Kerr County Sheriff Larry Leitha mentioned he was first notified concerning the scenario from one among his sergeants.
4:03 a.m.: The Nationwide Climate Service named a flash flood emergency for south-central Kerr County, saying in all caps that it was a “significantly harmful scenario. Search greater floor now!” Citing radar and automatic rain gauges, the bulletin mentioned low water crossings and the Guadalupe River at Hunt have been flooding.
4:35 a.m.: A U,S, Geological Survey gauge alongside the Guadalupe River about 5 miles north of Camp Mystic and a couple of mile east of Hunt stops sending information. The final recorded river stage from the instrumentation was 29.5 ft.
5:30 a.m.: Police knocked on Matthew Stone’s door in a Kerrville riverfront neighborhood, urging residents to evacuate. Stone mentioned he had obtained no emergency warning on his telephone. “We acquired no emergency alert. There was nothing,” Stone mentioned. Then: “a pitch black wall of demise.”
5:34 a.m.: The Nationwide Climate Service bulletin reported a flash flood emergency from Hunt by way of Kerrville and Heart Level, saying “automated rain gauges point out a big and lethal flood wave is shifting down the Guadalupe River.”
5:38 a.m.: In a touch upon a Fb submit from the Kerr County Sheriff’s Workplace, one girl begged for somebody to assist her mother-in-law who was trapped in a trailer between Hunt and Ingram.
5:52 a.m.: Minutes later, one other girl commented on the identical Fb submit that Bumble Bee Hills was flooded and wanted assist.
6:06 a.m.: The Nationwide Climate Service prolonged the flash flood warning till 10:00 a.m. The bulletin additionally mentioned native regulation enforcement reported “main flooding” and water rescues alongside the Guadalupe River.
6:19 a.m.: One other Fb commenter on the Kerr County Sheriff’s web page mentioned a “buddy and her household are on their rooftop in Hunt, ready for rescue.”
6:45 a.m.: A U.S. Geological Survey gauge in Kerrville exhibits the Guadalupe River peaks at 34.29 ft, a determine that’s preliminary and topic to alter. It’s the third-highest river stage at that location, in keeping with the info. The file of 39 ft was set on July 2, 1932,
6:59 a.m.: Erin Burgess was surveying injury in her flooded dwelling after the river water receded. The road of muck reached midway up her kitchen cupboards.
7:24 a.m.: The Nationwide Climate Service advises that the flash flood emergency extends to Sisterdale.
11:29 a.m.: Camp Mystic dad and mom obtain an e mail noting the grounds have “sustained catastrophic stage floods” and that they’re with out energy, water and web. Dad and mom with a daughter not accounted for have been instantly contacted, the camp mentioned.
11:30 a.m.: Native officers held the primary press convention to explain the scenario and response. Requested what sort of warning system went out to ensure county residents acquired out safely, Decide Rob Kelly, the county’s chief elected official mentioned: “We wouldn’t have a warning system.”
When a reporter adopted as much as ask why camps weren’t evacuated when the camps have been in hurt’s method, Kelly mentioned they didn’t know “this flood” was coming.
“We had no motive to imagine that this was going to be any, something like what’s occurred right here,” Kelly mentioned. “None in any respect.”
3:30 p.m.: Two information conferences on Friday afternoon have been the primary to supply an preliminary demise toll. Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick mentioned six to 10 our bodies had been discovered to this point. Across the similar time, Kerr County Sheriff Larry Leitha reported that 13 individuals had died within the flooding. Patrick additionally introduced that the whereabouts of about 23 ladies attending Camp Mystic weren’t recognized.
7:11 p.m.: A state company answerable for search and rescue operations, the Texas Sport Wardens, submit on Fb that they made entry into Camp Mystic and “are evacuating the campers to security.” Roughly two dozen campers have been nonetheless lacking.
9 p.m.: Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signed a catastrophe declaration at a information convention. Leitha reported about 24 fatalities.
Copyright 2025 The Related Press. All rights reserved. This materials is probably not printed, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed with out permission.
