According to local authorities, so far, 237 people have been taken from the flooded area, many of them with the support of helicopters
At least 23 girls who participated in a summer camp are missing after a flood reaches the state of Texasus United Statesduring the dawn of this Friday (4). Local authorities reported that the climate disaster also caused the death of at least 24 people, but avoided estimating the total of missing in the region. Family members began to publicize photos and information on social networks in an attempt to locate their daughters.
“I ask Texans to come together in prayer. On our knees, pray that we find these girls,” Deputy Governor Dan Patrick said at a news conference. A rescue operation acts to help the victims. So far, 237 people have been removed from the flooded area, many of them with the support of helicopters. State authorities had issued weather alerts the day before. The initial forecast indicated between 7.5 and 15 centimeters of rain, but the accumulated volume reached 25 centimeters in a few hours.
According to Patrick, the Guadalupe River rose about 8 meters in just 45 minutes, flooding the Summer Camp Mystic, which is near Rio, in the city of Hunt. There were about 750 people camped during the last July 4th holiday. Texas governor, Greg Abbott, promised to follow the searches for survivors 24 hours a day. “Let’s not stop until everyone appears,” he said.
Rescue teams began to evacuate Camp Mystic campers early Friday afternoon, 13. She said she woke up around 1:30 am with the noise of thunder and saw the water rising to the windows of the cabin where she slept. The young woman was in a higher part of the camp called Senior Hill, reserved for older girls. Already the cabins closest to Rio, where there are the younger campers, were quickly taken by the water. According to the teenager, the girls from the low areas ran to the hill, where they passed the dawn without food, electricity or drinking water.
“The camp was completely destroyed. It was really scary. The people I know are fine, but I know there are still missing,” he said. The teenager’s mother, Elizabeth Lester, said her other son, who was in a nearby camp, Camp La Junta, also had to escape the flood. According to her, one of the counselors woke up with the water invading the cabin and helped the boys escape the windows. Both Camp La Junta and Camp Waldemar, another camp near Rio, reported on social networks that all campers and employees are safe.
Elizabeth rediscovered her daughter still in shock. “She had a teddy bear and a book in her hands. My children are safe, but knowing that others are still missing is consuming me,” he said. According to reports from family members, many people received calls from authorities informing that their daughters had not yet been located. In an email sent to the campers, the Camp Mystic management said that if they have not been directly contacted, it means that their daughters are among those already found.
In Ingram, neighboring city, a elementary school was transformed into a reunification center. Hundreds of families focused on the scene, waiting for the arrival by the rescued bus. In addition to the camps, authorities reported damage to trailer parks and other residential areas near the river. State and local authorities advised residents not to travel through the Rio region, where dozens of roads were “impassable”.
Camp Mystic is in a track known as “Alley of Sudden floods,” explained Austin Dickson, CEO of the Texas Hill Country Community Foundation, an organization that is coordinating donations to disaster response teams. “When it rains, water is not absorbed by the ground,” said Dickson. “She goes down the hill running.”
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The region was once the scene of a similar tragedy. In 1987, a sudden flood reached a Christian camp nearby and caused the death of ten teenagers after the bus they were in was dragged by the current. Camp Mystic Chloe Crane’s teacher and former counselor said the camp, founded in 1926, is a refuge for girls who seek to gain confidence and independence. Despite the good memories, the place, she said, became a horror story for many campers and counselors.
*With information from Estadão Content
Source: Jovempan

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