New Flood Warning Issued in Texas Amid Rising Death Toll
The death toll from the devastating flood that ravaged central Texas over the weekend now stands at 104.
Earlier this afternoon the Kerr County Sheriff’s Office confirmed that the county’s fatality count is now 84, including 56 adults and 28 children. Identification is pending for 22 adults and 10 children. Heavy rains caused the Guadalupe River to rise by more than 26 feet in just under an hour, leading to devastation near Kerrville, a city of 24,000.
Kerrville City Manager Dalton Rice revealed the city plans to look at whether its own emergency notifications were robust enough to warn residents.
“We know questions are being asked about the emergency notification, and while it is not the time to speculate, local and regional partners are committed to a full review of the events and systems in place,” Rice said at a news conference Sunday. “At the appropriate time, we will take clear steps to strengthen our future preparedness. We owe that commitment to the families who are suffering and every member of our community.”
Meanwhile, the National Weather Service said its warnings issued in the run-up to the flooding were about as timely and accurate as could be expected with the weather data available in real time, according to NBC News. “The forecasting was good. The warnings were good. It’s always about getting people to receive the message,” Chris Vagasky, a meteorologist based in Wisconsin, told the network “It appears that is one of the biggest contributors — that last mile.”
According to the USA Today, the chance of "life-threatening" flooding in the area remains as rescuers attempt to find those missing.
"As rescuers resumed searches for missing people by air, land, and water, officials warned those in central Texas that there remains a danger of 'life-threatening flooding,'" USA Today said. "Multiple flash flood warnings were active across the Hill Country as storms drenched the region, inundating roads and waterways."
Over 850 people have been rescued since the devastating flooding began late last week.
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