Last week, officials said 97 people were missing in Kerr County. Now, it’s down to three. The drop is substantial, but such wild fluctuations can happen after disasters.
The new figure was a significant decline from 97 just days ago. The death toll in the county remained the same, and officials said many of the missing were reported safe.
Members of the military presented an American flag on Friday to firefighters and relatives of Michael Phillips, the chief of the volunteer fire department in Marble Falls, who is among those missing from the floods.
In Kerr County, where the most deaths occurred, officials said they were receiving threats, even as they continued to deflect questions about flood warnings.
Hunt, Texas, a small town where the north and south forks of the Guadalupe River meet, is grieving the July 4 flood. But even as the search for the missing continues, rebuilding has begun.
At least 121 people were killed in flash flooding in Central Texas. Many were in Hunt, Texas, when floodwaters swept through the area.
The half-mile stretch occupied by two campgrounds appears to have been one of the deadliest spots along the Guadalupe River in Central Texas during last week’s flash floods.
Kerr County failed to secure a warning system, even as local officials remained aware of the risks and as billions of dollars were available for similar projects.
Flash floods surged through in the middle of the night, but many local officials appeared unaware of the unfolding catastrophe, initially leaving people near the river on their own.
The rivers etching the terrain are a beloved feature of the rapidly growing region. But last week’s flooding was an agonizing reminder of the dangers they pose.
The Guadalupe River in Kerrville, Tex. In the region of Texas known as the Hill Country, the rivers that etch an otherwise arid terrain are a defining feature.
Officials defended their actions in the hardest-hit county, where no survivors have been found since Friday. Statewide, 173 people remain unaccounted for, the governor said.
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