The day after deadly flooding swept through Central Texas on July 4, search and rescue efforts continued.
Early Friday morning, heavy rains pushed the Guadalupe River at Hunt to its second-highest height on record, according to the National Weather Service. By 9 p.m., local officials said there had been at least 24 fatalities — more than double the death toll of a 1987 flood there. More people were still missing, according to state and local officials.
As search and recovery efforts continue on Saturday, weather forecasts say there may be more rainfall. The National Weather Service issued a new flood watch Saturday morning. Between 2 and 10 inches of additional rain are possible near the flood watch area.
More than 2,500 customers were without power in Kerr County as of Saturday morning, according to the Kerrville Public Utility Bureau.
Search and rescue operations “will continue in the darkness of night,” Gov. Greg Abbott said during a Friday night news conference. “They will be taking place when the sun rises in the morning. They will be nonstop seeking to find everybody who is unaccounted for.”
Among those still unaccounted for were more than 20 young girls from Camp Mystic, a Christian summer camp in Hunt that draws attendees from Dallas-Fort Worth. Late Friday night, the City of Kerrville established a reunification intake line for their parents.
Meanwhile, North Texas families held onto hope that they’d hear from their missing loved ones. Jennifer Harber, of Dallas, spent most of Friday searching for information about her brother, who was vacationing in the Hill Country.
Harber told The Dallas Morning News her brother’s family had been at their vacation home in Hunt to celebrate the Fourth of July. As the flood hit, she said her brother, RJ Harber, and his wife, Annie, woke up at about 3 a.m. to high waters in the house.
RJ Harber broke open a window, escaped with his wife, and grabbed a kayak from his neighbor’s home, according to his sister. She said he then attempted to kayak about five houses down to rescue their parents — Charlene, 74, and Mike, 76 — and his daughters, Blair, 13, and Brooke, 11. But his kayak nearly capsized, forcing him to go back to his home, where he and his wife were stranded.
The couple subsequently evacuated to Kerrville and moved to Ingram Elementary, where they have been waiting for their family members ever since, according to the sister. She said she finally heard from her brother at around 7 p.m.
Jennifer Harber said she has started to accept that her father didn’t make it, believing it would be nearly impossible due to his Parkinson’s disease. But she believes her mother and nieces are still alive.
“We’re hopeful, but reality is sinking in. But, I mean, we’re not gonna give up,” she said. “I’m not going to give up until they find the bodies.”
State leaders Friday described a major response effort.
Texas has deployed more than 1,000 state responders and over 800 vehicles and equipment assets, Abbott said in a news release. The governor also said he signed a disaster declaration for 15 counties in the affected area, providing access to every possible tool. More counties may be added later, he added.
Officials also counted their successes.
Responders rescued or evacuated at least 237 people Friday, according to Maj. Gen. Thomas Suelzer, who heads the Texas military department. He said personnel will be sent to help with evacuee shelter management Saturday.
As response efforts continue, state and local officials asked residents to pray and maintain hope.
“Friday became a day of tragedies. Together, we mourn each victim and the loss their families now endure,” Kerrville Mayor Joe Herring Jr. said in a public statement Friday night.
“It’s important to remember Friday became a day of miracles, too. Rescues continue even as darkness falls today. The heroic efforts of men and women first responders have helped hundreds and will not stop as night approaches.”
This is a developing story and will be updated.
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