The death toll in Texas continues to rise dramatically, as according to the latest count 82 people, including 28 children, have lost their lives in the flooding of July 4th. Meanwhile, American officials note that the number of deaths is certain to increase in the coming hours.
Read: Texas: “We’re finding bodies almost everywhere” – Trump declares Kerr County a major disaster zone (Video)
According to Texas Governor Greg Abbott, at least 41 people are missing, including 10 girls from the camp and their leader, while 28 victims have not yet been identified. The flooding occurred after the water level of the nearby river rose by 8 meters within 45 minutes due to torrential rains that hit central Texas on Friday. At that moment, most campers were sleeping.
Texas flooding: Shocking timelapse footage
A shocking timelapse, published by Forbes and recorded on Friday, shows how rapidly the water level rose along the Llano River in Kingsland, Texas. The video clearly shows that the river overflowed within just 30 minutes.
It should be noted that Donald Trump declared Texas in a state of emergency, while authorities issued new warnings for severe storms. More storms are expected in the area over the next 24 to 48 hours, which could create problems for rescue teams’ operations.
Meteorologists’ assessments and responsibilities
The severe rainfall caused flash flooding on Friday in Texas, with meteorologists reporting that several months’ worth of rain fell within just a few hours. The intense rain came from the remnants of tropical storm Barry, explained FOX 4 Dallas meteorologist Dylan Federico. “Over four months of rain fell in just a few hours in the area,” Federico said, which according to him led to the creation of a 7.7-meter-high wall of water rushing down the Guadalupe River.
CBS News reported that the Texas Emergency Management Service had multiple meetings from Thursday to prepare, but the National Weather Service “did not predict the amount of rain” that actually fell, officials said, adding that meteorologists initially estimated up to 20 centimeters of rainfall for the area.
