Toll of dramatic floods in Texas. Search for missing people continues

Catastrophic floods in Texas have already claimed the lives of 120 people, with another 150 still reported missing. Torrential rains over a single weekend dramatically transformed the once-attractive Guadalupe River Valley and left many Texans homeless. State and federal authorities are mobilizing all available assistance.

Dramatic Independence Day weekend

July 4th is a major Independence Day celebration in the United States. Unfortunately, this year, residents of Texas had no reason to celebrate. Within just one day, heavy rainfall caused the Guadalupe and Llano rivers to overflow, flooding vast areas of land.

In the counties most affected by the deluge – Kerr County and Mason County – 50 to 100 mm of rain fell in just one hour, and in some areas, total rainfall exceeded 470 mm. The water level in the Guadalupe River rose by 8 meters in just 45 minutes, reaching the second-highest level in history.

How the Llano River in Texas filled up on July 4:

Floods in Texas take a tragic toll

According to official data from the state governor, as cited by CNN, the death toll has reached at least 120. At least 36 of the victims were children attending scout camps along the riverbanks. The girls’ camp Mystic Camp near the town of Hunt was flooded during the night, and children along with their supervisors had to escape through windows. Tragically, at least 27 camp participants drowned.

Among the victims were also families celebrating Independence Day by the rivers, as well as residents living in trailers. The floodwaters inundated residential homes – one of which was the site where a 20-month-old boy died in his sleep. Residents of more than 100 buildings were evacuated.

Hundreds of volunteers have joined rescue and search operations organized by local, state, and federal agencies. Unfortunately, nearly a week after the floods in Texas, the fate of 150 people is still unknown. To support the search efforts, NASA is using two aircraft to capture satellite images of the flooded areas and relay them for analysis. The search is being hampered by massive amounts of debris and rising air temperatures.

U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., has declared a public health emergency, which he says should help facilitate aid to those affected.

What caused this catastrophe in Texas?

How is it possible that a flood disaster of such scale occurred in sunny, dry Texas, claiming so many lives in just 24 hours? Experts believe the tragedy resulted from a combination of the worst possible meteorological scenario and the region’s unique climate and topography.

Over the ill-fated weekend, slow-moving storms from the Great Plains collided with huge masses of moist tropical air from the eastern Pacific, along with remnants of Hurricane Barry, which had previously struck Mexico. The pace of the catastrophe was determined by the topography of the Texas Hill Country – a hilly region in south-central Texas – often referred to as Flash Flood Alley. Steep slopes and shallow soils make this area one of the most vulnerable to flash floods in the entire United States.

Of course, climate change does not help. According to experts from the U.S. Drought Monitor, much of the region was experiencing severe drought conditions immediately before the rains. The parched ground was unable to absorb the rainfall, which exacerbated the flood wave.

The Texas floods are yet another example of how dangerous the effects of intensifying extreme weather events can be – especially heavy rainfall following prolonged drought. These events show that even highly developed nations are not immune to the increasingly unpredictable consequences of climate change.