According to information released by local authorities in Texas on the evening of the 7th, floods triggered by heavy rains since the 4th have claimed 104 confirmed lives across 6 counties in central Texas, making this one of the worst floods in the United States in a century.
At a press conference on the 7th, authorities in Kerr County reported the discovery of 84 bodies, including those of 28 children, with the identities of more than 30 victims yet to be confirmed.
As of that evening, 10 girls and one camp counselor remained missing from the “Mystery Camp” summer camp.
The organizers of “Mystery Camp” issued a statement in the morning confirming 27 deaths at the camp. This is a private Christian summer camp established in 1926 that exclusively enrolls girls. About 750 campers were present when the flood struck.
According to U.S. media reports, the other five counties—Travis, Burnet, and others—have confirmed 20 deaths and 13 missing persons so far.
U.S. Senate Democratic leader Schumer sent a letter to Acting Inspector General Anderson of the Commerce Department, requesting an investigation into whether staffing cuts in the federal meteorological agencies by the Republican administration under President Trump contributed to the large number of casualties in this flood.