High school chases a lost soccer coach in fatal Texas floods
Residents of Carville, Texas, gathered to remember football coach Reese Zanker, who died in the July 4 flash flood that killed at least 120 people.
A week after catastrophic floods ripped through Texas Hill Country, ground officials and volunteers searched more than 160 missing people on Friday as residents of the Hard Hit area lamented the deaths and President Donald Trump was expected to visit the area.
Heavy rain overwhelmed the Guadalupe River, and at least 120 people were retrieved since the early hours of July 4th drove homes and summer camps.
State officials have vowed to continue searching for many who are still missing, but have acknowledged that their chances of finding survivors in vibrancy a week after the disaster could be reduced. The last time the rescue team did a “live rescue” was on the day the flood occurred, local officials said.
The president and first lady Melania Trump are scheduled to arrive in Kerr County and meet with the victims’ families and local officials as questions remain about the small warning issued before the fatal flood.
Director of Texas Summer Camp for Girls, known as the “heart and soul” of the program. The two elementary school sisters were discovered together after they joined together. A 23-year-old Texas police officer celebrates July 4th with his family.
These are some of the more than 120 people killed by the tragic flood that swept Texas Hill Country a week ago. Flood-related deaths have been reported in at least six counties. Victims include summer camp directors, teachers, grandparents, parents and dozens of children.
Read the stories of people who lost their lives here.
In an interview with NBC’s convention Thursday, Trump said the floods in Texas were “a once in 200 years” event and supported the installation of an alarm system to warn of such an emergency.
“After seeing this horrifying event, I’d imagine you would somehow set an alarm,” Trump told an NBC meeting Thursday before his trip, saying, “Local officials were hit with this just like everyone else.”
Questions remained as to what more could have been done to warn residents of flooding, and the Guadalupe River surged nearly 30 feet within an hour. Legislative agenda for Texas Governor Greg Abbott’s upcoming special sessions include discussions on flood warning systems, communications, and natural disaster preparation and recovery.
According to the latest tolls from local officials, here is a breakdown of where the county was flood deaths:
- Carr County: 96
- Travis County: 7
- Kendall County: 8
- Burnet County: 5
- Williamson County: 3
- Tom Green County: 1
According to White House officials, Trump will visit the area on Friday, July 11th and will meet with the families of flood victims and first responders during his trip. Trump will also take part in briefings and roundtables from local elected officials, officials said.
According to the official schedule, Trump and the First Lady will land in Kerr County at 12:20pm.
Contributions: Jeanine Santucci, Kathryn Palmer, Joey Garrison
