'We're being washed away': Over 100, including dozens of children dead in 'catastrophic' Texas flash floods

The death toll from the devastating floods that swept through central Texas over the Fourth of July weekend climbed past 100 on Monday (Jul 7), as search crews continued to scour rivers and debris for missing people swept away by torrents of water. As per reports, among the dead were at least 27 girls and camp counsellors caught in the surging Guadalupe River while attending a summer programme at Camp Mystic, an all-girls Christian camp located near Hunt. The camp was housing around 750 people when the floods hit early Friday morning.

"100-year catastrophe"

The scale of the disaster — which US President Donald Trump has described as a "100-year catastrophe" that "nobody expected" — has stunned even those familiar with the region's violent weather. Rainfall over Thursday night and into Friday morning triggered a flash flood that sent river levels skyrocketing by 26 feet (7.92 metres) in just 45 minutes, submerging trees, rooftops, and anything in its path. As per reports, months' worth of rain fell in a matter of hours, triggering the flash flood.

Talking to AFF, Louis Deppe, a 62-year-old volunteer aiding in the recovery, said that they were "helping the parents of two of the missing children". Deppe revealed that the last message received by the grief-stricken parents was, "'We're being washed away,' and the phone went dead." Governor Greg Abbott warned that the threat was far from over, "There is still a threat of heavy rain with the potential to cause flooding," he said Monday, adding that the number of fatalities could still rise.

Did Trump's budget cuts make the flood situation worse?

Trump has confirmed he will visit Texas on Friday (Jul 11). At a press briefing, the White House pushed back on criticism linking Trump's past budget cuts to weakened early-warning systems, calling the accusations "a depraved lie." Speaking to reporters on Monday (Jul 7) Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt insisted that "Blaming President Trump for these floods is a depraved lie, and it serves no purpose during this time of national mourning". She said that the National Weather Service, which, as per a New York Times report, had several staff roles vacant in Texas, issued "timely and precise forecasts".