The warning signs were already flashing as hundreds of young people celebrated the Fourth of July public holiday at Camp Mystic, an all-girls’ Christian summer retreat, nestled on the banks of the Guadalupe River in Texas. There had not been a drop of rain in the area recently until the inundation, when the river rose 26ft (8m) in less than an hour, according to state officials. By Saturday evening, at least 51 people were dead, including 15 children. The first hint of the devastation to come appeared on Thursday morning as rain and thunderstorms soaked a number of central Texas counties. The National Weather Service (NWS) issued a common warning called a flood watch at 13:18 that afternoon for parts of the region, including Kerr County.
In the early hours of Friday, the outlook became more dire as the NWS issued a series of upgraded warnings. The San Saba river, the Concho River and the Colorado River were rising. At 04.03, the NWS sent a “particularly dangerous situation” alert, reserved for the most urgent and potentially deadly scenarios such as wildfires. Another “particularly dangerous situation” warning was issued for the city of Kerrville at 05.34, before dawn on Friday. “Residents and campers should SEEK HIGHER GROUND NOW! Life threatening flash flooding along the river is expected,” forecasters said. “Automated rain gauges indicate a large and deadly flood wave is moving down the Guadalupe River. Flash flooding is already occurring.”
The warning was issued on the NWS social media accounts and by broadcast news outlets, but most people were asleep. Elinor Lester, 13, said younger campers at Camp Mystic were bunked in cabins closer to the riverbank and those were the first to flood. The camp was completely destroyed, Elinor, who was evacuated by helicopter, told the Associated Press news agency. “It was really scary.” Just outside Kerrville, the BBC met Jonathan and Brittany Rojas as they came to see what was left of a relative’s home. Only the foundations remain. Such alerts are shared on NWS social media accounts and by broadcast news outlets, but most people were asleep.
Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c20w16wz953o
