The death toll from flash floods in the US state of Texas has risen to 109, Gov. Greg Abbott said, SİA informs referring to Anadolu Agency.
"First, the numbers that I have is that there are 94 fatalities associated with this flooding event in this area,” Abbott told reporters, referring to Kerr County.
"Separate from that and other flooding events in other parts of the state of Texas, there's another 15 fatalities, for a total of 109," he added.
Abbott said five campers and a counselor are still missing from Camp Mystic, a Christian girls camp in Hunt in Kerr County.
Additional fatalities were reported across multiple counties, including Travis County, Burnet County, Kendall County, Williamson County and Tom Green County, CNN reported.
The New York Times earlier reported that a number of key positions at the National Weather Service were vacant due to President Donald Trump’s budget cuts since taking office, suggesting that these gaps might have hindered a prompt response to the emergency.
White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt denied claims that the National Weather Service failed to provide adequate and timely warnings about the flooding.
“They gave out timely flash flood alerts. There were record-breaking lead times in the lead-up to this catastrophe. There is ongoing flood monitoring, and these offices were well staffed,” she said.
Trump said Tuesday that he will visit Texas on Friday with first lady Melania Trump.
"We don't want to get in anyone's way...What a tragic situation," he told reporters.
The flooding began late Thursday and lasted into the early hours of Friday as heavy rains engulfed the Guadalupe River, pushing it to a crest of more than 39 feet (11.8 meters), surpassing the region's second-largest modern flood in 1987.
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