Budget cuts cast shadow on killer Texas flood

Rescuers searched Saturday (Sunday in Manila) for 27 girls missing from a riverside summer camp in Texas, after torrential rains caused devastating floods that killed 50 people in the US state.

Multiple flash flood warnings remained in place across central Texas after water surged through communities, with the Guadalupe River rising by 26 feet (eight meters) in just 45 minutes.

The Kerr County summer camp where hundreds were staying was left in disarray, with blankets, teddy bears and other belongings caked in mud.

“We have recovered 43 deceased individuals in Kerr County. Among these who are deceased, we have 28 adults and 15 children,” said Larry Leitha, the sheriff of the flood-ravaged region.

Multiple victims were also found in other counties, bringing the death toll to 50.

Scientists and disaster management agencies have criticized US President Donald Trump for cutting funding and staffing at the NOAA, in charge of weather forecasts and preparedness, and the National Weather Service (NWS).

When asked about claims that residents were given insufficient warning of the floods, Noem said she would “carry your concerns back to the federal government.”

Officials and residents alike were shocked by the speed and intensity of the flooding.

No clues

“We didn’t know this flood was coming,” Kerr County official Rob Kelly said Friday.

“The predictions were definitely off,” and the rain was “double of what was anticipated,” Kerrville city official Dalton Rice said.

Rice added that rescuers were facing “very difficult” conditions, and declined to give an overall figure for how many were missing.

Texas Department of Emergency Management chief Nim Kidd said air, ground and water-based crews were scouring the length of the Guadalupe River for survivors and the bodies of the dead.

“We will continue the search until all those who are missing are found,” he said.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott said he was expanding a state disaster declaration and was requesting additional federal resources from President Donald Trump.

The flooding began Friday — the start of the Fourth of July holiday weekend — as months’ worth of rain fell in a matter of hours.

The NWS warned that more rain was forecast, and that “excessive runoff may result in flooding of rivers, creeks, streams, and other low-lying and flood-prone locations.”

In Kerrville on Saturday, the usually calm Guadalupe was flowing fast, its murky waters filled with debris.