Flash floods in Texas have killed at least 104 people, including 27 children who were attending a summer camp over the Fourth of July holiday weekend.
The floods grew to their worst at the midpoint of a long holiday weekend on Friday, July 4, when many people were asleep.
The Texas Hill Country, which is in the central part of the state, is naturally prone to flash flooding due to the dry, dirt-packed areas where the soil lets rain skid along the surface of the landscape instead of soaking it up.
After a flood watch notice midday Thursday, July 3, the National Weather Service office issued an urgent warning around 4 a.m, which raised the potential of catastrophic damage and a severe threat to human life.
By 5:20 a.m, some in the Kerrville City area say water levels were getting alarmingly high.
The massive rain flowing down hills sent rushing water into the Guadalupe River, causing it to rise 8 meters (26 feet) in just 45 minutes.
Gov. Greg Abbott on Sunday, July 6, said there were 41 people confirmed to be unaccounted for across the state and more could be missing.
Additionally, ten girls and a counselor are still unaccounted for at Camp Mystic, a Christian summer camp along the river.
Search and rescue crews report that over a thousand volunteers have been directed to Kerr County to assist in the rescue mission.
