Texas Officials Face Scrutiny After Flash Flood
(MENAFN) Authorities in Texas are increasingly being called upon to justify their delayed emergency measures following a catastrophic flash flood that resulted in the deaths of over 100 individuals and left 161 others unaccounted for, according to a news agency.
The calamity struck in the early morning of July 4 when the Guadalupe River surged by 26 feet (7.9 meters) within just 45 minutes. Even four days later, officials in Kerr County had not verified whether timely evacuation notifications had been delivered to residents, the news agency reported.
“We’re in the process of trying to put a timeline, that’s going to take a little bit of time,” Kerr County Sheriff Larry Leitha said during a press briefing on Tuesday.
He emphasized that immediate priorities still centered on victim recovery efforts and informing families.
A significant number of the victims perished at a riverside summer retreat, where 57 adults and 30 children tragically lost their lives.
Local citizens have voiced frustration over the absence of emergency notifications, which might have enabled them to move to safer areas.
“I didn’t get one alert,” stated Marvin Willis, who resides approximately 1.5 miles (2.4 kilometers) from the river.
Kerrville Mayor Joe Herring disclosed that he was not informed of the unfolding crisis until 5:30 a.m. local time (0830GMT), when he received a phone call from the city manager.
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the
information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept
any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images,
videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information
contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright
issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.
Legal Disclaimer:
EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.
