Catastrophic flooding triggered by torrential rains has claimed more than 90 lives in Central Texas, with search teams combing 12 counties for missing residents – including campers from the Christian summer camp Mystic swept away by the raging Guadalupe River.
Emergency crews continue round-the-clock operations in what state officials call Texas' deadliest flood disaster in modern history. Survivors recount narrow escapes as waters rose rapidly during Independence Day celebrations, submerging roads and trapping vehicles.
Kerrville resident Marcos Álvarez described clinging to a tree for hours after floodwaters carried away his pickup truck. "It sounded like a freight train coming through the valley," he told CGTN correspondent Nitza Soledad Perez during rescue efforts.
Authorities emphasize the death toll may rise as teams access remote areas. Meteorologists attribute the unprecedented rainfall to a stalled weather system that dumped 15 inches of rain within 24 hours across the Hill Country region.
