Texas, under water: dozens dead and missing after floods caused by torrential rains

The US state of Texas is experiencing one of the worst tragedies in recent years, after strong floods, caused by torrential rains, killed at least 50 people and 30 children were reported missing, most of them participants in a summer camp for girls.

• Gloomy balance: 43 victims in Kerr County, including 15 children

According to an assessment made by AFP based on information provided by local authorities, 43 of the 50 victims were identified in Kerr County, an area where the flood surprised a summer camp on the banks of the Guadalupe River. The county sheriff, Larry Lethia, declared during a press conference that of the deceased, 28 are adults and 15 are children. "We have found 43 people dead in Kerr County,” the sheriff said, adding that 27 children are still missing. They were part of a group of about 750 girls at Camp Mystic, a summer camp located near the river, highly regarded by local communities.

• Camp management among victims

According to information published on the Kerrville website, the owner and director of Camp Mystic are among the victims, as is the director of another nearby camp, a sign that the disaster struck with an unmanageable force and speed. The water rose eight meters in just 45 minutes, and the volume of precipitation reached 300 millimeters/hour, the equivalent of a third of the normal annual rainfall.

• Rescuers on land, in the air and on the water

Search and rescue operations are ongoing, with emergency crews working around the clock to find the missing. Nim Kidd, Texas's emergency manager, said "air, land and water" teams are searching every mile of the Guadalupe River. "We're going to continue the search until everyone is found," Kidd said.

In addition to the Kerr County tragedy, four people have died in Travis County, two in Burnet County and one in Tom Green County. About 850 people have also been evacuated from the floodwaters, many of whom were left without homes or personal belongings.

• State of natural disaster and appeal for federal assistance

The state's governor, Greg Abbott, has declared a state of natural disaster and requested emergency federal assistance to deal with the situation. In a message to the press, Abbott called for national solidarity and support: "Texas needs support now, more than ever. We will rebuild, but the lives lost cannot be brought back.”

• Impact of climate change: increasingly frequent extreme events

Although floods are not uncommon in Texas, especially after periods of severe drought, the scientific community warns that climate change caused by human activity is intensifying these phenomena. "What used to happen once every 50 or 100 years, we are now seeing annually or even more frequently,” warn climatologists. Rising temperatures, changing rainfall patterns and the phenomenon of "flash floods” are endangering infrastructure and the population.

The tragedy comes just weeks after another devastating episode: in June, 13 people died as a result of flooding in the San Antonio area, not far from the region now affected. The pace at which these events are occurring raises serious questions about the preparedness of authorities, urban planning, and the capacity for rapid intervention in the event of a climate emergency.