Why the floods in Texas that killed more than 100 were so lethal

The combination of geography and the lack of resources would have contributed to one of the worst natural disasters the US suffered in the last century. Car between flood wreckage in the state of Texas, in the United States. Getty Images via BBC more than 100 dead, including about 30 girls and adolescents. This is, so far, the number of deaths due to torrential rains and floods that hit Texas last Friday, July 4, when Americans celebrate United States Independence Day. ✅ Click here to follow the G1 international news channel on WhatsApp search and rescue operations remain around the Guadalupe River, epicenter of the tragedy as dozens of people are still missing. While some families are preparing to bury their loved ones and others await news from missing relatives, questions begin to emerge about how this tragedy happened and why it left so many victims. At least 27 girls from the Christian camp Mystic died when the flood waters hit the scene, the authorities said. Getty Images via BBC What is the role of Texas’s terrain? Was the warning too late? What was the influence of Trump’s cuts? What is known about the victims? 1. What is the role of the terrain? “Texas, in general, leads the deaths from flooding in the country, and for a wide margin,” said Hatim Sharif, professor of civil and environmental engineering at the University of Texas, in an article published on the academic news site The Conversation. After reviewing data from 1959 to 2019, the expert found that 1,069 people died in such tragedies in the state during this period, and many of these deaths occurred in the area where the current tragedy took place. The area, where the Guadalupe River passes, is known as Flash Flood Alley (something like “Lightning Flood Beco”), wrote Sharif. It is a half-moon-shaped strip that extends from near Dallas, passing through Austin and San Antonio, and then turns west towards the Mexican border. The “Beco” presents ideal conditions for sudden floods. “The hills are escaped, and the water moves quickly when it rains. It is also a semi -arid area, with soils that do not absorb much water, so water flows quickly, and shallow streams fill quickly,” Sharif explained. “When these full streams converge in a river, they can form bodies of water capable of dragging houses, cars and, unfortunately, anyone in their way,” he added. Russ Schumacher, professor of atmospheric science at Colorado State University, also made a similar statement, telling The New York Times that the region may suffer “devastating floods in the blink of an eye.” Sharif recalled, in turn, that in 1987, other rains in western Kerr County made the Guadalupe river overflow quickly, triggering events similar to those of the last days. “Ten teenagers who were being removed from a camp died in that flood,” he said. The Texas region where the tragedy occurred is known as ‘alley of lightning floods’. Getty Images via BBC Geography also explains why the region is prone to torrential rainfall. In this part of Texas is the so -called Balcone Escarpment, a row of cliffs and steep hills created by a geological failure. When the hot gulf of the Gulf of Mexico rises over the escarpment, it condenses and can trigger localized but intense rainfalls that fill streams and rivers. As temperatures rise, the warmer atmosphere retains more moisture, increasing the risk of torrential rainfall and flooding. This explains why this tragedy occurred in the middle of summer. Between Thursday and last Friday, the affected area received an amount of rain equivalent to several months, according to meteorologists. In 45 minutes, the Guadalupe River rose eight meters, causing it to overflow. The floods in this river are not uncommon. At least one was recorded every decade of the 20th century, according to data compiled by the University of Houston, also in the US. Return to the beginning. 2. Was the warning be given too late? Time-Lapse shows advancement of water during flood in Texas Another question that began to circulate is whether alert systems worked and gave residents and tourist enough time to seek shelter. On Wednesday, the Texas Emergency Management Department (TEMP) called on state emergency response resources due to increased flood threat in parts of the west and downtown Texas. On Thursday afternoon, the NWS issued a flood alert that identified Kerr County as a high-risk flood place at night. In the early hours of Friday, regional authorities issued separate alerts to Kerr County, with several hours of difference, after finding that the Guadalupe River was overflowing, the BBC said. What happened then? What went wrong? Texas governor Greg Abbott attributed the fact to the magnitude of the disaster. “No one expected a wall of water almost nine meters high,” he said. Temm director Nim Kidd admitted, in turn, that not all residents and visitors received the warning messages about what was coming. “There are areas where there is no mobile coverage, so no matter how many warning systems you sign, you won’t receive a single message,” he said during a news conference. But it hinted that NWS reports were not accurate, and that it did not help take action faster. Rob Kelly, Judge of Kerr County, recognized, however, that the municipality, one of the hardest hit by the disaster, lacks warning systems against floods. In a statement to the CBS network, he said that six years ago the county considered installing a flood alert system along the Guadalupe River, similar to the sirens who warn about tornadoes. What happened then? The system was never implemented due to its cost, he explained. “We know that there are questions being asked about the notification system, and although this is not the time to speculate, we are committed to conducting a complete review of current systems,” said Dalton Rice, one of Kerryville’s municipal authorities on Sunday. “At the appropriate time, we will announce measures to prepare better for future events. We owe this to those who have lost a loved one and all members of our community,” he said during a press conference. Return to the beginning. 3. What was the influence of Trump’s cuts? While searches continue to locate the 40 people missing after the Guadalupe River flood, American press began to speculate on the impact of budget cuts and personnel implemented by President Donald Trump’s government on tragedy. The New York Times has revealed that several NWS offices in Texas have lacked hydrolagos and meteorologists, which are essential for monitoring and climate warning work. Tom Fahy, director of the NWS employee organization, said the vacant positions in at least two offices in Texas had doubled since January, when Trump returned to the White House. “Staff reduction puts lives at risk,” John Sokich told the newspaper, who was director of NWS Legislative Affairs until January. The former employee explained that the lack of personnel made it difficult to coordinate with local authorities in an emergency. The government denied, in turn, these allegations. “The forecasts and accurate and accurate alerts for Texas this weekend show that the NWS is fully capable of executing its crucial mission,” the Department of Commerce said, under which the weather agency operates. However, under the Trump administration, NWS, as well as other federal agencies, was forced to reduce its workforce. Even spring, the weather service had lost almost 600 of its 4,000 employees due to layoffs and retirement implemented by the government efficiency department, which was led by billionaire Elon Musk, The New York Times said. Return to the beginning. 4. What is known about the victims? The torrential rains that have reached the center of Texas since the end of last week have caused more than 100 deaths. The press’s attention focused on Kerr County, where the Christian camp is Mystic, which was devastated by the waters of the flood. At the center administered by the same family since the 1930s, which calls a place for girls to grow spiritually in a healthy Christian environment, at least 27 girls and adolescents would have died, while another 10 are still missing. According to initial investigations and testimonies, the waters of the flood would have caught the girls and their monitors sleeping. “We were all hysterical and prayed a lot,” NBC Stella Thompson, 13, told NBC, which was agreed for the noise of helicopters on Friday morning. The young woman escaped unharmed because her cabin was on high ground, but other colleagues, such as Renee Smajastrla, 8, were not so lucky. “They found Renee, and although it was not the result we expected, social media dissemination probably helped emergency services to identify it quickly,” wrote his uncle, Shawn Salta, on Facebook. “We are grateful that she is with her friends and having a lot of fun, as evidenced by this photo of yesterday,” he added. Among the other identified victims are the sisters Blair and Brooke Harber, 13 and 11, respectively. The girls’ father, RJ Harber, confirmed the death of daughters to the CNN network, describing Blair as “a talented student with a generous heart.” Brooke, he said, “it was like a light in any environment; people were attracted to her, and she made them laugh and enjoy the moment.” Camp director Richard “Dick” Eastland is also among the dead while a monitor is still missing. Outside the camp, other tragedies were recorded, such as Julian Ryan, a 27 -year -old who lost his life helping his family to save himself. Ryan broke the trailer window where he lived with his girlfriend, children and mother, near Texas Hill County, so they could escape the flood of the river. However, in doing so, he cut and bled to death before the arrival of help, local press said. “He died like a hero, and that will never be forgotten,” Connie Salas, Ryan’s sister, told a local station. The number of missing persons and the fact that the rains do not cease raise fears that the number of dead will continue to increase. *With information from Gary O’Donoghue, Rachel Hagan and Ana Faguy returns to the beginning.

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