News Summary
The Texas Hill Country witnessed a devastating flood that resulted in the heartbreaking loss of two young sisters, Blair and Brooke Harber. The 14 and 12-year-olds, students at St. Rita Catholic School in Dallas, were staying at a cabin when floodwaters swept them away. The floods, caused by more than 10 inches of rain, have led to over 51 fatalities, with many individuals still missing. Community members and rescue teams are mobilizing to support affected families and locate those unaccounted for.
Texas Hill Country – The devastating floods in Texas Hill Country have claimed the lives of two young sisters, Blair and Brooke Harber, aged 14 and 12. Both girls were students at St. Rita Catholic School in Dallas, where the school community expressed its deep sorrow in a letter confirming the tragic news. The incident occurred during flash flooding triggered by overnight storms that drenched the area with more than 10 inches of rain.
Blair and Brooke were reportedly staying at a cabin along the Guadalupe River with their grandparents when the floodwaters swept their cabin away on Friday. Tragically, the two sisters were lost to the raging waters, and their grandparents remain missing. Fortunately, their parents, RJ and Annie Harber, were in a separate cabin during the floods and were able to escape unharmed. In response to this tragic loss, St. Rita’s School held a prayer service on Saturday for the affected families and the community.
As of Saturday evening, officials from Kerr County reported at least 43 fatalities as a direct result of the flooding: 28 adults and 15 children. Moreover, there are at least 27 children still unaccounted for, raising concerns and urgency for ongoing rescue efforts. Flash flooding is a phenomenon characterized by rapid and unexpected increases in water levels, which significantly heightens risks to life and property. It is considered the nation’s top storm-related killer.
The flash flood warning was issued as the Guadalupe River rose dramatically, reaching heights of 30 feet near Camp Mystic, where several girls were also reported missing. The National Weather Service had earlier issued multiple flood warnings and emergency alerts, upgrading a previous flood watch affecting approximately 30,000 residents in the area. The region had recently been under flood watches, anticipating rising water levels; however, local authorities were caught unaware of the flood’s severity.
Kerr County officials acknowledged that there was no warning system in place that could have alerted residents about the impending disaster. Kerr County Judge Rob Kelly noted that past flooding events had not resulted in similar casualties, which may have contributed to the oversight in their preparedness for such an extreme weather event. Meanwhile, technical limitations have made travel unsafe across Central Texas due to widespread road closures and hazardous conditions.
In light of the disaster, rescue operations have mobilized approximately 850 personnel using helicopters and ground teams to search for survivors. Governor Greg Abbott has declared a disaster for multiple counties impacted by the flooding, emphasizing the continuing threat to life as additional rainfall is predicted and flood warnings remain active in parts of Central Texas. The death toll from the floods has escalated to at least 51 reported fatalities across various counties, with numerous residents still missing.
Emergency management agencies are working tirelessly to provide real-time updates and assistance to those affected by the flooding. Recovery efforts are expected to continue as residents face the aftermath of this catastrophic natural disaster, with extensive resources directed towards locating the missing and providing support to grieving families during this difficult time.
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Additional Resources
- NBC DFW
- Wikipedia: Flash Flood
- AccuWeather
- Google Search: Texas floods
- Fox 4 News
- Google Scholar: Texas flooding
- NBC News
- Encyclopedia Britannica: Flood
- Statesman
- Google News: Texas floods
