The devastating Texas floods have claimed 82 lives so far, with several others remaining unaccounted for. Full-fledged families, who were on camping trips for the July 4 weekend in the Hill Country, have been upended.
Among the dead were two sisters from Dallas, whose bodies were found together with their ‘hands locked’ to each other.
Thirteen-year-old Blair Herber and 11-year-old Brooke Harber went on a camping trip with the whole family alongside the Guadalupe River. According to their school, they were studying in their cabin in the gated community of Casa Bonita in Hunt when flood water swept them away, the Associated Press reported. While both their parents are safe, their grandparents remain missing.
Both sisters were students at St. Rita Catholic School in Dallas. Their parents were woken up by the rushing water at around 3:30 am on Friday. They saw a text from Brooke that just said, ‘I love you.’ According to a GoFundMe page set up by their aunt Jennifer, the same text was also sent to the girls’ maternal grandparents.
The heavy rain and floodwater prevented their father, RJ Herber, and their mom, Annie Herber, from reaching the cabin the girls were staying in. They borrowed a kayak from their neighbouring cabin and paddled their way towards the girls. But rough waters prevented them from reaching the cabin the sisters were staying in, and the couple had to be rescued alongside five others.
{{/usCountry}}The heavy rain and floodwater prevented their father, RJ Herber, and their mom, Annie Herber, from reaching the cabin the girls were staying in. They borrowed a kayak from their neighbouring cabin and paddled their way towards the girls. But rough waters prevented them from reaching the cabin the sisters were staying in, and the couple had to be rescued alongside five others.
{{/usCountry}}The bodies of Blair and Brooke Herber were found 12 hours later approximately 15 miles away. Their aunt told KLOU that their hands were ‘locked together’. The girls’ grandparents, Mike and Charlene Herber, are still missing.
The Texas floods
The flooding in central Texas originated from the fast-moving waters on the Guadalupe River on Friday, killing at least 82 people. Authorities say search and rescue efforts are still underway, but the total number of missing people is still unclear.
Both US President Donald Trump and Texas Governor Greg Abbott have signed disaster declarations, opening the avenues for more funding into the area. Trump also said that he would likely visit Texas on Friday.