Hundreds gather at high school stadium to honor the many lost to Texas deadly floods

KERRVILLE Texas AP Several hundred people gathered for a worship ceremony at a high school stadium in Texas on Wednesday evening to remember the at least people who died in the catastrophic flash floods over the July Fourth holiday as well the multiple still missing Our communities were struck with tragedy literally in the darkness Wyatt Wentrcek a local youth minister informed the crowd in the bleachers of Tivy Antler Stadium in Kerrville Middle of the night During a series of prayers for the sufferers and the more than people still thought to be missing in hard-hit Kerr County which includes Kerrville people in the crowd clutched one another and brushed away tears Plenty of attendees wore blue shirts with the school s slogan Tivy Fight Never Die or green ribbons for Camp Mystic the century-old all-girls Christian summer camp in Kerr County where at least campers and counselors died Authorities mentioned five campers and one counselor have still not been ascertained Ricky Pruitt with the Kerrville Church of Christ narrated the crowd that they gathered intentionally at a place where they had celebrated victories and experienced losses on the field Tonight is very different than all of those nights he explained The event was held as search crews and contributors continued to scour miles along the Guadalupe River for the people still missing In air boats helicopters and on horseback crews looked in trees and mounds below their feet while search dogs sniffed for any sign of buried bodies With almost no hope of finding anyone alive searchers mentioned they were focused on bringing the families of the missing people specific closure The floods are now the deadliest from inland flooding in the U S since when Colorado s Big Thompson Canyon flooded killing people stated Bob Henson a meteorologist with Yale Circumstances Connections Authorities have been seeking more information about those who were in the Hill Country a popular tourist destination during the holiday weekend but did not register at a camp or a hotel and may have been in the area without multiple people knowing Gov Greg Abbott has announced Inhabitants personnel in the area have come under repeated criticism amid questions about the timeline of what happened and why widespread warnings were not sounded and more preparations were not made Kerr County Sheriff Larry Leitha has announced those questions will be answered but the focus now is on recovering casualties The governor called on state lawmakers to approve new flood warning systems and strengthen crisis communications in flood prone areas throughout the state when the Legislature meets in a special session that Abbott had already called to address other issues starting July Abbott also called on lawmakers to provide financial relief for response and recovery efforts from the storms We must ensure better preparation for such events in the future Abbott revealed in a comment Local leaders have talked for years about the need for a flood warning system but concerns about costs and noise led to missed opportunities to put up sirens President Donald Trump has pledged to provide whatever relief Texas requirements to recover and is planning to visit the state Friday Polls taken before the floods show Americans largely believe the federal authorities should play a major role in preparing for and responding to natural disasters Catastrophic flooding is a growing worry On Tuesday a deluge in New Mexico triggered flash floods that killed three people Although it s challenging to attribute a single weather event to surroundings change experts say a warming atmosphere and oceans make these type of storms more likely After the ceremony in Kerrville on Wednesday children and families mingled on the field and particular students formed prayer circles Licensed counselors and therapists were also on hand to meet with people Andrew Brown who was at the vigil to honor a Tivy High School soccer coach who died in the flooding stated he believes a warning system with a siren would be helpful I m sure there are things that could have been different and I m sure there will be going forward he mentioned David Garza explained he drove an hour and a half to the stadium to provide help for loved ones affected by the floods I m from here and I was here in the flood and the flood Garza commented I just desired to be a part of this Associated Press writers John Seewer in Toledo Ohio Jim Vertuno in Austin Texas and John Hanna in Topeka Kansas contributed to this statement Source