Texas RV Park destroyed by Kerr County flood, search for missing continues
Kerr County RV Park destroyed by Texas flooding
A devastating "once-in-a-lifetime" flood in Kerrville, Texas, has led to multiple fatalities and ongoing search efforts for missing individuals after an RV park was swept away.
KERRVILLE. Texas - Just days after what should have been an Independence Day celebration, an RV park in Kerrville, Texas, was yet another scene of utter devastation, as a "once-in-a-lifetime" flood swept away homes and lives.
RV residents
What Happened:
Julia Hatfield and her husband have been living in an RV since April. Their RV washed away from the Kerrville Park they were staying at.
"26 feet in 45 minutes is what they’re saying," said Julia. "We found our RV at the bottom of it yesterday, and it gave us a lot of closure, but really the focus now is to help people find their loved ones and to help people clean up."
Hatfield’s husband woke up to get them to safety.
"He started to hear screaming, I guess around 4:30-4:35."
Hatfield now says she’s sticking around to assist cleanup efforts and believes she’s one of the fortunate ones.
"I think a lot of people are confused as to why no one saw it coming but no one saw it coming."
RV Park owner
What they're saying:
A family of five was swept away at Blue Oak RV Park.
"Everybody lost everything," said owner Lorena Guillen. "The rescue team tried so hard to save them. So hard, and they couldn’t get to them, and they got swept away."
Guillen tells FOX 4 that on top of losing a family at her park, one of her employees, Julian Ryan, died elsewhere while trying to save his family.
"You know, sweet, gentle, extremely polite and well-mannered. He was always ‘yes ma’am’, ‘no ma’am’. I mean that was the kind of kid he was."
Dig deeper:
Rovy Youngduff walked around Louise Hays Park in Downtown Kerrville where an Independence Day celebration was supposed to take place.
"It’s a horrible thing to think about," he said.
"Total devastation. Just thinking about how many people have lost their lives."
Gov. Abbott speaks at press conference
What's next:
Texas Governor Greg Abbott spoke to Texans at a press conference on Sunday afternoon as the death toll continues to rise and some are still missing.
"We know that parents and families want information. They want closure, and we want them to know that we are working as swiftly as possible to get them accurate information."
LIVE UPDATES | Texas Flooding: At least 79 dead across state as rescue efforts continue
Deadly flooding is responsible for the deaths of at least 68 people in Kerr County and 10 others across the state, officials say.
The Source: Information in this article was provided from interviews conducted by FOX 4's David Sentendrey.