UPDATE 1-Texas flash flooding leaves unspecified numbers of people dead and missing

Thunderstorms and torrential rain triggered deadly flash flooding on Friday along the Guadalupe River in south-central Texas, killing an unspecified number of people and leaving numerous others missing, according to local authorities. Among those unaccounted for were an unknown number of children caught in floodwaters that swept through campgrounds.

"Everybody is doing everything in their power to get these kids out," Kerr County Judge Rob Kelly said at a news briefing on the disaster. Kelly said authorities had some preliminary fatality figures but declined to release any specific numbers until more was known about the scope of casualties. But local media reported that at least six people had died.

The U.S. National Weather Service declared a flash flood emergency for parts of Kerr County, located in south-central Texas Hill Country, about 65 miles northwest of San Antonio, following heavy downpours measuring up to a foot of rain. The Kerr County Sheriff's Office reported "catastrophic flooding" in the area, resulting in several people missing and "confirmed loss of life."

Dalton Rice, city manager for Kerville, the county seat, told reporters the extreme flooding struck with little or no advance warning, precluding authorities from issuing any evacuation orders. "This happened very quickly, over a very short period of time that could not be predicted, even with the radar," Rice said. "This happened within less than a two-hour span."

He said scattered residential subdivisions, recreational vehicle parks and campgrounds were hardest hit. Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick said he was coordinating with the state's emergency response team on the flooding.

"Additional rain is forecast in those areas. Even if the rain is light, more flooding can occur in those areas. There is an ongoing threat for possible flash flooding from San Antonio to Waco for the next 24 to 48 hours in addition to the continued risks in west and central Texas," Patrick said in a post on social media platform X. Personnel from the U.S. Coast Guard and the Federal Emergency Management Agency were activated to assist local authorities in confronting the crisis, officials said. (Writing and reporting by Steve Gorman in Los Angeles; Additional reporting by Ismail Shakil in Ottawa; Editing by Matthew Lewis)

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)