Texans gather for prayer vigil to honor those impacted by deadly flood
Prayers were offered to the victims of the Kerr County flood. The search for those still missing entered its fourth day.
The community of Kerrville, Texas, ravaged by the catastrophic flooding of the Guadalupe River last week, is mourning its losses as rescue teams continue the grueling task of recovering the remains of missing victims.
At least 119 people have been found dead in nearly a week since heavy rainfall overwhelmed the river and flowed through homes and youth camps in the early morning hours of July 4. Ninety-five of those killed were in the hardest-hit county in central Texas, Kerr County, where the toll includes at least three dozen children.
Some 170 people are still missing throughout the state, and hopes of finding anyone else alive have diminished each passing day, with Kerr County authorities saying they haven’t made a “live rescue” since the day of the flood. Among the missing are five campers and a counselor from the beloved Christian girls camp, Camp Mystic, which counted at least 27 children and staff among the death toll.
Kerr County authorities and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott have pledged that search crews will continue working until every missing person is found. They’ve also faced tough questions about who is to blame for the little notice of flood warnings.
On Wednesday evening, crowds gathered at a Kerrville high school for a vigil to pray for the victims and missing.
“The kingdom of God looks like thousands of volunteers walking along the riverbanks clearing a path,” Kerrville resident Josh Smithson, the director of Christian youth outreach organization Young Life, said at the vigil. “The kingdom of God looks like Kerr County rising together in a time of need.”
