The U.S. Coast Guard has assisted in saving 223 lives in Central Texas, said Department of Homeland Secretary Kristi Noem.
"God bless our first responders," she said in a post on X.
A storm unleashed nearly a foot of rain just before dawn Friday and sent floodwaters gushing out of the Guadalupe River through the region known for its century-old summer camps. Many more are still missing.
"Officials say the death toll from the Hill Country floods has risen to 32 people. 14 of those who died are children," reported KSAT's Daniela Ibarra in a post on X.
"Five adults and three children remain unidentified as the search continues for missing persons," KSAT reported in a post on X.
State officials said 23 to 25 girls from Camp Mystic, a riverside Christian camp in Hunt, Texas, still were unaccounted for. They declined to estimate how many people were missing across the region but said a massive search was underway.
CBS Austin's Abigail Velez reported in a post on X that Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said "850 people have been rescued in the last 36 hours 'some who have been hanging to trees.'"
And CBS Austin's Vinny Martorano reported in a post on X: "Governor Greg Abbott is expanding the disaster declaration to other Texas counties experiencing flood damage. US Department of Homeland Security says President Donald Trump wants to use all federal government resources possible to recover the missing children."
Trump said his administration was working with Texas state and local officials in response to the flooding.
"Our Secretary of Homeland Security, Kristi Noem, will be there shortly. Melania and I are praying for all of the families impacted by this horrible tragedy. Our Brave First Responders are on site doing what they do best. GOD BLESS THE FAMILIES, AND GOD BLESS TEXAS!" Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social on Saturday.
When asked if his administration would provide federal aid, Trump told reporters: "We'll take care of them."
Noem said Saturday that Trump would honor a request for disaster declaration.
She also said "the Coast Guard will be deployed to Kerr County so search and rescue efforts can continue overnight, even in the pitch black," reported Velez in a separate post on X.
Information from The Associated Press and Reuters was used in this report.
Solange Reyner ✉
Solange Reyner is a writer and editor for Newsmax. She has more than 15 years in the journalism industry reporting and covering news, sports and politics.
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