US county declares state of disaster after deadly flooding

A state of disaster has been declared in Kerr County in the US state of Texas, after "catastrophic" flooding killed at least 13 people and left many more missing, authorities confirmed Friday.

The flooding began late Thursday and continued into the early hours of Friday, as heavy rains engulfed the Guadalupe River, pushing it to a crest of more than 39 feet (11.8 meters), surpassing the region's second-largest modern flood in 1987.

The Kerr County Sheriff's Office confirmed the deaths at a news conference.

Texas Lieutenant Gov. Dan Patrick said that about 20 people were still unaccounted for, many from Camp Mystic, an all-girls summer camp.

Describing it as a "catastrophic level" of flooding, Patrick confirmed that "hundreds of people," along with at least 14 helicopters and 12 drones, were on the ground conducting search and rescue operations.

The disaster declaration, signed by County Judge Rob Kelly, stated the flooding caused "widespread and severe damage, injury and loss of life," and there remains "an imminent threat of doing more of the same."

The county's Fourth of July celebrations were canceled, as floodwaters submerged parks and forced evacuations of households along the river.

Residents were urged to shelter in place and move to higher ground if they were near creeks or streams.