US

Officials And Citizens Rescue 29 Stranded Campers From Texas Flash Floods

SHUTTERSTOCK/ Mike H

Daily Caller News Foundation logo
Neetu Arnold Contributor
Font Size:

Government officials and citizens worked as a team to save 29 campers stranded on tree tops and vehicles from unexpected flash floods in Uvalde, Texas, on Sunday.

Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine Office, Border Patrol agents, Texas Department of Public Safety, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, local law enforcement agencies and private citizens all combined their efforts to save several individuals from the morning floods.

Campers and their vehicles were swept away by the deluge from the Nueces River, according to a U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) press release Monday. Helicopters lifted the people, including children and a pregnant woman, to safety for over five hours.

Uvalde Mayor Don McLaughlin Jr. said the flash floods caused unusual shock to people in the area.

“It happens every couple of years, but usually you get more notice,” McLaughlin said, according to the San Antonio Express News on Sunday.

The area received 10 to 11 inches of rain instead of the predicted one to two inches by weather forecasts, the Express News reported. (RELATED: Air And Marine Operations Agent Saved Drowning Woman Who Jumped Off Cliff To Swim Back To Mexico)

This caused the Nueces River to rise to 14 feet, making it a moderate flood stage, according to the National Weather Service. Uvalde County was also in the middle of an extreme drought.

Every person rescued was taken to Uvalde Civic Center, though no serious injuries were reported, CBP reported.

“I am immensely proud of the hard work that brought about a successful conclusion to a volatile situation that potentially could have ended in tragedy,” Del Rio Sector Chief Felix Chavez said in the press release.

Follow Neetu on Twitter

All content created by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent and nonpartisan newswire service, is available without charge to any legitimate news publisher that can provide a large audience. All republished articles must include our logo, our reporter’s byline and their DCNF affiliation. For any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.