12 missing as US home swept away
Twelve people reported missing in Texas flash-floods were staying together in a home swept away by the rushing water, officials say.
Witnesses reported seeing the house pushed off its foundation by the swollen Blanco River and smash into a bridge, Hays County Judge Bert Cobb says.
Only pieces of the home have been found so far. He says the worst of the flooding happened around 4am on Monday.
One person rescued from the home told workers about the other people inside, saying the 12 were all connected to two families.
The house was in Wimberley Valley, an area known for its bed-and-breakfast inns and rental weekend cottages.
Authorities have confirmed one death from the flooding. It’s unclear if the person who died was in the home swept away by the river.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott says the damage caused by the flash-flooding is “absolutely devastating”.
The governor flew over parts of the Blanco River, a day after heavy rains pushed the river out of its banks .
At a news conference, Mr Abbott says the damage he saw was “absolutely massive” from the storms’ “relentless tsunami-type power”.
He stressed that communities downstream need to monitor flood levels and take seriously the threat of the ongoing storms.
He added 24 counties to his state disaster declaration, bringing the total to 37 counties in mostly the eastern half of the state. That allows for further mobilisation of state resources to assist disaster-struck communities.
