First responders from Mexico are helping Texas in the wake of flooding that killed dozens of people over the Independence Day weekend. In a social media post on Tuesday, July 8, a spokesperson for the city of Acuña in Mexico, located approximately 140 miles from the hardest-hit areas of Texas, stated that the town dispatched a rescue squad from its civil protection and firefighting teams to Kerr County, Texas.
Death toll rises
The team, including nine members of Acuña’s water rescue team, is assisting first responders in Texas with search and rescue operations in the aftermath of catastrophic flooding that killed at least 119 people, including 19 children. At least 173 people are missing.
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Among the dead across six Texas counties are 59 adults and 36 children in Kerr County. The flooding caused by rain of more than 20 inches in some areas washed away structures and killed 19 adults and seven children at the all-girls Camp Mystic, according to officials.
Federal assistance
Texas is also receiving assistance from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Emergency Management Agency, as well as volunteers from across the country.
Posts of Mexican volunteers have been popping up on social media as search and rescue efforts continue.
Disaster declaration
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, R, vowed to “not stop until every missing person is accounted for.”
President Donald Trump signed a disaster declaration on Sunday, July 6, in response to the flooding. He is slated to visit Texas on Friday, July 11.
In a letter on Wednesday, July 9, Abbott ordered “flags of the State of Texas shall be lowered statewide immediately to half-staff in mourning for those who lost their lives in the floods” until Monday morning, July 14.
“Texas has sustained a devastating and heartbreaking loss as a result of the recent flooding events across the state. Countless lives have been lost during this horrific event, and an unbelievable amount of physical and emotional damage has been sustained throughout the state,” Abbot said in the statement.
