Officials in Texas revised the number of people missing in the aftermath of catastrophic flash flooding in Kerr County down from 97 to three, and The New York Times looked at how and why it changed so drastically.
What's happening?
In the early-morning hours of July 4, torrential rain caused the Guadalupe River to rise over 20 feet in the space of an hour.
In the flash flooding that ensued, no fewer than 135 people were killed, 27 of whom were children or counselors at Camp Mystic.
As of Saturday, July 19, 97 individuals were still officially listed as "missing." Later that day, officials revised that number down to three, and the City of Kerrville issued a statement explaining that the change was the result of time-consuming investigative efforts, per CBS News.
"Through extensive follow-up work among state and local agencies, many individuals who were initially reported as missing have been verified as safe and removed from the list," the city said.
Kerrville Community Services Officer Jonathan Lamb was quoted in a statement issued Sunday, reiterating that accounting for the missing "takes time."
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"It is essential to ensure that every lead is thoroughly followed and each person is properly accounted for," Lamb said, alluding to the time-consuming nature of the investigation.
The Times noted that resolution of missing persons reports after the Kerr County floods was "further complicated by the number of people who were visiting the area … for the holiday weekend," due in part to frantic friends and family filing reports "from afar."
Why does the revised number matter?
In their coverage of the Kerr County update, both the Times and ABC News examined the issue in the broader context of previous instances of extreme weather and related disasters, including the Camp Fire in 2018 and the wildfires in Maui in 2023.
Although floods and wildfires might not sound like "weather," they fall under the umbrella of extreme weather, since they are at the very least caused or partially caused by weather conditions. As these previously rare events become more commonplace, so too does managing a chaotic aftermath.
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"Record-breaking heat waves on land and in the ocean, drenching rains, severe floods, years-long droughts, extreme wildfires, and widespread flooding during hurricanes are all becoming more frequent and more intense," NASA concisely explained.
Higher average temperatures and warming seas are unquestionably exacerbating extreme weather across the planet.
While hurricanes, torrential rain, floods, and wildfires have always occurred, a hotter overall environment necessarily intensifies these otherwise-natural disasters, making them costlier, more destructive, harder to recover from, and deadlier over time.
What can be done about the risks posed by extreme weather?
On July 16, 20 states jointly sued the federal government and several agencies over its decision to strip FEMA of funding earlier this year.
As several key agencies are operating with limited resources, individual preparedness is critical. Packing a "go bag" and creating a kit for shelter-in-place scenarios are two ways to be ready for extreme weather.
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