The catastrophic flooding that hit Texas, in the southern United States, early Friday morning has claimed a death toll. 79 people have now been found dead. The increase was officially reported by authorities on Sunday, as rescuers continue their frantic search for missing people amid renewed rains. Among them are the 11 girls who were camping when the climatic catastrophe struck.

Larry Leitha Jr., sheriff of Kerr County, one of the counties hardest hit by the disaster, announced at a press conference that 68 people have been found dead in his jurisdiction, 40 of whom are adults and 28 are children. Among those 68, 18 adults are unidentified, as are 10 of the children.

In addition to these deaths, there are another 11 in other counties : 3 in Burnet, 2 in Kendall, 1 in Williamson, 1 in Tom Green, and 4 in Travis.

President Donald Trump signed a natural disaster emergency declaration on Sunday to address flooding in Texas and allow the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to be activated in the area.

They are searching for 11 girls who were participating in a camp when they were caught in the rain.

Meanwhile, in Kerr, the desperate search continues for 11 girls and a counselor who are still missing from Camp Mystic, authorities said. The summer camp is located next to the Guadalupe River, which burst its banks during a torrential downpour.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott said there were about 750 girls at Camp Mystic when the river flooded."It was devastated in a way that has never been seen in any natural disaster," he said.

Although local authorities initially did not establish a specific number of missing people, since many people from outside the region were camping in the area for the July 4th festivities, Texas Governor Greg Abbott estimated this Sunday that there are 41 missing due to the floods.

"The water level reached the top of the cabins," Abbott explained on social media after visiting the area. He warned:"We won't stop until all the girls are found."

The scene at Kerr's camp was bleak. Blankets, teddy bears, and other belongings belonging to the girls were found completely covered in mud. The river's strong current also reportedly shattered the windows of the cabins.

A flood warning is in effect in Texas.

The National Weather Service (NWS) warned Sunday of the risk of further deluges as torrential rains are expected in devastated areas of Texas where the ground is already completely saturated.

The outlook issued by the NWS is terrifying:"An additional 50 to 100 millimeters of rain are possible, with isolated pockets near 250 millimeters," they confirmed in their latest bulletin."It is very difficult to predict exactly where the heaviest rainfall will occur," they added.

On Friday, the Guadalupe River rose by about eight meters in 45 minutes, due to the fall of more than 300 millimeters of rain overnight, a third of the average rainfall for an entire year.

Since early Sunday, rescuers have been maneuvering through challenging and very slippery terrain. And local authorities have asked Texans to pray for survivors. Chaotic.

For now, rescuers are using helicopters, boats, and drones to search for victims and also to rescue people stranded in trees and from camps isolated by washed-out roads. So far, local officials said more than 850 people were rescued during the first 36 hours. However, the search continues on Sunday.

Texas disaster: Flooding river kills dozens and evacuates hundreds

Flash flooding is not unusual in South and Central Texas, where the climate catastrophe occurred: the soil lacks the necessary conditions to absorb water when torrential rains such as those experienced in recent hours occur.

"The water reached the treetops. About 10 meters or so," explained Gerardo Martínez, a 61-year-old resident of the municipality."Cars and entire houses were going downriver," he described.

Pope Leo XIV offered his condolences to the families of the victims during the Sunday Angelus prayer in St. Peter's Square."We pray for them," the American pontiff said from the Vatican on Sunday.

It has been raining nonstop in Texas, USA, since early Friday morning. Photo: Reuters

With information from AFP