IN AFTERMATH, GRIM DISCOVERIES
With toll at 7, identities of dead and missing are becoming known, their stories being told. As rivers recede, forecast suggests more storms, flooding.
SAN MARCOS Hays Coun— ty authorities said Wednesday that a body found along the Bl anco River in Caldwell County has been identified as Michelle Carey-Charba, one of eight vacationers from Corpus Christi who went missing in Wimberley after their house was ripped off its foundation by the record-setting flood Saturday night.
The county on Wednesday also found the body of a male child, who could be one of two boys who went missing from the group, and identified two other bodies : Bl anco resident Jose Alvaro Arteaga-Pichardo, who was last seen Saturday after leaving his job at a ranch west of Wimberley, and Wimberley resident Larry Thomas, who was swept away by the surging river as he and his wife struggled to hold onto the roof of their home.
Five bodies have been recovered al ong the river so far, and authorities are still looking for eight people who went missing Saturday. To the north, two people died as a result of Monday’s storms in Travis and Williamson counties, bringing Central Texas’ death toll from the fl oods this Memorial Day weekend to seven and counting.
Overall, at least 34 people have died in Texas, Oklaho - ma and northern Mexico as a result of the storms across
the region. In Hays County, the situation could become more grim as hopes fade for the eight missing people, including Carey-Charba’s husband, Randy Charba, and son, Will.
Also among the vacationers from Corpus Christi were Carey-Charba’s parents, Sue and Ralph Carey, and another family: Jonathan and Laura McComb and their children, Andrew and Leighton. Jonathan McComb was rescued shortly after the flood, but the rest are still missing. Kenneth Reissig of Fredericksburg, who was last seen in Blanco County, also hasn’t been found.
Blanco County officials have said that Zachery Jones, 43, was found dead in his car after the flooding. Hays County still hasn’t been able to identify a body that was found in the water in San Marcos on Sunday and will be using DNA testing to determine the man’s identity.
U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, on Wednesday toured the Flite Acres Road area in Wimberley, where many houses were completely destroyed.
“Today, Texans are hurting. They’re hurting here in San Marcos. They’re hurting in Wimberley. They’re hurting in Houston,” said Cruz, a 2016 presidential contender. “Men, women and children have lost their lives. People have lost their homes.”
Cruz said that he was pleased to see all levels of government working in “harmony” to respond to the floods and that he expects President Barack Obama to issue a disaster declaration for the parts of Texas that were inundated last weekend.
For that to happen, the damage has to exceed benchmarks on how many houses were destroyed, how much the rebuilding effort will cost, how many affected homeowners lacked insurance and other factors. Gov. Greg Abbott has issued a state-level disaster declaration for the area, which is the first step in the process of seeking a federal designation.
“I have received assurances from both state of- ficials and local officials that the aggregate damages by all appearances will meet those thresholds,” Cruz said.
Cruz was also asked about his position on climate change, which scientists say increases the frequency of extreme weather events.
“At a time of tragedy, I think it’s wrong to try to politicize a natural disaster, so there’s plenty of time to talk about other issues. I think the focus now is on caring for those that have lost their lives,” he said.
Also Wednesday, Travis County identified a man who died as a result of Monday’s storm in the northeastern part of the county as 23-year-old Jonathan Walker of Houston.
On Monday evening, two people who were able to get out of their truck at a flooded low water crossing told deputies that a third person, Walker, didn’t manage to leave the vehicle before they lost sight of it, according to a news release.
Austin-Travis County EMS and Pflugerville Fire Department emergency responders searched for Walker for several hours; his body was found in the vehicle after the storm.
Meanwhile, Mother Nature has refused to give the area a break. Since the disaster Saturday, tornadoes have touched down in San Marcos and near Blanco, new storms have brought additional flooding, and the first wave of summer heat has exhausted rescue workers and search dogs. Ken Bell, the city of San Marcos’ emergency management coordinator, warned residents to be careful as thunderstorms continue to roll through.
“It doesn’t take much. We are saturated, folks,” Bell said. “The isolated thunderstorms can cause immediate local flooding in your area. I can’t stress it enough: We’re to a point where we’re missing (eight) people. We don’t need any more.”