Reference News Network July 8 report: On July 6, the Spanish newspaper "El País" website published a report by journalist Jesús Jancar Cuervo from Kerrville, Texas, titled "The river is rising, everything we have has been flooded": Texas is racing against time to find flood survivors. The following is a compilation:

In Kerrville, Kerr County, Texas, the heavy rain has stopped, but the sky remains overcast. The sun occasionally peeks out. Life is slowly returning to normal. There are vehicles on the streets, stores are open for business. Helicopters occasionally fly overhead. However, in Louise Hayes Park, rescue workers are still searching among the fallen trees for people - alive or dead. The Guadalupe River that flows through this park overflowed at around 4 a.m., causing unprecedented destruction. Residents recalled that two nights ago, the river rose so high that it almost submerged the bridge.

The main entrance to the park is located at the intersection of two streets. Although the police have set up a cordon, people are still passing through.

A woman in her 50s stood on the bridge looking towards the park and said, "This was once a park where children played. Thinking about them not being here anymore, thinking about their parents, it's really heartbreaking." A summer camp with 750 children was taking place in the park when the flood struck. "I work nearby, my house wasn't affected, but I can't stop thinking about the children who might no longer be here," said the woman, almost crying.

Beneath the bridge, rescue workers were searching through mud and debris. A truck was trying to pull away a car that had been tied with ropes by workers, but both attempts failed.

A lady named Kim recalled, "They had set up tents here to celebrate Independence Day, but the disaster started at midnight, sweeping everything away. It was around 2 a.m. at the time, and everything happened too fast." She was a food delivery person, and she was driving while marveling at how fierce the storm was. Her family and house were safe, "I'm lucky, but I know some people who were affected, and some who lost their lives."

Kim, who moved to Kerrville in 1994, said she had never seen anything like this before. "Now, community aid efforts have begun, cleaning, searching... people are coming from all over. I have to deliver meals, but I will definitely help with the rescue because it's what we should do."

James Caller was also watching the rescuers. At 75 years old, Caller had gray hair and wore shorts, "The water level has dropped a lot. When the river rose, everything we had was flooded, and we were frozen stiff." Despite his age, Caller said he was still willing to lend a hand.

Rafael Villarreal has lived in Kerrville for two years and runs a shop near the park. The flood left him homeless, "I'm now staying in a motel."

Villarreal is negotiating with the insurance company to get compensation. At the same time, he is also trying to find a place to live, and he has even offered to help with post-disaster reconstruction. "We can do very little, as we don't have equipment, but we will try our best to donate, like food. I used to come to this park often, these trees were once so beautiful, now they're gone. Seeing them like this is truly unbelievable." (Translated by Wang Meng)

Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7524543223264461350/

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