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No Filipino casualties in Texas floods —PH Consulate in Houston
NEW YORK - No Filipinos were among the reported fatalities after the floods in Texas, the Philippine Consulate General in Houston said.
“As of now, there are still no reports of any Filipino casualties. The Consulate remains hopeful that none will be reported in the coming days,” it said.
The consulate is currently coordinating with the Filipino community in Kerr County, Kerrville City, and Central Texas — areas severely affected by the sudden flooding — to determine the condition of affected Filipinos.
“The Consulate is in direct contact with the Filipino community in Kerrville City and is aware that our kababayans living there are doing okay,” the Assistant to Nationals (ATN) at the consulate in Houston told GMA Integrated News.
The ATN also said that the Consulate is closely monitoring the situation in the affected areas, especially in Kerr County, which was hit hardest by the flooding.
“The Philippine Consulate General continues to closely monitor the developing situation and the outcomes of the search and rescue efforts in the affected areas of Central Texas, particularly in Kerr County, where the effects of the flash floods were most devastating,” the statement added.
The death toll has reached 78 as of Sunday. Sixty-eight of the fatalities were from Kerr County including 28 children. Ten others died elsewhere in Texas and 41 were missing, Texas Governor Greg Abbott said in a press conference on Sunday afternoon.
Search, rescue, and recovery operations are still ongoing for those who remain missing.
The consulate is also coordinating with local authorities and gathering more information to respond appropriately if any Filipino nationals require assistance.
“The Consulate General in Houston is in contact with local authorities and members of the Filipino community in the affected areas to gather more information, and stands ready to extend necessary and appropriate support to any Filipino who may have been affected,” the statement concluded.
Bethany Bayer, one of the Filipinos living in San Angelo, Texas, was among those affected by the flooding.
Bayer shared with GMA Integrated News a video showing the flood in front of the house she shares with her husband, as seen in a report on Unang Balita on Monday. Their house also got flooded.
She said they barely get rain in San Angelo that's why they got shocked when they woke up early Friday with water in their house.
The consulate urged Filipinos to monitor emergency advisories and call authorities if they need assistance. —KG, GMA Integrated News
