COUNTRY star Pat Green has confirmed his younger brother was among the victims who died trying to save his children during the flood disaster.
The couple’s deaths were confirmed by Green’s wife, Kori, in an emotional Instagram post on Monday.
GettyCountry singer Pat Green confirmed his younger brother’s death (stock image)[/caption]
FacebookGreen’s brother John Burgess died clutching his two young sons during deadly floods that swept through an RV park[/caption]
“Pat’s little brother John, his wife Julia, and two of their children were swept away in the Kerrville flood,” she wrote.
“We are heartbroken and anxiously waiting for all of them to be found. Thank you for your prayers.”
While Kori’s post said they were still hoping for the missing to be located, local outlets reported both John and Julia’s bodies had been recovered.
The tragedy unfolded in Kerrville, Texas, as torrential rains battered the Blue Oak RV Park on the July 4 weekend.
What we know so far…
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Other victims include the niece of the Kansas City Chiefs’ owners, and sisters who were found dead with their hands locked together
Green’s brother, John Burgess, 39, was with his wife, Julia, and their two sons, James, 1, and Jack, 5, when fast-moving floodwaters tore through the site.
The family had been staying in an RV parked near the Guadalupe River when water levels surged by about 10 feet overnight.
SONS STILL MISSING
John and Julia were killed, and their sons remain unaccounted for.
Only their daughter, Jenna, survived as she was away at summer camp when the floods hit.
Witnesses say John refused to let go of his children as the water swept them away.
RV park owner Lorena Guillen said her husband tried to help rescue the family before they vanished in the current.
“My husband was in the water trying to ask them, ‘Please throw me your baby!’” Guillen told the New York Post.
“The man was holding tight to his babies, and he just got swept away.”
Guillen said she saw the family’s RV floating away in the darkness.
Donald Trump’s statement on Texas floods
“The Trump Administration is working with State and Local Officials on the ground in Texas in response to the tragic flooding that took place yesterday.
“Our Secretary of Homeland Security, Kristi Noem, will be there shortly.
“Melania and I are praying for all of the families impacted by this horrible tragedy.
“Our Brave First Responders are on site doing what they do best. GOD BLESS THE FAMILIES, AND GOD BLESS TEXAS!”
“It was pitch black, it was so dark,” she said
“The river went up about 10 feet.”
She added the kids were “so excited” to be on vacation for the July 4th holiday.
‘DEEPLY PERSONAL LOSS’
Pat Green, 53, called it a “deeply personal loss” in a statement posted on social media.
“During the devastating flooding that hit Central Texas, my family — like so many others — suffered a heartbreaking and deeply personal loss,” he said.
“We are grieving alongside countless Texans whose lives have been upended by this tragedy.
FacebookHis sons, James, 1, and Jack, 5, have not been found yet[/caption]
FacebookWitnesses say John refused to let go of his children as the water swept them away[/caption]
He canceled a Sunday concert, saying the tragedy had hit “close to home.”
“Our prayers go out to all the folks affected by the floods in the Texas Hill Country,” he said.
At least eight bodies were recovered from the property, she said, and 40 others were reported missing nearby.
Julia, 38, was a teacher at Liberty Elementary School outside Houston.
John ran a financial services business and was remembered by relatives for his “infectious smile and community spirit.”
OVER 100 KILLED
Texas’ deadly floods have claimed the lives of over 119 people, and 161 are still missing at the time of writing.
Search crews continue combing the flood-ravaged region for the missing children, and officials on Wednesday pleaded with the public to update the state’s missing persons registry to ensure no one is overlooked.
Kerr County Sheriff Larry Leitha said on Wednesday that while his department is still focused on finding the missing, there will eventually be accountability.
“I want that answer, and we’re going to get that answer,” he said of questions surrounding the alert system. “We’re not running, we’re not going to hide.”
STATES SEND HELP
The disaster has prompted a massive multi-state relief effort.
At least a dozen states – including Arkansas, Florida, Missouri, Louisiana, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Nebraska, Virginia, Colorado, and California – have deployed rescue teams and equipment to Texas.
California sent urban search and rescue specialists, while Arkansas mobilized 22 members of its National Guard and four Black Hawk helicopters to assist crews in the Austin area.
ALERT SYSTEM ROW
President Trump is also scheduled to visit Texas on Friday, though his administration is facing mounting pressure over claims that staffing cuts at the National Weather Service may have delayed early flood warnings.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has called for an investigation into whether unfilled vacancies and outdated alert systems played a role in the scale of the disaster.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt fired back at critics, calling the accusation “a depraved lie,” and insisting the floods were “an act of God” that could not have been predicted.
FLASH FLOODING HIT NEW MEXICO
Meanwhile, a second disaster has struck the region.
In neighboring New Mexico, the mountain town of Ruidoso was devastated by a flash flood Tuesday that killed three people — a 4-year-old girl, a 7-year-old boy, and a man believed to be in his 40s or 50s.
Officials said the river surged more than 15 feet in a single hour following heavy rain on wildfire-scorched terrain.
At least four people remain missing.
Emergency crews in the area have carried out nearly 100 water rescues as streets turned into rivers and homes were swept away.
The destruction in Texas and New Mexico has left families reeling as the death toll climbs.
GettyAt least eight bodies were recovered from the property, she said, and 40 others were reported missing nearby (stock image)[/caption]
GettyOver 100 people have been killed, and more than 160 remain missing[/caption] Published: [#item_custom_pubDate]
