Three days after cataclysmic floods tore through a stretch of the Texas Hill Country, officials have confirmed the deaths of 27 children and counselors who had been missing from a girls’ summer camp. Authorities counted more than 90 deaths statewide and said the number was almost certain to climb as rescuers sorted through mounds of debris.

Officials refused to say at a news conference Monday how many additional people were still believed missing, but warned that more heartache was sure to come. The confirmation from Camp Mystic about its campers was a devastating blow to family and community members who had been holding out hope for their survival. More than 750 kids were at the property along the Guadalupe River on Friday morning when torrential rains unleashed a flash flood that swept away cabins, campsites, bridges and roads, hampering search and recovery efforts.

“Our hearts are broken alongside our families that are enduring this unimaginable tragedy,” according to a statement. “We are praying for them constantly.”

Rescuers continued to search an area more than 100 kilometers (62 miles) long in the Hill Country, a largely rural area with limited mobile-phone reception. It had been packed over the Fourth of July holiday weekend with vacationers, many of them families who flock to the region’s campground and RV parks year after year to enjoy spring-fed rivers that provide respite from the summer heat in Dallas, Houston and San Antonio. The area sprawls across all or part of more than 20 counties in central Texas.

“We remain hopeful every foot, every mile, every bend of the river,” said Kerrville Mayor Joe Herring, Jr. “Our work continues.”

Statewide, at least 91 people have died, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Monday, citing figures from the Department of Homeland Security. Seventy-five bodies were found in Kerr County, while 14 additional deaths occurred in Travis, Burnet, Williamson, Tom Green and Kendall counties, the Associated Press reported.

There could still be scattered showers across central Texas on Tuesday, but the bulk of the rain should be moving further north into Arkansas. Most flood warnings and watches across central Texas should expire by 7 p.m. Monday, the National Weather Service said.

Camp Mystic, about 85 miles (137 kilometers) northwest of San Antonio, is one of several youth camps in the Hill Country popular with families who send kids for monthlong getaways at places like Camp Longhorn and Camp Waldemar.

The girls at Mystic had been at the center of the frantic search for survivors, with photos of them circulating widely on social media. The camp’s director, Richard Eastland, died as he was trying to save campers, according to the Kerrville Daily Times.

Local, state and federal officials have faced criticism in the aftermath of the tragedy, including questions about why the flood-prone county lacked warning sirens, whether forecasts accurately conveyed the risk of a catastrophic deluge and whether local officials could have better notified people overnight to move to higher ground.

Senator Ted Cruz, a Republican from Texas, downplayed concerns that President Donald Trump’s cuts to the National Weather Service played a role in the failure to evacuate people before the floods. He said an examination of what went wrong would be forthcoming, but that for now the best focus was on recovery efforts.

“Most normal Americans know that’s ridiculous, and I think this is not a time for partisan attacks,” Cruz said. “My hope is in time we will learn some lessons to implement.”

Leavitt dismissed criticism of the weather service. “Those comments are depraved and despicable,” she told reporters.

Governor Greg Abbott said the state legislature will take up the issue of warning systems at a special session.

Trump has approved a disaster declaration for the area and may visit Texas on Friday.

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(With assistance from Aysha Diallo, Julie Fine, Cedric Sam and Dave Merrill.)

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