NWS, camp counselors emphasize weather safety following deadly floods in Texas

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- Following devastating flash floods in central Texas over the July 4 weekend, weather experts and former camp counselors are sounding the alarm about the importance of severe weather preparedness — especially at summer camps.

More than 90 people have been confirmed dead as of Monday, with several still missing after flash floods struck across the region. Search and rescue teams are hoping to find those missing, including campers and staff at Camp Mystic, an overnight summer camp.

"It's just horrible," said Benjamin Teske, a former camp counselor from Rhinelander, Wisconsin.

According to the National Weather Service of Wisconsin Milwaukee-Sullivan area (NWS), floods like the one in central Texas happen when there is continued rainfall and a basin continues to collect water in one area with no direction to go.

“Everything was pointing hydrologically into this one area," said John Gagan with NWS. “That’s the number one thing is to support search and rescue and hopefully its rescue.”

Teske says it's important to always have a plan in place in case of severe weather.

“Building that community is a good way to set your mind at ease and get to know the area," said Teske.

Gagan says there are three levels of warnings the NWS issues during flash floods, starting with base flash flood warning, then moving onto considerable flash flood warning, and finally, catastrophic flash flood warning.

“We get to the warning phase and that warning phase is the most critical part because that’s when we start to see everything come together," said Gagan.

Gagan says emergency flash flood warnings were issued in central Texas, the highest warning the NWS can issue.

“Water is extraordinarily powerful, especially like the flood they received,” said Gagan.

That's why Gagan and Teske both say when you receive that severe weather alert — take action.

“Monitoring that weather, monitoring weather patterns all the time," said Teske.