Marin County family missing after Texas floods
Three members of Marin County family missing after Texas flooding
A Kentfield couple and their 14-year-old son among dozens missing amid flooding in Texas
KENTFIELD, Calif. - Flowers sit outside a Marin County home belonging to the Walker family.
Mark Walker, 52, his wife Sara Sharkey Walker, 50, and their 14-year-old son Johnny Walker are among the 40 people still missing after the Guadalupe River flooded its banks, sending torrents of water across central Texas.
Family has ties to SF Giants
The backstory:
Mark Walker is the older brother of former San Francisco Giants pitcher Tyler Walker.
Their mother, Kathy Walker of San Rafael told KTVU on Monday, "We're still praying for a miracle."
Mark and Sara Walker's Chevy Tahoe, sits curbside near their home, adorned with stickers from the Lone Star State, including one reading "Texas Exes," a proud reference to Sara's alma mater, the University of Texas.
The Walkers' 16-year-old daughter was away at summer camp, also in Texas, and is physically OK.
"We've been reading all about the flooding there and it was just so fast and so powerful," said Paul Deuter, the Walker family's next-door neighbor in Kentfield.
"It's horrible news, because, you just imagine the daughter having lost her entire family, that's horrible," Deuter said. "And they were so nice, and we were looking forward to getting to know them better as neighbors."
Marin County school to hold prayer service
What we know:
The 16-year-old girl is a student at Marin Catholic High school in Kentfield. Her brother, a baseball player, was set to be an incoming freshman on campus in the fall.
The school plans to hold a prayer service for the family on Tuesday.
Many Marin County residents were shocked to hear of the tragedy with a Bay Area connection.
"It's devastating," said Maggie Hansen of San Anselmo. "I am so sorry to hear this. It's just extremely devastating."
She added, "I'm sure we would all help in any way."
Family and friends say the Walker family live in Kentfield but also have a home in Hunt, Texas, which was hit hard by the floods. The tragedy has killed at least 100 people.
The possibility of survivors growing bleaker each day, but authorities have not given up hope as they search "every foot, every mile, every bend of the river," said Joe Herring Jr., Kerrville, Texas mayor. "Our work continues."
Authorities say they will also investigate whether enough warnings were given.
"In hindsight, if we could go back and do it again, we would evacuate particularly those in the most vulnerable areas," said Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas.
Search and rescue teams
On Monday, California Gov. Newsom announced the deployment of urban search and rescue task force teams to Texas.
"California stands with all those who have lost loved ones, homes, and livelihoods in the devastating aftermath of these summer floods in Texas. California is sending these specialized resources to support critical emergency response and recovery efforts," Newsom's statement read.
The deployment of these crews are being coordinated by Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the California Governor's Office of Emergency Services.
Henry Lee is a KTVU reporter. E-mail Henry at Henry.Lee@fox.com and follow him on Twitter @henrykleeKTVU and www.facebook.com/henrykleefan
The Source: KTVU reporting, Associated Press
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