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A search is underway in Brenham, Texas, for a missing 10-year-old girl who was swept away by rapidly rising floodwaters on Monday (May 5). The incident occurred near Fireman’s Park around 4:25 p.m. as severe storms moved through the area. The girl was walking home with a sibling when she was caught in the sudden rush of water. The sibling managed to reach safety and seek help, according to officials.
The Brenham Fire Department is leading a multi-agency search and rescue operation with assistance from Washington County EMS and over a dozen other regional partners. Efforts are focused around the Burleson Street Bridge near Old Independence Road, identified as a critical point in the search. Rescue teams, including land-based units, thermal imaging drones, and specially trained search dogs, worked through the night to locate the missing child.
Rescue operations were temporarily halted Monday night due to another wave of storms but resumed at 6 a.m. Tuesday as conditions improved. Brenham Mayor Atwood Kenjura expressed his support for the girl's family, saying, "The response has been phenomenal, but it’s such swift water. It’s just going to be difficult now with the light conditions going away. Hearts go out to them. This is something that shouldn’t happen."
The missing girl is a student at Brenham Elementary School. The Brenham Independent School District has made counseling services available to students and staff, emphasizing respect for the family's privacy by withholding the girl's identity. Weather.com reports that the same weather system causing Monday's flooding could bring more rain and severe storms, potentially leading to additional flooding in eastern Texas, Louisiana, and southern Mississippi.
Community members and officials remain hopeful as the search continues, urging everyone to keep the girl and her family in their thoughts and prayers. This story is developing, and updates will be provided as new information becomes available.