Texas Floods Leave Dozens Missing, 27 Dead
Search continues for summer camp girls after torrential rains.
Authorities have confirmed that devastating flash floods in central Texas have resulted in at least 27 fatalities, including nine children, and the search continues for survivors, focusing on a group of girls missing from a summer camp near the Guadalupe River.
Grim Discovery
More than 800 individuals have been evacuated from Kerr County as floodwaters recede, according to the sheriff’s office. The area, approximately 85 miles northwest of San Antonio, remains the focus of rescue efforts.
“We will not stop until every single person is found,”
stated Kerr County Sheriff Larry Leitha at a press conference, highlighting the urgency of the situation. From Camp Mystic, at least 23 to 25 individuals, mostly young girls, remain unaccounted for.
The river’s water level near the camp surged by nine meters in a short period of time. Although the National Weather Service has announced that the flash flood emergency has largely passed for Kerr County, a flood watch remains in effect for the broader region until 7 p.m. Thunderstorms had previously dumped as much as 15 inches (380mm) of rain—approximately half of the typical annual rainfall—on the area.
State of Emergency
Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick noted that up to 500 rescue workers are involved in the search for the missing, including individuals who had gathered in the area to celebrate Independence Day by the river. Patrick stated, “We don’t know how many people were in tents on the side, in small trailers by the side, in rented homes by the side, because it was going to be the Fourth of July holiday,”
during an appearance on Fox News Live.
Community Impact
Camp Mystic had 700 girls present when the flood occurred, according to Patrick. Heart O’ the Hills, another girls’ camp, reported on its website that co-owner Jane Ragsdale died in the flood; no campers were present, as it was between sessions.
As recovery efforts continue, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department advises visitors to check park alerts and river conditions before heading out to swim this summer, noting that recent rainfall can significantly alter river conditions.
Federal Response
US President Donald Trump has acknowledged the disaster, stating that the federal government is collaborating with state and local authorities. “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,”
he shared on social media.
Videos circulating online depict scenes of devastation, with bare concrete foundations where homes once stood and debris piled along the riverbanks. Local media reports that rescuers have been seen rescuing residents from rooftops and trees, sometimes creating human chains to pull people from the floodwaters.
Kerrville City Manager Dalton Rice informed reporters that the extreme flooding struck with little warning before dawn, preventing authorities from issuing evacuation orders as the Guadalupe River rapidly exceeded major flood stage in under two hours.
State emergency management officials had issued warnings about the potential for heavy rains and flash floods in west and central Texas as early as Thursday, citing National Weather Service forecasts, however, W Nim Kidd, director of the Texas Division of Emergency Management, told a news conference that the forecasts “did not predict the amount of rain that we saw.”
