Texas flooding: Desperate families post pictures of children as 23 girls remain missing
More than 20 campers from an all-girls summer camp were unaccounted for Friday after floods tore through the state's south-central region.
At least 24 people were reported dead Friday and dozens missing after months worth of heavy rain fell in a matter of hours on Texas Hill Country, Kerr County Sheriff Larry Leitha said.
The flood-prone region is dotted with century-old summer camps that draw thousands of kids annually from across the Lone Star State.
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said about 23 girls attending Camp Mystic, a Christian camp along the Guadalupe River in Hunt, Texas, were unaccounted for Friday afternoon.
Search teams were working to conduct helicopter and boat rescues in the fast-moving floodwaters.
'I'm asking the people of Texas, do some serious praying this afternoon — on-your-knees kind of praying — that we find these young girls,' Patrick said.
Dozens of families shared in local Facebook groups that they received devastating phone calls from safety officials informing them that their daughters had not yet been located among the washed-away camp cabins and downed trees.
Camp Mystic said in an email to parents that if they have not been contacted directly, their child is accounted for.
The camp sits on strip known as 'flash flood alley,' said Austin Dickson, CEO of the Community Foundation of the Texas Hill Country, a charitable endowment that is collecting donations to help nonprofits responding to the disaster.
'When it rains, water doesn't soak into the soil,' Dickson said. 'It rushes down the hill.'
Camp leaders said they are without power, Wi-Fi and running water, and the highway leading to the camp has washed away.
Two other camps on the river, Camp Waldemar and Camp La Junta, said in Instagram posts that all campers and staff there were safe.
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Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
BREAKING NEWS Incredible story of little summer camp girl clinging on for dear life in a tree after being swept 12 MILES down flooded river... as death toll hits 24 and dozens still missing
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The Independent
2 hours ago
- The Independent
Texas flooding latest: Desperate search for girls missing from summer camp after 24 killed
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Sky News
4 hours ago
- Sky News
At least 24 dead and more than 20 children missing from camp after Texas flooding
Why you can trust Sky News At least 24 people have been killed in the US state of Texas after heavy rain caused flash flooding, according to local media reports. Kerr County Sheriff Larry Leitha said between 23 and 25 of those missing were staying at a girls' camp in Texas after the Guadalupe River burst its banks at around 4am local time on Friday. The total number of missing is not known, Sheriff Leitha warned. As much as 10ins (25cm) of heavy rain fell in just a few hours overnight in central Kerr County, washing out homes and sweeping away vehicles. An official in the city of Kerville told reporters the flooding struck just before dawn "over a very short period of time that could not be predicted, even with the radar". Judge Rob Kelly, the chief elected official in the county, confirmed fatalities from the flooding and dozens of water rescues so far. The judge told reporters at a news conference that "most" of the bodies are yet to be identified. "We're trying to get the identity of these folks, but we don't have it yet," he said. As of Friday night, emergency personnel had rescued or evacuated 237 people, including 167 by helicopter, according to Major General Thomas Suelzer, the adjutant general for the state of Texas. More than 20 girls unaccounted for Emergency services are continuing a frantic search to find those missing - including the girls. The children were among more than 700 who were at Camp Mystic, a Christian summer camp along the river, when the fast-rising floodwaters hit. Elinor Lester, 13, said she and her cabin mates were woken up by a raging storm at 1.30am and had to be helicoptered to safety. "The camp was completely destroyed," Elinor said, describing the situation as "really scary". Most of the campers are safe but they could not be immediately evacuated because high waters have made local roads unusable, authorities said. "Everybody is doing everything in their power to get these kids out," Judge Kelly said. "They could be in a tree. They could be out of communication," Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick said. "We're praying for all of those missing to be found alive. We're doing everything we can to get in there." Unforeseen disaster Asked why more precautions were not taken amid forecasts for stormy weather, Judge Kelly insisted a disaster of such magnitude was unforeseen. "We have floods all the time. This is the most dangerous river valley in the United States," he said, adding, "We had no reason to believe this was going to be anything like what's happened here. None whatsoever." Later, US President Donald Trump told reporters on Air Force One that the floods were "terrible," adding: "We're working with the governor [Greg Abbott]." Drones and helicopters used in search Search teams are flying 14 helicopters and a dozen drones over the area, while hundreds of emergency personnel are on the ground conducting rescues. People desperately searching for their loved ones have posted comments on a Facebook post from the Kerr County sheriff's office. One woman said she couldn't reach her daughter, who had rented a cabin with her husband and two children. She pleaded for officials to release the names of those who have been evacuated. Annie Paynter posted that her nephew, who had been missing, was safe after "he was rescued from a tree he clung to for six hours". A man in Kerrville told local news outlet WOAI that his brother's house is missing after the flood, along with the brother, his wife and their two children. Officials said the number of dead could change, as rescue operations for an unspecified total number of missing people are still ongoing, and authorities were still working to identify the dead. It was not clear whether anyone unaccounted for might have ended up among the deceased victims counted countywide by the sheriff.
