Search for missing girls from summer camp after Texas floods kill at least 24
The destructive force of the flash floods after the Guadalupe River burst its banks just before dawn on Friday washed out homes and swept away vehicles in Texas Hill Country.
There were hundreds of rescues around Kerr County, including at least 167 by helicopter, authorities said, after nearly a foot of rain fell.
The total number of missing is not known, but the sheriff said between 23 and 25 of them were girls who had been attending Camp Mystic, a Christian summer camp along the river.
On social media, parents and families posted desperate pleas for information about loved ones caught in the flood zone.
'The camp was completely destroyed,' said Elinor Lester, 13, one of hundreds of campers at Camp Mystic.
'A helicopter landed and started taking people away. It was really scary.'
She said a raging storm woke up her cabin around 1.30am on Friday (7.30am on Friday BST). When rescuers arrived, they tied a rope for the girls to hold as the children in her cabin walked across the bridge with floodwaters whipping around their knees.
The flooding in the middle of the night on the July 4 US holiday caught many residents, campers and officials by surprise.
Officials defended their preparations for severe weather and their response, but said they had not expected such an intense downpour that was, in effect, the equivalent of months' worth of rain for the area.
One US National Weather Service forecast this week had called for only between three and six inches of rain, said Nim Kidd, the chief of the Texas Division of Emergency Management.
'It did not predict the amount of rain that we saw,' he said.
At a news conference late on Friday, Kerr County Sheriff Larry Leitha said 24 people had been confirmed killed. Authorities said 237 people had been rescued so far.
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CNN
an hour ago
- CNN
In pictures: Deadly flooding in Texas
Torrential rain has caused flash flooding in parts of central Texas, killing more than 20 people. In Kerr County, more than 20 girls are missing from Camp Mystic, a private Christian summer camp located along a river that rose more than 20 feet in less than two hours. It 'does not mean they are lost,' Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick cautioned, while Gov. Greg Abbott said that search and rescue operations will continue through the night. Throughout Kerr County, more than 230 people have been rescued or evacuated so far, many by helicopter, authorities said. Some areas saw a month's worth of rain in just a few hours overnight into Friday. Heavy rain is expected to continue Saturday.
New York Times
2 hours ago
- New York Times
The most urgent alerts came in the middle of the night.
Early Thursday afternoon, the National Weather Service issued a broad flood watch for parts of south-central Texas, including Kerr County, warning that a slow-moving storm system was expected to bring anything from scattered showers to intense storms through Friday morning. Such warnings are common when conditions are favorable for a weather event, and are often followed by a warning when a dangerous event is occurring or about to occur. And that's what happened very early on Friday morning, when the Weather Service issued a series of upgraded warnings in quick succession. Rivers across the region were beginning to rise as storms dropped more and more rain — first, the San Saba River at 1 a.m. local time, and again at 5 a.m., followed by the Concho River and then the Colorado River, each of which are expected to keep rising slowly through the weekend. The Weather Service also issued warnings for flash floods as the storm's impacts were becoming more clear. Unlike a slowly rising river, flash floods are sudden deluges that can occur after heavy rainfall with very little notice. A little after 4 a.m., the Weather Service sent one of its most urgent alerts, a 'particularly dangerous situation' warning, reserved for the most urgent and potentially deadly scenarios. It is meant to grab attention, and is most often used when violent tornadoes are nearby, but also for floods and wildfires. The warnings are often shared on the Weather Service's social media accounts and broadcast by local news organizations. At 5:34 a.m. local time, a 'particularly dangerous situation' warning came for Kerr County: 'Automated rain gauges indicate a large and deadly flood wave is moving down the Guadalupe River,' forecasters wrote. 'Flash flooding is already occurring.' It identified Hunt, Kerrville and Center Point, all communities along the Guadalupe River, as places of concern: 'Residents and campers should SEEK HIGHER GROUND NOW! Life threatening flash flooding along the river is expected.' Other nearby areas, including Tom Green County, were also under these warnings starting a little after 6 a.m., one of which noted that 'law enforcement reported major flooding and very dangerous conditions across San Angelo,' the county seat. Another warning for the eastern portion of Kerr County as well as part of Kendall County came at 7:24 a.m. By then, reports were starting to emerge from the banks of the Guadalupe. The flooding hazards continued through Friday, though the storms were expected to be less intense as the day went on. Weather Service forecasters in San Angelo noted that because of the rain that had already fallen, even small amounts of additional precipitation could exacerbate the flooding hazards. A flash flood watch was in effect through parts of west-central Texas until 7 p.m. local time on Friday, and forecasters said isolated showers and thunderstorms were likely through the weekend. Observed rainfall
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Camp Mystic summer camp flooding: What to know
(NewsNation) — Heavy rains on Friday caused a flood emergency in Central Texas, which led to reports of between 23 to 25 missing girls at Camp Mystic and 24 fatalities in the state overall. Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said the families whose daughters are unaccounted for have been notified. Also, parents who have not been contacted by the camp should know their daughters are safe. 'We will do everything humanly possible 24/7, looking in every tree and turning over every rock, to find your daughter or son,' he said. 'The 500 people in the field are looking for your daughter.' Camp Mystic is an all-girls camp among many summer camps in the area next to the Guadalupe River. The camp is operated privately for Christian girls and was established in 1926. Indonesia suspends search for 29 missing after ferry sinking because of poor visibility The camp was evacuated overnight after the area was hit with up to 10 inches of rain, but some of the campers were left behind. Several of the cabins were reportedly flooded, while others washed away. The roads surrounding the cabins were washed out. California's largest blaze this year explodes in size as hot weather raises wildfire risk statewide The camp told Patrick it has no power, no water, and no Wi-Fi. The highway being washed away made it harder for help to arrive quickly. Nearly 20 helicopters and 400 to 500 rescue workers are taking part in the search-and-rescue mission in the area. Authorities say some individuals have already been rescued from trees, but no information was given on whether these were the missing girls or others in need of rescue. Officials noted they've found 13 bodies during their search. The Kerr County Sheriff's Office says specific information about the confirmed fatalities won't be released until the next of kin are notified. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
