Pictured: All the girls killed after Texas floods ravaged Camp Mystic
Eleven girls are missing from Camp Mystic in Hunt, Texas, and five of their fellow campers have died after the rushing waters destroyed the all-girls private Christian summer camp.
The total death toll has risen to 59, including 29 children, after the Guadalupe River flooded and surged by up to 30 feet above its usual water level Friday.
The beloved director of Camp Mystic, Richard 'Dick' Eastland, 70, died while trying to save girls as a month's worth of rain dropped in a matter of minutes.
One week before the tragedy, the camp shared videos on social media of the campers happily prancing around on stage during their first term chorus and dance production.
The youngest campers slept on low-laying 'flats' inside the camp's cabins, whereas older girls slept in cabins on higher ground, according to the NYT.
Most of the missing girls are from the younger age bracket, who were sleeping just yards away from the banks of the Guadalupe River.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott said that some 750 girls had been staying at the camp when the floodwaters hit.
Here is what we know about all of the girls who died in the flood:
Renee Smajstrla, 8
The family of an eight-year-old Renee Smajstrla has confirmed that she was among those who lost her life during the tragic floods.
Her uncle, Shawn Salta, shared on Facebook: 'We are thankful she was with her friends and having the time of her life, as evidenced by this picture from yesterday.
'She will forever be living her best life at Camp Mystic.'
Janie Hunt, 9
The mother of Dallas girl Janie Hunt confirmed to local media her daughter was one of the campers killed in the flood.
'We are just devastated,' she told NBC 5.
Sarah Marsh, 8
Alabama native Sarah Marsh died after the waters swept through Camp Mystic, according to her family.
'Thank you for the outpouring of love and sympathy! We will always feel blessed to have had this beautiful spunky ray of light in our lives. She will live on in our hearts forever! We love you so much sweet Sarah,' her grandmother said, according to The Kerrville Daily Times.
Lila Bonner, 9
The family of Lila Bonner, who was sharing a cabin at the camp with her best friend Eloise Peck, confirmed her passing to NBC News.
'In the midst of our unimaginable grief, we ask for privacy and are unable to confirm any details at this time,' the family said.
'We ache with all who loved her and are praying endlessly for others to be spared from this tragic loss.'
Eloise Peck, 8
Dallas girl Eloise Peck, who recently finished second grade at Bradfield Elementary with her best friend Lili, also died in the flood.
'Eloise was literally friends with everyone. She loved spaghetti but not more than she loved dogs and animals,' her mother, Missy Peck, told FOX 4.
'She passed away with her cabinmate and best friend Lila Bonner who also died. Eloise had a family who loved her fiercely for the 8 years she was with us. Especially her Mommy.'
Multiple people lost their lives in the biblical flooding who were not attending Camp Mystic.
The death toll currently stands at 59 - including 38 adults.
Texas's Division of Emergency Management predicted the number of dead as a result of catastrophic flooding in Kerrville would top 100, sources told Daily Mail.
People have been desperately posting about their missing friends and relatives in a bid to help the search effort to find them, following the flooding.
Among the children, who were not attending the camp but tragically lost their lives, are two other young sisters who visiting their grandparents when the flood rushed through their cabin.
Blair Harber, 13
Two sisters, Blair and Brooke Harber, were among those who were killed in the deadly Texas floods.
They were not attending Camp Mystic when the natural disaster struck.
They were with their grandparents at a cabin along the Guadalupe River when they were swept away, reported FOX 4.
The girls' parents were staying at another cabin and are safe. Their grandparents, Charlene and Mike Harber, are missing.
Brooke Harber, 11
Brooke Harber, Blair's younger sister, was confirmed dead over the holiday weekend.
Blair and Brooker were eighth grade and sixth grade students respectively at St. Rita Catholic School, according to their priest, Father Joshua J. Whitfield.
'Even if we may never fully understand why such tragedies happen, we are called to respond with love, compassion, and prayer,' Whitfield said.
'We will honor Blair and Brooke's lives, the light they shared, and the joy they brought to everyone who knew them.'
Missing girls from Camp Mystic
At least 11 girls from Camp Mystic are missing from the camp.
One counselor is also still unaccounted for, Larry Leitha, the county sheriff, said on Sunday morning.
Camp Mystic attendees Kellyanne Lytal and Lainey Landry are among the missing children, according to KENS 5.
Wrecked father, Ty Badon, told CNN on Saturday that his daughter and her friends are missing and have not been seen or heard from since the disastrous rush of water.
His daughter, Joyce Badon, and her friends, Ella Cahill, Reese Manchaca and Aiden Heartfield were last heard from around 4am on Friday.
Authorities and search teams are still making their way through the wreckage to hopefully account for those missing.
Haunting photos from Sunday showed teams searching through vegetation, as young girls accompanied by adults walked around what is left of Camp Mystic.
On Sunday, Donald Trump signed a major disaster declaration for Texas amid a swirl of criticism of his administration for making major cuts to federal funding, impacting agencies like FEMA which lead the response to natural disasters.
'I just signed a Major Disaster Declaration for Kerr County, Texas, to ensure that our Brave First Responders immediately have the resources they need,' Trump wrote on Truth Social.
'These families are enduring an unimaginable tragedy, with many lives lost, and many still missing.
'The Trump Administration continues to work closely with State and Local Leaders.
'Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem was on the ground yesterday with Governor Greg Abbott, who is working hard to help the people of his Great State.
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The Independent
16 hours ago
- The Independent
Texas floods latest: Death toll rises to 129 as battered communities face weekend of flash flood risks
FEMA found to have exempted buildings at old and new sites from country's flood map hazard area In response to an appeal, FEMA in 2013 amended the county's flood map to remove 15 of the camp's buildings from the hazard area, a review by The Associated Press found. Records show that those buildings were part of the 99-year-old Camp Mystic Guadalupe, which was devastated by last week's flood. After further appeals, FEMA removed 15 more Camp Mystic structures in 2019 and 2020 from the designation. Those buildings were located on nearby Camp Mystic Cypress Lake, a sister site that opened to campers in 2020 as part of a major expansion and suffered less damage in the flood. Campers have said the cabins at Cypress Lake withstood significant damage, but those nicknamed "the flats" at the Guadalupe River camp were inundated. Experts say Camp Mystic's requests to amend the FEMA map could have been an attempt to avoid the requirement to carry flood insurance, to lower the camp's insurance premiums or to pave the way for renovating or adding new structures under less costly regulations.
The Independent
16 hours ago
- The Independent
FEMA let Camp Mystic operate in 100-year flood zone despite deadly warnings for years: ‘Particularly disturbing'
Federal regulators repeatedly approved appeals to remove Camp Mystic's buildings from their 100-year flood map, easing oversight as the camp operated and expanded in a hazardous floodplain in the years leading up to the central Texas flash floods of July 4, according to new reporting by The Associated Press. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) designated the prestigious girls' summer camp as being in a 'Special Flood Hazard Area' on its National Flood Insurance map for Kerr County in 2011, which meant it was required to have flood insurance and faced stricter regulations on any future construction projects. That designation indicates an area is likely to flood during a 100-year event, defined as a severe flood with only a one percent chance of occurring each year. Syracuse University associate professor Sarah Pralle, who has extensively studied FEMA's flood map determinations, said it was 'particularly disturbing' that a camp responsible for the safety of so many young people would receive exemptions from basic flood regulations. Situated in a low-lying area along the Guadalupe River in a region known as flash flood alley, Camp Mystic lost at least 27 campers and counselors, along with longtime owner Dick Eastland, when historic floodwaters tore through its property just before dawn over a week ago. The flood was much more severe than the 100-year event predicted by FEMA, according to experts, and moved so quickly in the middle of the night that it caught many people off guard in a county without a warning system. 'It's a mystery to me why they weren't taking proactive steps to move structures away from the risk, let alone challenging what seems like a very reasonable map that shows these structures were in the 100-year flood zone,' said Pralle. Camp Mystic didn't respond to emails seeking comment, and attempts by the AP to contact staff by phone went unanswered. The camp has described the flood as an 'unimaginable tragedy' and added in a statement on Thursday that it had restored power to communicate with its supporters. In response to an appeal, FEMA amended the county's flood map in 2013 to remove 15 of the camp's buildings from the hazard zone. Records indicate that those buildings were part of the 99-year-old Camp Mystic Guadalupe, which was destroyed by last week's flood. After additional appeals, FEMA removed 15 more structures at Camp Mystic from the designation in 2019 and 2020. These buildings were located at nearby Camp Mystic Cypress Lake, a sister site that opened to campers in 2020 as part of a major expansion and experienced less flood damage. Campers have said the cabins at Cypress Lake endured significant damage, but those called "the flats' at the Guadalupe River camp were submerged. Experts say Camp Mystic's efforts to change the FEMA map may have aimed to avoid flood insurance requirements, reduce insurance costs, or make it easier to renovate or build new structures under less strict regulations. Pralle noted that the appeals were not surprising, as communities and property owners have often used them successfully to protect specific properties from regulation. Regardless of FEMA's findings, the risk was clear, as at least 12 structures at Camp Mystic Guadalupe were fully within FEMA's 100-year flood plain, with a few more partially in that zone, according to an AP analysis of data provided by First Street, a data science company specializing in climate risk modeling. Jeremy Porter, head of climate implications at First Street, said FEMA's flood insurance map underestimates flood risks because it doesn't account for the effects of heavy rainfall on smaller waterways, such as streams and creeks. First Street's model indicates that nearly all of Camp Mystic Guadalupe faces risk during a 100-year flood. The buildings at the newer Cypress Lake site are farther from the south fork of the flood-prone river but are adjacent to Cypress Creek. FEMA's floodplain does not consider the small waterway a risk. However, First Street's model, which factors in heavy rain and runoff reaching the creek, shows that most of the Cypress Lake site falls within an area with a 1% chance of flooding in any given year. In a statement to the AP, FEMA downplayed the significance of the flood map amendments: 'Flood maps are snapshots in time designed to show minimum standards for floodplain management and the highest risk areas for flood insurance.' 'They are not predictions of where it will flood, and they don't show where it has flooded before,' the agency said. Property owners challenging FEMA's maps hire engineers for detailed studies to argue where the 100-year floodplain should be, a complex process that can improve map accuracy and facilitate future construction. Pralle, who reviewed the amendments for AP, noted that some of the exempted properties were within two feet of FEMA's flood plain according to the camp's revised calculations, which she said left almost no margin for error. She stated that her research indicates FEMA approves approximately 90% of map amendment requests, and the process might favor the wealthy and well-connected. FEMA warned in its amendments that other parts of Camp Mystic remained on the flood map, and that 'any future construction or substantial improvement' would be subject to flood plain management regulations. County officials not only allowed the camp to continue operating but also enabled a significant expansion, with Camp Mystic owners Dick and Tweety Eastland citing the 'tremendous success' of their original camp to justify the need for a second nearby site. The expansion included new cabins, a dining hall, a chapel, an archery range, and more. Records show that the camp had 557 campers and over 100 staff members across its two locations when a state licensing agency inspected on July 2, two days before the tragedy. Chris Steubing, executive director of the Texas Floodplain Management Association, an industry group that represents floodplain managers, said the rain and flooding that hit Kerr County in a matter of hours were so much more intense than anything in its history that it's hard to call the floodplain management a failure. Local officials likely believed they were following existing regulations when they allowed the camp to keep growing, but 'then Mother Nature set a new standard,' Steubing said. 'You could have built things two feet higher, three feet higher, and they still might have gotten taken down,' he added. As of Saturday, July 12, a total of 129 people have been confirmed dead from the July 4 flood. A week later and approximately 160 are still believed to be missing.
Daily Mail
18 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Incredible timelapse shows how Camp Mystic was a sitting duck in high-risk flood zone as death toll hits 129
A striking timelapse shows the Guadalupe River rapidly overtaking Camp Mystic, the all-girls Christian camp where at least 27 children and staff members were killed in the early hours of July 4. Camp Mystic, which has hosted generations of girls since 1926, sits along the banks of the Guadalupe River in Hunt, Texas. Many of its cabins - including those that housed some of the youngest victims - were constructed within federally designated flood zones and floodways, areas considered so hazardous that construction is typically restricted or prohibited entirely. Emergency officials now say some of the worst damage occurred in a section of the camp, dubbed 'The Flats,' where cabins were located directly in the river's floodway - the zone typically reserved for fast-moving floodwaters in extreme events. Anna Serra-Llobet, a researcher at the University of California, Berkeley, who specializes in flood risk management, said it was 'problematic' to build a camp that houses children in an area so susceptible to flooding. 'It's like pitching a tent in the highway,' Serra-Llobet told the New York Times. 'It's going to happen, sooner or later - a car is going to come, or a big flood is going to come.' In 2019, the all-girls camp completed a $5 million expansion, adding new cabins and buildings to accommodate growing demand. While some of that construction occurred on higher ground, records show that several new buildings were still placed in flood-prone areas - and the original riverfront cabins remained in use. Despite a long history of deadly floods in the region - including one in 1987 that killed 10 campers at a different site - Kerr County officials approved the expansion. At the time, flood experts say the camp should have used the opportunity to relocate or elevate vulnerable structures. 'Any time you house large groups of children near a river with a history of flooding, there has to be a serious reassessment of risk,' Hiba Baroud, director of the Vanderbilt Center for Sustainability, Energy and Climate, told the Times. 'In this case, the dangers were well known.' Kerr County adopted stricter floodway regulations in 2020, stating that such areas pose 'an extremely hazardous' threat to human life. Yet existing cabins at Camp Mystic remained in place. As storms dumped heavy rain upstream on July 3, local officials received rainfall and river-level data from a network of gauges - a system originally installed after past deadly floods. Despite years of discussion about upgrading the county's flood alert infrastructure — including better sirens and communication tools — local efforts stalled due to funding shortages and political inaction. Meanwhile, the camp's riverside buildings remained in daily use. Baroud said the tragedy at Camp Mystic should serve as a national reminder of the dangers posed by riverfront development in a changing climate. 'These events are devastating, and they're also preventable,' she said. 'We can't keep placing people - especially children - in harm's way and acting surprised when the worst happens.' However, by the time water began rising around 2am on July 4, most of the campers were asleep and some cabins were quickly overwhelmed, while others were torn completely apart. Search crews later described finding beds flipped over and belongings swept hundreds of yards downstream. At least 27 campers and staff died in the flood - all at Camp Mystic. The statewide death toll from the series of floods that struck Texas, Oklahoma, and Louisiana has risen to 129. Camp officials have not responded to repeated requests for comment, however, in a brief statement on their website, the camp wrote: 'Our hearts are broken alongside our families that are enduring this unimaginable tragedy. We are praying for them constantly.' Just two days ahead of the disastrous flood, the Christian girls camp passed a state inspection. Inspectors noted the presence of emergency plans but did not include specifics, the New York Times reported. Camp Mystic's co-owner and longtime executive director, Dick Eastland, was among those killed in the flooding. In interviews over the years, the property owner had acknowledged the power of the Guadalupe but often emphasized that safety systems were in place. In 1990, after helping install the river gauge warning system, he reportedly told the Austin American-Statesman: 'The river is beautiful, but you have to respect it.' State and local officials have launched formal investigations into the camp's preparedness, construction approvals, and emergency procedures. Legal experts say civil lawsuits are likely as grieving families seek answers about why the camp was allowed to operate in such a high-risk area. Environmental and safety advocates are now calling for tighter enforcement of floodway building restrictions and better oversight of seasonal camps nationwide.
