Latest news with #CampMystic
The Independent
20 minutes ago
- Climate
- The Independent
Texas flooding latest: Desperate search for girls missing from summer camp after 24 killed
A desperate search is underway for dozens of children missing from a summer camp after devastating floods hit Texas, killing at least 24. The unexpected flash flooding struck on Friday after torrential rain along the Guadalupe River. As of Friday night, at least 237 had been rescued or evacuated, including 167 by helicopters, Reuters reported. The destructive force of the fast-rising waters just before dawn on Friday washed out homes and swept away vehicles. The total number of missing was 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. At least 400 people were on the ground helping in the response, Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said. Nine rescue teams, 14 helicopters and 12 drones were being used, with some people being rescued from trees. U.S. president Donald Trump has described the floods as 'terrible' and "shocking". What caused the flooding? The catastrophic flooding was caused by torrential rain - but city authorities and forecasters did not predict that it was about to strike. One National Weather Service forecast this week had called for only between three and six inches (76 to 152 millimeters) 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. 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. Alex Croft5 July 2025 12:13 At least 24 dead and more than 20 children missing in catastrophic Texas flooding At least 24 people are reported dead and many more are missing, including girls from a Christian summer camp, after catastrophic river flooding hit central Texas Thursday and Friday. Kerr County Sheriff Larry Leitha said by Friday evening 24 people have been killed in the flooding, according to The New York Times. Texas officials said the number of missing is unknown but between 23 and 25 of them were girls who had been attending Camp Mystic. Girls from a Christian summer camp are among those missing after the Guadalupe River flooded in Texas Alex Croft5 July 2025 12:04
Times of Oman
an hour ago
- Climate
- Times of Oman
Rising death toll in Texas floods as children remain missing
Texas: At least 24 people have died and more than 20 children from a summer camp are missing after torrential rain triggered deadly floods along the Guadalupe River in the US state of Texas. Kerr County Sheriff Larry Leitha raised the death toll from 13 as hundreds of emergency crews, supported by helicopters and drones, continue to scour the area in an urgent search effort. "What I can confirm at this point, we're at about 24 fatalities," Lethia told evening press conference Texas Governor Greg Abbott shared a video on social media showing a victim being rescued from a tree by a responder dangling from a helicopter, as floodwaters raged below. US President Donald Trump described the floods as "terrible" and "shocking." Girls from summer camp among those missing Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick said the Guadalupe River rose 26 feet (8 meters) within 45 minutes during intense downpours that deluged the region. "About 23" girls were unaccounted for from Camp Mystic along the river, Patrick said. "That does not mean they've been lost. They could be in a tree, they could be out of communication," he added. The camp director said the site had "sustained catastrophic level of flooding." Although most of the 750 campers were confirmed safe, authorities were initially unable to reach them due to floodwaters that rendered the roads impassable. However, Texas Game Wardens, law enforcement officers with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, later posted on social media that they, "have made entry into Camp Mystic with vehicles and are beginning to bring campers out!" As of Friday night, emergency personnel had rescued or evacuated 237 people, including 167 by helicopter. More rain is forecast, and the flood threat persists "Even if the rain is light, more flooding can occur in those areas," Patrick said. "There is an ongoing threat for possible flash flooding from San Antonio to Waco for the next 24 to 48 hours, in addition to the continued risks in west and central Texas." The Llano River flowing through adjacent Mason County was also reportedly running at flood stage.
New York Times
an hour ago
- General
- New York Times
Live Updates: Rescuers Search Through the Night After Texas Floods Kill at Least 24
The flooded Guadalupe River in Kerrville, Texas, on Friday. At least 20 girls were missing from Camp Mystic, a nearly century-old girls camp nearby. Camp Mystic, the Christian summer camp for girls on the Guadalupe River where at least 20 children were missing in catastrophic flooding on Friday, is nearly a century old. Its facilities include a recreation hall that was constructed in the 1920s from local cypress trees. In a brief email to parents on Friday morning, Camp Mystic said it had sustained 'catastrophic level floods.' The camp has two sites along the river near Hunt, Texas. Parents of campers who have not been accounted for have been notified, the email said. About 750 girls were at the camp this week, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick of Texas said at a news conference on Friday. The camp said that it was assisting with search-and-rescue operations, but that it did not have power, water or Wi-Fi and was struggling to get more help because a nearby highway had washed away. On social media and in text messages, parents circulated photos of some of the missing girls, and exchanged hopeful stories that they were hearing about dramatic rescues: girls clinging to trees, or floating downriver to a boys camp five miles away. Camp Mystic aims 'to provide young girls with a wholesome Christian atmosphere in which they can develop outstanding personal qualities and self-esteem,' its website said. It draws from families around Texas and beyond, with the youngest campers entering third grade in the fall. The camp was established in 1926, according to its website, and has been run by generations of the same family since the 1930s. The current owners, Dick and Tweety Eastland, have been with the camp since 1974. They worked alongside the previous owners for years after graduating from the University of Texas in Austin. Camp activities include archery, cooking, cheerleading, fishing and a variety of sports. Videos posted to the camp's Instagram account show large groups of girls participating in group dance performances this summer. The affected stretch of the Guadalupe River is home to several summer camps for children, including Camp La Junta for boys, about five miles from Camp Mystic. The boys camp informed families on Friday that all campers there were safe and fed, but evacuations would not begin until at least 7 p.m. local time on Friday. The Facebook page for another nearby girls camp, Heart o' the Hills, reported that it was not in session when the flooding took place.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Desperate search for missing girls from summer camp after Texas floods kill at least 24
KERRVILLE, Texas (AP) — At least 24 people were killed and a frantic search continued overnight for many others missing in the Texas Hill Country, including more than 20 from a girls camp, after a storm unleashed nearly a foot of rain and sent floodwaters spilling out of the Guadalupe River. The destructive force of the fast-rising waters just before dawn Friday washed out homes and swept away vehicles. There were hundreds of rescues around Kerr County, including at least 167 by helicopter, authorities said. The total number of missing was 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 1:30 a.m. Friday, and when rescuers arrived, they tied a rope for the girls to hold as the children in her cabin walked across bridge with floodwaters whipping around the calves and knees. The flooding in the middle of the night on the Fourth of July 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 National Weather Service forecast this week had called for only between three and six inches (76 to 152 millimeters) 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 Friday Kerr County Sheriff Larry Leitha said 24 people had been confirmed killed. Authorities said 237 people had been recued so far. Helicopters, drones used in frantic search for missing A river gauge at Hunt recorded a 22 foot rise (6.7 meters) in about two hours, according to Bob Fogarty, meteorologist with the National Weather Service's Austin/San Antonio office. The gauge failed after recording a level of 29 and a half feet (9 meters). 'The water's moving so fast, you're not going to recognize how bad it is until it's on top of you,' Fogarty said. On the Kerr County sheriff's office Facebook page, people posted pictures of loved ones and begged for help finding them. At least 400 people were on the ground helping in the response, Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said. Nine rescue teams, 14 helicopters and 12 drones were being used, with some people being rescued from trees. 'Pitch black wall of death' In Ingram, Erin Burgess woke to thunder and rain at 3:30 a.m. Just 20 minutes later, water was pouring into her home directly across from the river, she said. She described an agonizing hour clinging to a tree and waiting for the water to recede enough so they could walk up the hill to a neighbor's home. 'My son and I floated to a tree where we hung onto it, and my boyfriend and my dog floated away. He was lost for a while, but we found them,' she said. Of her 19-year-old son, Burgess said: 'Thankfully he's over 6 feet tall. That's the only thing that saved me, was hanging on to him.' Matthew Stone, 44, of Kerrville, said police came knocking on doors at 5:30 a.m. but that he had received no warning on his phone. 'We got no emergency alert. There was nothing," Stone said. Then "a pitch black wall of death.' 'I was scared to death' At a reunification center set up in Ingram, families cried and cheered as loved ones got off vehicles loaded with evacuees. Two soldiers carried an older woman who could not get down a ladder. Behind her, a woman in a soiled T-shirt and shorts clutched a small white dog. Later, a girl in a white 'Camp Mystic' T-shirt and white socks stood in a puddle, sobbing in her mother's arms. Barry Adelman, 54, said water pushed everyone in his three-story house into the attic, including his 94-year-old grandmother and 9-year-old grandson. The water started coming through the attic floor before finally receding. 'I was horrified,' he said. 'I was having to look at my grandson in the face and tell him everything was going to be OK, but inside I was scared to death.' 'No one knew this kind of flood was coming' The forecast had called for rain, with a flood watch upgraded to a warning overnight for at least 30,000 people. But totals in some places exceeded expectations, Fogarty said. Patrick noted that the potential for heavy rain and flooding covered a large area. 'Everything was done to give them a heads up that you could have heavy rain, and we're not exactly sure where it's going to land," Patrick said. "Obviously as it got dark last night, we got into the wee morning of the hours, that's when the storm started to zero in.' Asked about how people were notified in Kerr County so that they could get to safety, Judge Rob Kelly, the county's chief elected official, said: 'We do not have a warning system.' When reporters pushed on why more precautions weren't taken, Kelly said: 'Rest assured, no one knew this kind of flood was coming.' Popular tourism area prone to flooding The area is known as 'flash flood alley' because of the hills' thin layer of soil, said Austin Dickson, CEO of the Community Foundation of the Texas Hill Country, which was 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.' River tourism industry is a key part of the Hill Country economy. Well-known, century-old summer camps bring in kids from all over the country, Dickson said. 'It's generally a very tranquil river with really beautiful clear blue water that people have been attracted to for generations,' Dickson said. ___ Fingerhut reported from Des Moines, Iowa. Associated Press reporters Adrian Sanz in Memphis, Tennessee, Hannah Schoenbaum in Salt Lake City, John O'Connor in Springfield, Illinois, and Susan Haigh in Norwich, Connecticut, also contributed.
Irish Times
2 hours ago
- General
- Irish Times
Texas floods: The girls camp where 20 children are missing is nearly a century old
Camp Mystic, the Christian summer camp for girls on the Guadalupe river where at least 20 children were missing in catastrophic flooding Friday , is nearly a century old. Its facilities include a recreation hall that was constructed in the 1920s from local cypress trees. In a brief email to parents Friday morning, Camp Mystic said it had sustained 'catastrophic level floods '. The camp has two sites along the river in Hunt, Texas. Parents of campers who have not been accounted for have been notified, the email said. About 750 girls were at the camp this week, Lt Gov Dan Patrick of Texas said at a news conference Friday. The camp said that it was assisting with search-and-rescue operations, but that it did not have power, water or wifi and was struggling to get more help because a nearby highway had washed away. The flooded Guadalupe river in Kerrville, Texas. Photograph: Carter Johnston/The New York Times On social media and in text messages, parents circulated photos of some of the missing girls, and exchanged hopeful stories that they were hearing about dramatic rescues: girls clinging to trees, or floating downriver to a boys camp 5 miles away. Camp Mystic aims 'to provide young girls with a wholesome Christian atmosphere in which they can develop outstanding personal qualities and self-esteem', its website said. It draws from families around Texas and beyond, with the youngest campers entering third grade in the fall. The camp was established in 1926, said its website, and has been run by generations of the same family since the 1930s. The current owners, Dick and Tweety Eastland, have been with the camp since 1974. They worked alongside the previous owners for years after graduating from the University of Texas in Austin. Camp activities include archery, cooking, cheerleading, fishing and a variety of sports. Videos posted to the camp's Instagram account show large groups of girls participating in group dance performances this summer. Serena Hanor Aldrich, a mother of two children who were rescued from floodwaters while at Camp Mystic. Photograph: Carter Johnston/The New York Times The affected stretch of the Guadalupe river is home to several summer camps for children, including Camp La Junta for boys, about 5 miles from Camp Mystic. The boys camp informed families Friday that all campers there were safe and fed, but that evacuations would not begin until at least 7pm local time Friday. The Facebook page for another nearby girls camp, Heart o' the Hills, reported that it was not in session when the flooding took place. – This article originally appeared in The New York Times . Debris left by the flooded Guadalupe river. Carter Johnston/The New York Times The flooded Guadalupe river. Photograph: Carter Johnston/The New York Times The front page of The New York Times on Saturday, July 18, 1987. For many Texans, the flooding surfaced memories of a deadly swelling of the waters along the Guadalupe river on July 17th, 1987. Photograph: The New York Times 2025 The New York Times Company
