Latest news with #JoeHerring
Elle
2 hours ago
- Climate
- Elle
How You Can Support Families Affected by the Texas Floods
The recent flooding in Texas Hill Country is thought to be among the deadliest the U.S. has experienced in the past 100 years, according to The New York Times. As of Monday, at least 88 people have been confirmed dead, including at least 28 children, many of whom were campers at the local Camp Mystic. Searchers are desperately looking for those still missing, as weather reports warn of new flood risks near the area. The floods began early on the morning of July 4, when the area around the Guadalupe River was full with people celebrating the holiday weekend and the area's many overnight camps were in session. Flash floods caused the river to rise 26 feet in 45 minutes, Kerrville Mayor Joe Herring said. Many people failed to receive alerts and were caught off guard by the early-morning storm. The number of child deaths makes the disaster even more heartbreaking. Camp Mystic, a nearly 100-year-old summer camp in Kerr County, had 750 girls enrolled at the time of the flood. Most were able to escape to higher ground, but a number of young girls were in cabins located much closer to the river. The camp has been a favorite of political families—Lyndon B. Johnson's children and grandchildren went there, and Laura Bush was once a camp counselor. According to the Austin American-Statesman, the camp's director Dick Eastland also died on July 4 while trying to rescue campers. Many people are questioning whether better alert systems and evacuation plans could have saved lives. 'There's going to be a lot of finger-pointing, a lot of second-guessing, and Monday morning quarterbacking,' said Republican U.S. Rep. Chip Roy, whose congressional district includes Kerr County, Texas. 'There's a lot of people saying 'why' and 'how,' and I understand that.' If you're looking for ways to support those affected by the floods, here are some organizations that are helping. Serving the hard hit area of Kerr County, the fund will provide grants to nonprofits, first responders, and local government working in response, relief, and recovery. Visit the Website The Red Cross and partner organizations are providing emergency and reunification shelters. They also have volunteers providing mental health services that can be accessible by phone. Texas Search and Rescue is a nonprofit volunteer organization that provides search and rescue efforts. They have deployed volunteers, K-9 units, and boats for a long-term search and rescue mission. The José Andrés-founded organization, which has provided food in disaster-hit areas like Gaza, Haiti, and Ukraine, has set up an operation in central Texas. Visit the Website The pediatric hospital system has launched a fund that will support flood victims directly, as well as programming designed to serve those who were impacted. Visit the Website The organization's Emergency Disaster Services division is in Central Texas serving meals, distributing essential personal items, and offering emotional and spiritual care.
CBS News
4 hours ago
- General
- CBS News
Texas flooding victims include 27 Camp Mystic campers and counselors, camp confirms
At least 27 campers and counselors from Camp Mystic in Texas died in devastating flash flooding that swept through the region, the camp announced Monday. More than 80 people have died in the flooding that struck Texas Hill Country on Friday. During a news conference Monday morning, Kerr County Sheriff Larry Leitha said 10 campers and one counselor were still unaccounted for as search and rescue operations continue. "Our hearts are broken alongside our families that are enduring this unimaginable tragedy," the camp said in a statement on its website. "We are praying for them constantly." The camp expressed gratitude for the support it's received from people in the wake of the devastating floods. "We ask for your continued prayers, respect and privacy for each of our families affected," the camp said. "May the Lord continue to wrap His presence around all of us." Leitha told reporters Monday morning that official identifications for the remains of 15 adults and nine children recovered in Kerr County were still pending. "This will be a rough week," Kerrville Mayor Joe Herring Jr. said. "Primary search continues, and we remain hopeful every foot, every mile, every bend of the river." About 750 children were at the camp when the flooding struck, Leitha has said. Camp Mystic describes itself as a private Christian summer camp for girls located on the banks of the Guadalupe River. The river rapidly rose early on the Fourth of July, catching many people off guard. Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick told reporters Friday the river rose about 26 feet in 45 minutes. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has described the devastation at the camp as "nothing short of horrific" after visiting the site over the weekend. "It, and the river running beside it, were horrendously ravaged in ways unlike I've seen in any natural disaster," Abbott wrote on social media. "The height the rushing water reached to the top of cabins was shocking. We won't stop until we find every girl who was in those cabins." Items lie scattered inside a cabin at Camp Mystic after deadly flooding in Kerr County, Texas, July 5, 2025. Reuters/Sergio Flores Camp Mystic's owner and director Dick Eastland, 74, died while trying to save girls at the camp, according to local media reports. The victims from the camp also included 8-year-old Linnie McCown of Austin, her father confirmed to CBS News. Chloe Childress, an 18-year-old counselor from the Houston area who had just graduated from high school, also died in the storm, according to the Kinkaid School. Georgia Congressman Buddy Carter said his two grandchildren survived, but their cousin, 9-year-old Janie Hunt, died. She's related to Kansas City Chiefs owner Clark Hunt. "God has wrapped his arms around her," Carter told Fox News Channel. "And our thoughts and prayers are with all of those involved." Camp Mystic campers Eloise Peck, 8, and 9-year-old Lila Bonner also died in the flooding. Bonner's family confirmed to CBS Texas on Saturday that she was among the children confirmed dead and Peck's family on Sunday posted a note at their home saying she had died as well. The catastrophic flooding has triggered a massive response from authorities conducting rescue and recovery missions. According to Abbott, more than 1,500 state personnel have been deployed to the flood zone. , and contributed to this report.
Chicago Tribune
6 hours ago
- General
- Chicago Tribune
Editorial: Chicago mourns with Texas and the parents of the Camp Mystic girls
While many of us were enjoying July 4 festivities this past weekend, Texas Hill Country was plunged into disaster. The Guadalupe River rose 26 feet in just 45 minutes on July 4, with flash flooding killing at least 80 people statewide. As of a grim Monday morning tally, 41 people still were missing. What makes the story especially heartbreaking is that the flooding swept away young girls staying at Camp Mystic, a private Christian camp 85 miles outside of San Antonio. 'This came at night when people were asleep in bed,' Kerrville Mayor Joe Herring said Friday. Herring presides over the county seat of Kerr County, which was hit the hardest by the floods. Officials said the flooding and subsequent damage were unprecedented. There is something special about the summer rite of young kids leaving their families and heading to a bucolic rural setting, often making friends for life. Midwestern parents are very familiar with the ritual, which includes the nagging worry of leaving their kid in someone else's hands. Be it Camp Nebagamon or Camp Timber-lee, Lake of the Woods, Camp Agawak or the YMCA's Camp Copneconic and Phantom Lake, many of these camps in Wisconsin and Michigan have been around for decades and traffic in memory and tradition. Parents often send their kids where they went themselves. Where they had the time of their lives. Where they grew up. Many of those parents with kids at a summer camp right now felt a knot in their stomach when the news about those lost young girls broke this weekend, and that knot has yet to resolve itself. It likely won't, until the kids come back home. You learn a lot about yourself in a crisis. The same is true of our country. Who are we in this moment of relatable tragedy? We have a choice. In the immediate aftermath of what has happened, we can choose to politicize these events or we can choose to mourn the dead and honor the heroes who stopped death tolls from going even higher, even if it cost them their lives. Which in some cases, it did. The time for analysis and accountability will come. For now, we choose to grieve with the families. Dick Eastland, co-owner of Camp Mystic and the camp's director, died trying to save his young guests from the floodwaters. He reportedly was carried off by the floodwaters. 'It doesn't surprise me at all that his last act of kindness and sacrifice was working to save the lives of campers,' former camper and friend Paige Sumner wrote in the Kerrville Daily Times. 'He had already saved so many lives with the gift of Camp Mystic.' The flooding wasn't confined to the camp that is at the center of most of the news. Torrents of water swept through towns across the region, damaging hundreds of homes, washing away vehicles, and severing power and communication lines. Flash flood warnings covered large parts of Central Texas, and the National Weather Service recorded rainfall rates of more than 3 inches per hour. Because the flood hit overnight, many families did not sense the danger until there was no time to escape. Julian Ryan, 27, seriously injured himself saving his family during the disaster after his home began flooding – with his fiancée, children and mother inside. His family shared Ryan's final words: 'I'm sorry, I'm not going to make it. I love y'all.' It's hard to read his story without shedding a tear. His fiancée and son have lost not only a husband and father, but also a selfless protector. Many could not be saved. Among them were sisters Blair and Brooke Harber, ages 13 and 11, respectively, who were staying with their grandparents in a cabin that was swept away in the flood. They were found with their hands locked together. Their grandparents are still missing. The girls' parents were staying in a cabin nearby, The New York Times reported. Many of the youngest campers staying at Camp Mystic will never go home, including 8-year-old Sarah Marsh from Alabama. Her grandmother posted a tribute to her on Facebook, writing, '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 can imagine the many spunky young spirits camping at the river this past weekend; that's why the grief coursing through Texas is so intense. Many families still are waiting in the flood zone in the hopes that their loved ones will be retrieved, and, on Monday, first responders still were wading through mud and debris in an effort to find survivors. Entire communities have turned schools into shelters, church halls into donation centers and grief into action. But many families have already seen hope extinguished. And those who lost young daughters are living every parent's worst nightmare. We're all asking questions. What could have been done differently? Could the authorities — and which authorities? — have prevented this? Was the forecasting accurate? Were enough people on duty? Are basic safety systems adequate for riverside cabins in this most dangerous of river basins? For now, we're just so deeply sad that a girls' summer camp, of all places, was lost to the very river that had given generations of campers such joy.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
In Texas Hill Country, a community devastated by deaths from deluge
Tragedies struck as flooding made its way across Texas's Hill Country. In the early hours of July 4, heavy rainfall engorged the Guadalupe River, upending people's lives as children attended storied summer camps and residents planned to come together for Independence Day. More than 50 people, including over a dozen children, have died. Dozens more are still missing. Residents are left trying to rebuild while searching for people who went missing. 'Please pray for our community,' Kerrville Mayor Joe Herring Jr. said in a post. Family members of those at Camp Mystic, a Christian summer camp for girls, have learned of the deaths of their children who died amid the flooding outside of Kerrville, a city of about 24,000 people in central Texas. Images showed empty bunk beds covered in mud, with girls' belongings strewn throughout the decades-old campsite that has brought generations of Texas families together. Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said 750 girls were at the camp when rain of up to 12 inches per hour fell. City officials estimated 27 girls are still missing. To get to the camp, far removed from cell service, families traveled on Highway 39, which runs along the Guadalupe River, crossing over the waterway at points. Then, they'd see the Mystic sign atop a hill. The landscape is marked by rolling hills dotted with cypress, live oak, and pecan trees. 'What that area is like when it's in it's prime − when it's not devastated like this − is probably one of the most serene and peaceful places that I've ever seen in my life,' Clair Cannon, a 45-year-old realtor in Dallas who is the second of three generations of women to attend Camp Mystic, told USA TODAY. 'That part of Texas is just absolutely gorgeous.' Cannon's mother, Emily Morrill, now 75, was a campgoer and later a counselor. She vowed to take Cannon to the camp from the womb, and tells Cannon to spread her ashes there, Cannon quipped. Cannon's daughter also went to the camp beginning at age 8 − the youngest someone can attend − and went for a decade before now being in college. The family has developed lifelong friendships at the camp, and her daughter knew counselors in the cabins that flooded. Cannon's mother, Morrill, was just a bit older than their family friends, Dick and Tweety Eastland, who have run the campsite for decades and live on the property. The campsite itself dates back nearly a century. On July 4, Dick Eastland, known for teaching the girls how to fish, died in the floods after he went to check on the younger girls amid the rainfall. The camp's cabins for its youngest were closest to the riverbank. His nephew confirmed the death on social media, Texas Public Radio reported. Several girls have been identified among the dead. Renee Smajstrala, an 8-year-old camp attendee, was killed in the flooding, her uncle, Shawn Salta, confirmed to the Washington Post. He had shared a Facebook post announcing his niece's death. 'We are thankful she was with her friends and having the time of her life, as evidenced by this picture from yesterday,' Salta's post said. 'She will forever be living her best life at Camp Mystic.' Another camper, Janie Hunt, 9, is among the dead, her mother told CNN in a message the morning of July 5. Sarah Marsh, an 8-year-old from Alabama, also died at the camp, Mountain Brook, Alabama, Mayor Stewart Welch announced. Several others are still missing. Normally, at the end of the monthlong summer camp, girls would have a second reunion before leaving the Hill Country, Cannon said. Their pilgrimage is to the Texas jewelry institution, James Avery. The artisan jewelry store, with locations across the state, is headquartered in Kerrville, a few miles downriver. With their families in tow, the girls would go together to decorate their camp bracelets with charms. Still dirty from the outdoors, the girls would bedazzle their bracelets with charms for their cabin, the year they attended Mystic, and activities they completed, among other icons. After the second reunion ends, parents put their daughters in the car, Cannon recalled. Girls would fall asleep on the drive home across Texas, exhausted from camp. They'd have to wait to see their friends until next summer. In Kerrville, churches of various denominations have worked to shelter and feed people in the county seat of Kerr County, which has become a destination for retirees. First Presbyterian Church, just a few blocks from the eastern bank of the Guadalupe River, repurposed its Family Life Center to serve as a reunification area for hundreds of people, including children bused and even airlifted from camps up the river, where the roadways had been flooded. Video showed masses of children, many in shorts and flip flops or barefoot, standing in an indoor basketball gymnasium. Christian faith is important to many Kerrville residents, according to the Rev. Jasiel Hernandez Garcia, the 32-year-old pastor of First Presbyterian. 'We have all sorts of convictions and beliefs,' he told USA TODAY. 'And yet, when things like this happen, we are eager to make that connection and say, 'What do you need? How can we help?'' In an update, Hernandez Garcia also announced to congregants that Jane Ragsdale, the longtime director of the Heart O' the Hills summer camp for girls, also died in the flooding. For now, Hernandez Garcia said, the community appears lucky to have sufficient resources for food, water and other immediate supplies, but people will need help rebuilding their lives with financial assistance. Soyla Reyna, a staff administrator at Calvary Temple Church in Kerrville, told USA TODAY that the church became a shelter for displaced families when the flooding began. "We did have people here that have been displaced (and) lost everything, or couldn't stay at their home because it was unsafe," Reyna said. As of Saturday, many of the displaced families who were at the church have been moved to another location, and now the facility is being used to house the families who still have loved ones missing or awaiting rescue, according to Reyna. Reyna did note that the families the church housed initially were all looking for their campers who went missing from Camp Mystic. She recalled a lot of those families being "devastated" and "heartbroken" because they did not know their children's whereabouts at that time. Calvary Temple Church has been working hand-in-hand with the American Red Cross and Salvation Army throughout the rescue efforts, according to Reyna. A day after disaster struck, she said there are still a good number of people at the church waiting to be reunited with their lost family members. Reyna applauded the "overwhelming amount of people" who have come from all over to bring supplies, food and necessities to the families in need. "We're at the point where we're turning people away because we can't have any more stuff," she said about the immense support. "It's been that impactful to our community." Contributing: Jeanine Santucci, Mike Snider and Joel Shannon of USA TODAY This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Texas Hill Country sees tragedy amid Guadalupe River floods
Qatar Tribune
2 days ago
- Climate
- Qatar Tribune
At least 27 killed in Texas floods
agencies KERRVILLE, Texas Rescuers scoured flooded riverbanks littered with mangled trees Saturday and turned over rocks in the search for more than two dozen children from a girls' camp and many others missing after a wall of water blasted down a river in the Texas Hill Country. The storm killed at least 27 people, including nine children. The destructive fast-moving waters rose 26 feet (8 meters) in just 45 minutes before daybreak Friday, washing away homes and vehicles. The danger was not over as torrential rains continued pounding communities outside San Antonio on Saturday and flash flood warnings and watches remained in effect. Searchers used helicopters, boats and drones to look for victims and to rescue stranded people in trees and from camps isolated by washed-out roads. 'People need to know today will be a hard day,' said Kerrville Mayor Joe Herring, Jr. 'Please pray for our community.' Authorities were coming under growing scrutiny Saturday over whether the camps and residents in places long vulnerable to flooding received proper warning and whether enough preparations were made. The hills along the Guadalupe River in central Texas are dotted with century-old youth camps and campgrounds where generations of families have come to swim and enjoy the outdoors. The area is especially popular around the July Fourth holiday, making it more difficult to know how many are missing. 'We don't even want to begin to estimate at this time,' said City Manager Dalton Rice said on Saturday morning. Some 27 children were among the missing from Camp Mystic, a Christian summer camp along the river, he said. 'The camp was completely destroyed,' said Elinor Lester, 13, one of hundreds of campers. 'A helicopter landed and started taking people away. It was really scary.' A raging storm woke up her cabin just after midnight Friday, and when rescuers arrived, they tied a rope for the girls to hold as they walked across a bridge with water whipping around their legs, she said. Frantic parents and families posted photos of missing loved ones and pleas for information. On Saturday, the camp was mostly deserted. Helicopters roared above as a few people looked at the damage, including a pickup truck tossed onto its side and a building missing its entire front wall. Among those confirmed dead was the director of a camp just up the road from Camp Mystic. The flooding in the middle of the night caught many residents, campers and officials by surprise in the Hill Country, which sits northwest of San Antonio. AccuWeather said the private forecasting company and the National Weather Service sent warnings about potential flash flooding hours before the devastation. 'These warnings should have provided officials with ample time to evacuate camps such as Camp Mystic and get people to safety,' AccuWeather said in a statement that called the Hill Country one of the most flash-flood-prone areas of the US because of its terrain and many water crossings. Officials defended their actions while saying they had not expected such an intense downpour that was the equivalent of months' worth of rain for the area. One National Weather Service forecast earlier in the week 'did not predict the amount of rain that we saw,' said Nim Kidd, chief of the Texas Division of Emergency Management. Search crews were facing harsh conditions while 'looking in every possible location,' Rice said. Authorities said about 850 people had been rescued. US Coast Guard helicopters were flying in to assist. One reunification center at an elementary school was mostly quiet Saturday after taking in hundreds of evacuees the day before. 'We still have people coming here looking for their loved ones. We've had a little success, but not much,' said Bobby Templeton, superintendent of Ingram Independent School District. President Donald Trump said Saturday that Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem was traveling to Texas and his administration was working with officials on the ground. 'Melania and I are praying for all of the families impacted by this horrible tragedy,' Trump said in a statement on his social media network.
