Latest news with #StellaThompson
Daily Mail
2 hours ago
- Climate
- Daily Mail
Texas flood survivor Stella Thompson, 13, reveals awful first sign that something was terribly wrong
A 13-year-old who escaped the deadly flooding at Camp Mystic said she knew something was terribly wrong when she heard military helicopters flying over the Texas campground. Stella Thompson, 13, and her fellow campers have been left traumatized after floods ravaged the Christian summer camp, killing 27 people, and forcing evacuations. Two brave Camp Mystic staffers died trying to save young girls from the horrific Texas floods as authorities continue their urgent search for 10 missing campers and one counselor. The Biblical Texas floods have killed at least 91 across the state as of Monday afternoon, with 75 bodies having been recovered in hard-hit Kerr County alone. Survivors have described the floods as a 'pitch black wall of death' and said they received no emergency warnings. Thompson had returned to the all-girls Christian camp for the sixth summer in a row before the wicked weather destroyed the camp. She was sleeping in a cabin on the Cypress Lake side of the campgrounds when the storms woke her early Friday morning, NBC 5 reports. Thompson said her cabin lost power overnight and at daybreak they were ordered to stay inside, but it wasn't until she heard helicopters buzzing overhead that she knew something was wrong. Cabins near Cypress Lake are located on higher ground and are distanced from the Guadalupe River, meaning they were not as badly impacted by the flooding. Thompson, who recalled how the lake appeared 'muddy brown and higher', remembers seeing camp leaders driving through the grounds to check on cabins in the rain. She said girls in her cabin were instructed to grab dry clothing from their trunks so that counselors could pass them out to other campers. They were also told to expect campers stationed by the river to join their cabins. But Thompson alleged the plans kept changing rapidly and eventually they were told that riverside campers were being evacuated and airlifted to nearby hospitals. 'When we got that news, we were all kind of hysterical, and the whole cabin was praying a lot and terrified – but not for ourselves,' she told the news outlet. The scared campers near the lake were evacuated by military trucks later that evening, but by that point the campground 'didn't look like Camp Mystic anymore', she said. Thompson recalled how trees were uprooted, rescuers were searching water for survivors, and vehicles and personal belongings were riddled across the camp. 'I think while it was going on I sort of felt a numbness,' she added. 'Saying it out loud is making me realize what actually happened and how bad it actually is.' Camp Mystic father-figure and owner Richard 'Dick' Eastland, 70, died while attempting to rescue girls from the Bubble Inn cabin, one of the closest to the river. College-bound counselor Chloe Childress, 18, was working at the Bubble Inn cabin, which housed the youngest campers, when the waters came rushing in. Father-of-four Eastland was attempting to rescue girls from Bubble Inn cabin, located about 150 yards from the river's edge and about 15 feet above the water level, reported The Washington Post . The cabins were less than 500 feet from the river and thus took in water from two directions: the Guadalupe River and a nearby creek, making the girls' escape particularly challenging. His body was found along with three girls he was trying to save.
Yahoo
7 hours ago
- General
- Yahoo
‘Unimaginable tragedy': Texas camp speaks out after 27 campers and counselors die in flooding
A Texas summer camp hit hard by last week's devastating flash flooding has described the 'unimaginable tragedy' of losing 27 campers including girls as young as eight. 'Camp Mystic is grieving the loss of 27 campers and counselors following the catastrophic flooding on the Guadalupe river,' an online statement read. 'Our hearts are broken alongside our families that are enduring this unimaginable tragedy. We are praying for them constantly.' The search for missing people has entered its fourth day after 82 deaths were confirmed. The floods tore through Kerr County and surrounding areas of Texas hill country in the early hours of July 4, with water levels reaching 34ft, according to NOAA. Ten girls from Camp Mystic remained missing on Monday. In its statement, the camp added that 'extensive resources' had been deployed. 'We are deeply grateful for the outpouring of support from community, first responders, and officials at every level,' the statement read. 'We ask for your continued prayers, respect and privacy for each of our families affected. May the Lord continue to wrap His presence around all of us.' Established in 1962, Camp Mystic is a private Christian summer camp for girls that is located on the banks of the Guadalupe River and 18 miles northwest of Kerrville. One camper, rescued from the scene, was 13-year-old Stella Thompson, from Dallas, who said she and others were "hysterical" when they learned other campers had been lost in flooding. 'It didn't look like Camp Mystic anymore,' she told NBC5. 'I think while it was going on I sort of felt a numbness,' said Thompson, who was enjoying her sixth summer at the camp. 'Saying it out loud is making me realize what actually happened and how bad it actually is.' She added: 'Eventually, when we got that news, we were all kind of hysterical, and the whole cabin was praying a lot and terrified – but not for ourselves.' Thompson and her friends were eventually evacuated by military trucks. She told NBC that huge trees had been uprooted, with vehicles and girls' camp trunks and clothes flung far and wide. Some of the youngsters from Camp Mystic have already been named by their families online, including eight-year-old Sara Marsh, from Alabama, and Hanna and Rebecca Lawrence, eight-year-old twin sisters from Dallas. On Saturday Texas Governor Greg Abbott visited the camp, saying that it 'horrendously ravaged in ways unlike I've seen in any natural disaster.' 'The height the rushing water reached to the top of cabins was shocking,' he wrote on X, before vowing: 'We won't stop until we find every girl who was in those cabins.' Despite the devastation, the region is bracing for yet more heavy rainfall on Monday, which may complicate ongoing search efforts. There are reports of an additional 'wall of water' heading toward Kerr County, Nim Kidd, Chief of the Texas Division of Emergency Management, said at a Sunday afternoon press conference. Issues arose late Thursday, after the National Weather Service predicted between 1 and 3 inches of rain for most areas – yet the region was surprised by a torrential downpour along the Guadalupe River that led to flash floods. Parts of Kerr County received 10 to 15 inches in a short span of time.
Indian Express
16 hours ago
- Climate
- Indian Express
Texas flash floods: What happened at a girls' summer camp where 11 are still missing
'It didn't look like Camp Mystic anymore,' 13‑year‑old Stella Thompson told Dallas NBC. She is one of hundreds of girls jolted awake at the Christian summer camp by the sound of downpour and helicopters overhead. Within just 45 minutes before dawn on the Fourth of July weekend, the Guadalupe River surged more than 26 feet, reported BBC, tearing through central Texas in US — and with it, much of Camp Mystic. The beloved girls' camp was left in ruins, its cabins mangled and bunk beds buried in mud. The flash floods, caused by a particularly intense storm that dropped up to 12 inches of rain in the starting hours of Friday—turned the normally scenic Guadalupe River into a deadly torrent. As of Sunday evening, at least 82 people including many children have died across central Texas due to the flooding, reported AP. Many of the victims were affiliated with youth summer camps. Camp Mystic has suffered some of the deepest losses. The long-time director, Richard Eastland, was among the dead during the flash floods, as were multiple young campers. Ten girls and one counselor remain unaccounted for, reported BBC. Nearby, the all-girls Camp Heart O' the Hills was also affected. Its co-owner and director, Jane Ragsdale, was confirmed dead. Fortunately, the camp was not in session at the time. Stella Thompson, whose cabin was on higher ground, described the fear as chaos unfolded: 'When we got that news, we were all hysterical and praying a lot… worried for those on the other side,' she told NBC Dallas. 'You'd see kayaks in trees… then there was first responders in the water pulling out girls.' 'And there were huge trees ripped out of the ground and their roots,' she added. There were around 750 campers at Camp Mystic when the floods struck. the camp informed parents via email that unless they had been contacted individually, their child was safe and had been accounted for. Camp Mystic, founded in 1926 has been operated by the same family for generations. On its website, the camp describes itself as a space for girls to grow spiritually and to 'develop outstanding personal qualities and self-esteem.' It has two locations along the Guadalupe River in Hunt, Texas. Talking about the floods, Kerrville City Manager Dalton Rice explained: 'This happened very quickly, over a very short period of time, that could not be predicted, even with the radar.' Search crews continue using boats, drones, and helicopters to comb through debris. More rain is forecast is complicating the ongoing efforts. President Donald Trump said he is likely to visit the affected area on Friday. (With inputs from BBC, NBC, AP)
