Who Was Chloe Childress? Teen Counselor Who Was 'Loving and Mentoring' Children at Camp Mystic Killed Saving Them During Texas Floods
Chloe Childress, 19, was among the at least 26 campers and staff members from Camp Mystic — an all-girls Christian summer camp located in Hunt — who lost their lives when the Guadalupe River surged more than 26 feet in less than an hour early Friday morning. The devastating flash flood has also claimed the lives of at least 89 people across the nearby area.
Died Saving Others
"Returning as a counselor to the place she loved so dearly, Chloe was looking forward to dedicating her summer days to loving and mentoring young girls at Camp Mystic," Childress' heartbroken family said in a statement.
The Houston teen, who had only been at the camp for a few days, "lived a beautiful life that saturated those around her with contagious joy, unending grace, and abiding faith," her family shared.
"While we know that her joy is now eternal and her faith has become sight, our hearts are shattered by this loss and the similar heartbreak of other families like ours."
Childress was co-president of the honor council at The Kinkaid School, her high school, participated in varsity cross country, and started a club focused on helping senior citizens, according to her LinkedIn profile
Head of School Jonathan Eades told ABC News that the recent graduate "lost her life upholding this selfless and fierce commitment to others." "A loyal and beloved friend to all who knew her, Chloe led with empathy. Her honesty gave others the courage to speak up. Her resilience helped others push through. Her joy, so present in all the little things, reminded all who knew her to keep showing up with heart," he said.
Unfulfilled Dreams
Childress was set to begin her studies at the University of Texas at Austin this fall. Governor Greg Abbott said on Sunday that 41 people were officially listed as missing across the state, with the possibility that more people have yet to be identified.
Hundreds of young girls were attending Camp Mystic, a Christian summer camp located along the river, and many others were vacationing in the rural area to celebrate the Fourth of July weekend.
Residents are now questioning why authorities failed to issue flood warnings until 1:18 p.m. on July 3—the day the storms began—and initially labeled them as merely "moderate."
The National Weather Service didn't upgrade the alert to a flash flood warning until 1 a.m. on Friday, declaring a Flash Flood Emergency by 4:30 a.m.
However, by that time, floodwaters were already rushing into people's homes. Many Texans believe the delayed warnings led to the high death toll.
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International Business Times
2 days ago
- International Business Times
Who Was Chloe Childress? Teen Counselor Who Was 'Loving and Mentoring' Children at Camp Mystic Killed Saving Them During Texas Floods
A teenage camp counselor, who had been looking forward to a summer "loving and mentoring" children under her watch, was one of the girls killed when record-breaking flash floods tore through a Christian camp in Texas over the weekend, her family shared the heartbreaking news on Monday. Chloe Childress, 19, was among the at least 26 campers and staff members from Camp Mystic — an all-girls Christian summer camp located in Hunt — who lost their lives when the Guadalupe River surged more than 26 feet in less than an hour early Friday morning. The devastating flash flood has also claimed the lives of at least 89 people across the nearby area. Died Saving Others "Returning as a counselor to the place she loved so dearly, Chloe was looking forward to dedicating her summer days to loving and mentoring young girls at Camp Mystic," Childress' heartbroken family said in a statement. The Houston teen, who had only been at the camp for a few days, "lived a beautiful life that saturated those around her with contagious joy, unending grace, and abiding faith," her family shared. "While we know that her joy is now eternal and her faith has become sight, our hearts are shattered by this loss and the similar heartbreak of other families like ours." Childress was co-president of the honor council at The Kinkaid School, her high school, participated in varsity cross country, and started a club focused on helping senior citizens, according to her LinkedIn profile Head of School Jonathan Eades told ABC News that the recent graduate "lost her life upholding this selfless and fierce commitment to others." "A loyal and beloved friend to all who knew her, Chloe led with empathy. Her honesty gave others the courage to speak up. Her resilience helped others push through. Her joy, so present in all the little things, reminded all who knew her to keep showing up with heart," he said. Unfulfilled Dreams Childress was set to begin her studies at the University of Texas at Austin this fall. Governor Greg Abbott said on Sunday that 41 people were officially listed as missing across the state, with the possibility that more people have yet to be identified. Hundreds of young girls were attending Camp Mystic, a Christian summer camp located along the river, and many others were vacationing in the rural area to celebrate the Fourth of July weekend. Residents are now questioning why authorities failed to issue flood warnings until 1:18 p.m. on July 3—the day the storms began—and initially labeled them as merely "moderate." The National Weather Service didn't upgrade the alert to a flash flood warning until 1 a.m. on Friday, declaring a Flash Flood Emergency by 4:30 a.m. However, by that time, floodwaters were already rushing into people's homes. Many Texans believe the delayed warnings led to the high death toll.
Straits Times
2 days ago
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‘100-year catastrophe': Deaths from central Texas flooding surpass 100, officials say
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox A search and rescue team searching for survivors along the Guadalupe River near Camp Mystic in Hunt, Texas, on July 7. KERRVILLE, Texas - The death toll from catastrophic flooding in central Texas over the Fourth of July holiday weekend has risen above 100, including 27 girls at a riverside camp, authorities said in an update on July 7. Confirmed fatalities in hardest-hit Kerr County rose to 84, with 10 Camp Mystic campers and one counselor still missing, the sheriff's office reported. At least 17 deaths have been recorded in several other nearby counties. Rescuers in Texas on July 7 continued their search for bodies swept away by the flash floods that engulfed children and counselors at a summer camp. The United States was shocked at the disaster and forecasters warned of more flooding as rain falls on saturated ground. 'Our hearts are broken alongside our families that are enduring this unimaginable tragedy,' Camp Mystic said in a statement confirming the 27 deaths at the all-girls camp, located next to a river. Texas Senator Ted Cruz told reporters that the toll was continuing to rise. 'Texas is grieving right now – the pain, the shock of what has transpired these last few days has broken the heart of our state,' Mr Cruz told reporters. 'The children, little girls, who were lost at Camp Mystic, that's every parent's nightmare.' Camps are a beloved tradition in the long US summer holidays, with children often staying in woods, parks and other rural areas. Mr Cruz described them as a chance to make 'lifetime friends – and then suddenly it turns to tragedy'. Mr Richard 'Dick' Eastland, 70, the co-owner and director of Camp Mystic, died trying to save the children at his camp during the flood, multiple media including the Austin American-Statesman reported. Mr Eastland and his wife Tweety Eastland have owned the camp since 1974, according to the camp's website. 'If he wasn't going to die of natural causes, this was the only other way, saving the girls that he so loved and cared for,' Mr Eastland's grandson, George Eastland, wrote on Instagram. Grim search President Donald Trump is planning to visit Texas on July 11, the White House said, as it slammed critics claiming his cuts to weather agencies had weakened warning systems. 'Blaming President Trump for these floods is a depraved lie, and it serves no purpose during this time of national mourning,' Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters July 7. She said the National Weather Service, which the New York Times reported had several key roles in Texas unfilled before the floods, issued 'timely and precise forecasts and warnings.' Mr Trump has described the floods in the early hours of July 4 as a '100-year catastrophe' that 'nobody expected'. The president, who previously said disaster relief should be handled at the state level, has signed a major disaster declaration, activating fresh federal funds and freeing up resources. First responders searches under a bridge that spans over the Guadalupe River, in Hunt, Texas, on July 6. PHOTO: EPA 'Flash flood alley' Helicopters and boats were taking part in the grim search across an area popular with tourists as well as summer camps. Camp Mystic was a Christian camp where about 750 people had been staying when the floodwaters struck. In a terrifying display of nature's power, the rain-swollen waters of the Guadalupe River reached treetops and the roofs of cabins as girls at the camp slept. Blankets, teddy bears and other belongings were caked in mud. Windows in the cabins were shattered, apparently by the force of the water. Months' worth of rain fell in a matter of hours on the night of July 3 into July 4, and rain has continued in bouts since then. The Guadalupe surged around 8m – more than a two-story building – in just 45 minutes. Flash floods, which occur when the ground is unable to absorb torrential rainfall, are not unusual in this region of south and central Texas, known colloquially as 'Flash Flood Alley.' Human-driven climate change has made extreme weather events such as floods, droughts and heat waves more frequent and more intense in recent years. AFP
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Who Was Janie Hunt? Chiefs Owner's Family Confirms 9-Year-Old Camp Mystic Camper Killed in Texas Floods Was Family Member
The wife of Kansas City Chiefs' owner, Clark Hunt, has confirmed that a member of their family has sadly passed away in the catastrophic flooding in Texas. Tavia Hunt, Clark's wife, shared that Janie Hunt, a young cousin in the family, was one of the Camp Mystic campers who died in the incident. Janie was just 9 years old. Janie's body was found by emergency workers on Saturday after being swept by the powerful currents. The death toll has climbed to 82 after the flooding of the Guadalupe River, which rose over 30 feet above its normal level on Friday. Among the 68 bodies recovered so far, 28 are children. Young Family Member Lost "Our hearts are broken by the devastation from the floods in Wimberley and the tragic loss of so many lives — including a precious little Hunt cousin, along with several friend's little girls," Tavia Hunt, Clark's wife, wrote on Instagram. "How do we trust a God who is supposed to be good, all knowing and all powerful, but who allows such terrible things to happen — even to children? "That is a sacred and tender question — and one the Bible doesn't shy away from. Scripture is filled with the cries of those whose hearts have been shattered, who still wrestle to trust the same God they believe allowed the pain." Janie was the great-granddaughter of the late billionaire William Herbert Hunt, who was also the brother of Lamar Hunt, the late founder of the Kansas City Chiefs. Lamar Hunt was Clark Hunt's father. Eleven girls are missing from Camp Mystic in Hunt, Texas, and five other campers have been confirmed dead after powerful floodwaters ripped through the private Christian summer camp for girls. The camp's beloved director, 70-year-old Richard 'Dick' Eastland, lost his life while heroically trying to save campers as an entire month's worth of rain fell within minutes. Total Devastation Just a week before the disaster, the camp had posted videos on social media showing the girls performing cheerfully on stage during their first term's chorus and dance recital. The youngest campers were housed in low-lying "flats" within the cabins, while the older girls stayed in cabins built on higher ground, according to The New York Times. Most of the missing children are from the younger group, who were sleeping only a few yards from the banks of the Guadalupe River. Texas Governor Greg Abbott stated that around 750 girls were present at the camp when the floodwaters struck. He also vowed that officials would continue their search efforts tirelessly and announced that Sunday would be observed as a day of prayer. "I urge every Texan to join me in prayer this Sunday — for the lives lost, for those still missing, for the recovery of our communities, and for the safety of those on the front lines," Abbott said in a statement. Family members of the missing have begun arriving to the Kerrville region from various parts of Texas to offer DNA samples to assist investigators.
