Texas flooding: At least 23 girls go missing from century-old all-girls Christian summer camp
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Over 10 inches of rain in central Kerr County overnight caused the Guadalupe River to surge by 22 feet in just two hours. A river gauge in the nearby town of Hunt recorded a nearly 30-foot rise before it stopped functioning, according to the Associated Press. The deluge cut off access routes, washed away a nearby highway, and left the area with no power, water, or Wi-Fi.
Camp Mystic was founded in 1926, has long been a cherished summer destination for the daughters of Texas's political elite and other families from across the state.
The camp's website described its mission as fostering 'a wholesome Christian atmosphere in which young girls can develop outstanding personal qualities and self-esteem.' Its youngest campers typically enter the third grade in the fall.
In a brief email to parents on Friday morning, Camp Mystic acknowledged that it had suffered 'catastrophic level floods.' It confirmed that it was cooperating with ongoing search-and-rescue operations but highlighted the severe logistical challenges due to washed-out roads and communication breakdowns.
Rescue efforts continued through the day, with helicopters, boats, and drones deployed across the region. Camp Mystic's facilities include a recreation hall built in the 1920s using local cypress trees. Camp activities range from archery and fishing to cooking, cheerleading, and various sports.
Owned by Dick and Tweety Eastland since 1974, the camp has been operated by generations of the same family since the 1930s. The Eastlands, both University of Texas at Austin graduates, worked closely with the previous camp owners before taking over its management.
As the search for survivors continued, the full scale of the disaster remained unclear. Emergency crews warned that the rising water levels and washed-out infrastructure posed ongoing risks across the flood-affected region.
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Time of India
18 minutes ago
- Time of India
‘Pitch black wall of death': 27 dead, dozens missing after devastating Texas floods sweep through girls' summer camp; '‘It's terrible, it's shocking', Trump reacts
US President Donald Trump on Friday called the flash floods in Texas 'terrible' and 'shocking' as the death toll rose to 27, including 9 children, with dozens still missing following a powerful storm that swept through the Texas Hill Country overnight. "It's terrible, the floods. It's shocking," Trump told reporters, reacting to the devastation as emergency crews rushed to locate missing residents, including at least 24 girls from Camp Mystic, a Christian summer camp in Kerr County, which was completely destroyed by floodwaters. The Guadalupe River surged over 26 feet in just 45 minutes before dawn Friday, washing away cabins, homes, and vehicles. Kerr County Sheriff Larry Leitha said at least 240 people had been rescued, but many remain unaccounted for as search efforts continue using helicopters, boats, and drones. Crews worked through the early hours of Saturday, navigating debris and swift currents in the dark. 'The water's moving so fast, you're not going to recognize how bad it is until it's on top of you,' said Bob Fogarty, a National Weather Service meteorologist, reported AP. Frantic families posted photos of missing children, and a reunification center in Ingram saw tearful reunions as rescued campers arrived. 'The camp was completely destroyed,' said 13-year-old Elinor Lester, one of the survivors. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 5 Books Warren Buffett Wants You to Read In 2025 Blinkist: Warren Buffett's Reading List Undo 'A helicopter landed and started taking people away. It was really scary.' Some residents described having no warning before the flood hit. 'We got no emergency alert. There was nothing,' said Matthew Stone. 'Then a pitch black wall of death.' Despite claims from local officials that they didn't anticipate such intense flooding, AccuWeather and the National Weather Service confirmed issuing warnings well before the storm hit. 'These warnings should have provided officials with ample time to evacuate camps,' AccuWeather said. Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said alerts were sent but acknowledged that predicting the storm's precise impact was difficult. 'Everything was done to give them a heads up,' he said. More rain is expected through the weekend, with flash flood warnings still in effect. Officials have warned that the danger has not passed. The Texas Hill Country, popular for its rivers and summer camps, is known as one of the most flood-prone areas in the US. 'When it rains, water doesn't soak into the soil,' said Austin Dickson of the Community Foundation of the Texas Hill Country. 'It rushes down the hill.'
Hindustan Times
an hour ago
- Hindustan Times
Search ops for dozens of girls missing from summer camp continue as flash floods batter Texas
Crews searched through the dark early Saturday for two dozen children from a girls camp and many others still missing after a wall of water rushed down a river in the Texas Hill Country during a powerful storm that killed at least 24 people. The death toll was certain to rise. 'Rescue teams, helicopters and drones were being used, with some people being rescued from trees,' said Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick.(Eric Gay/ AP) The destructive fast-moving waters along the Guadalupe River rose 26 feet (8 meters) in just 45 minutes before dawn Friday, washing away homes and vehicles. The danger was not over as more heavy rains were expected Saturday and flash flood warnings and flood watches remained in effect for parts of central Texas. Searchers used helicopters and dronefs to look for victims and rescue people stranded. The total number of missing was not known but one sheriff said about 24 of them were girls who had been attending Camp Mystic, a Christian summer camp along the river. Frantic parents and families posted photos of missing loved ones and pleas for information. '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.' 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 floodwaters whipping around their legs, she said. At a news conference late Friday, Kerr County Sheriff Larry Leitha said 24 people were confirmed dead. Authorities said about 240 people had been recued. 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. Helicopters, drones used in frantic search for missing One river gauge near Camp Mystic recorded a 22 foot rise (6.7 meters) in about two hours, said 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. Rescue teams, helicopters and 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 in the middle of the night Friday. 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 to 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 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 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. The lieutenant governor 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.
Time of India
2 hours ago
- Time of India
Texas floods: 24 killed, over 20 children from girls' camp missing in Guadalupe River. More rains predicted, flash flood warnings issued
Texas floods killed at least 24 people even as Crews searched through Saturday for two dozen children from a girls' camp and many others who were still missing after a wall of water rushed down a river in the Texas Hill Country during a powerful storm. The death toll was certain to rise. The destructive fast-moving waters along the Guadalupe River rose 26 feet (8 meters) in just 45 minutes before dawn Friday, washing away homes and vehicles. The danger was not over as more heavy rains were expected on Saturday and flash flood warnings and watches remained in effect for parts of central Texas. Sunday Weather Forecast The slow-moving storm stuck over central Texas is expected to bring more rain Saturday, with the potential for pockets of heavy downpours and more flooding, said Jason Runyen, of the National Weather Service. The threat could linger overnight and into Sunday morning, he said. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Villas For Sale in Dubai Might Surprise You Dubai villas | search ads Get Deals Undo 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. 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. "When it rains, water doesn't soak into the soil," Dickson said. "It rushes down the hill. It's generally a very tranquil river with really beautiful clear blue water that people have been attracted to for generations," Dickson said. Live Events 24 Girls Missing Searchers used helicopters, boats and drones to look for victims and to rescue stranded people. The total number of missing was not known but one sheriff said about 24 of them were girls who had been attending Camp Mystic, a Christian summer camp along the river. Frantic parents and families posted photos of missing loved ones and pleas for information. At a news conference late Friday, Kerr County Sheriff Larry Leitha said 24 people were confirmed dead, including some children. Authorities said about 240 people had been rescued. The flooding in the middle of the night on the Fourth of July holiday caught many residents, campers and officials by surprise. The Texas Hill Country, which sits northwest of San Antonio, is a popular destination for camping and swimming, especially around the summertime holiday. FAQs Q1. What is river that causes floods in Texas? A1. The destructive fast-moving waters along the Guadalupe River rose 26 feet (8 meters) in just 45 minutes before dawn Friday, washing away homes and vehicles. Q2. What us 'flash flood alley'? A2. 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.
