How fast moving floods ripped through central Texas
Frantic search for survivors Texas flood victims: Girl 'living her best life' and 'heart and soul' of camp
The first hint of the devastation to come appeared on Thursday morning as rain and thunderstorms soaked a number of central Texas counties.The National Weather Service (NWS) issued a common warning called a flood watch at 13:18 that afternoon for parts of the region, including Kerr County.In the early hours of Friday, the outlook became more dire as the NWS issued a series of upgraded warnings. The San Saba river, the Concho River and the Colorado River were rising.
At 04.03, the NWS sent one of its most urgent alerts, a "particularly dangerous situation" warning, reserved for the most urgent and potentially deadly scenarios such as wildfires.Another "particularly dangerous situation" warning was issued for the city of Kerrville at 05.34, before dawn on Friday."Residents and campers should SEEK HIGHER GROUND NOW! Life threatening flash flooding along the river is expected," forecasters said."Automated rain gauges indicate a large and deadly flood wave is moving down the Guadalupe River. Flash flooding is already occurring."
Such alerts are shared on NWS social media accounts and by broadcast news outlets, but most people were asleep.Elinor Lester, 13, said younger campers at Camp Mystic were bunked in cabins closer to the riverbank and those were the first to flood."The camp was completely destroyed," Elinor, who was evacuated by helicopter, told the Associated Press news agency. "It was really scary."Just outside Kerrville, the BBC met Jonathan and Brittany Rojas as they came to see what was left of a relative's home. Only the foundations remain.
Five people were in the house the night of the deluge - the mother and her baby are still missing.The teenage son, Leo, survived after he became snared in barbed wire, preventing him from being swept away. The boy is recovering in hospital.As the BBC was interviewing the Rojas couple, a neighbour walked up to present them with an item salvaged from the house.It was the teenager's money jar. The label on it read, "Leo's survival kit".
Social media has been flooded with Camp Mystic parents looking for news of their children. Parents desperate for their loved ones have posted pictures with their phone numbers.One Facebook group - Kerrville Breaking news - turned into a missing persons page.Others have since updated their social media posts to say their missing family members did not survive.
Kerr County is right in the heart of the Texas Hill Country, a getaway destination because of its scenic rolling hills, countless rivers and lakes and abundance of wineries.But the region is also known as "Flash Flood Alley", because of the recurring threat that has devastated local communities over the years.When asked why the riverside summer camp was not evacuated, officials said the sudden scale of the deluge caught them unawares."No-one knew this kind of flood was coming," Kerr County Judge Rob Kelly said.
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Sky News
16 minutes ago
- Sky News
Texas flash flooding: At least 51 people killed and 27 girls from camp still missing
Watch: Texas searches for missing children Rescue teams in Texas are searching for 27 girls missing from Camp Mystic, with crews scouring a wide area by helicopter. Searches have been hampered by the floods moving debris, and those caught up in it, over large distances. Good afternoon We are returning to our live coverage of the flash flooding in Texas, which has led to the deaths of at least 51 people. A desperate rescue mission is continuing to find the 27 children who went missing from a girls' church camp along the Guadalupe River, which was overwhelmed by heavy rain on Friday morning. Authorities have not said how many other people are missing. Rescuers in Texas, where it is now approaching 8am, are scouring a devastated landscape of mangled trees and overturned cars left in the wake of destructive, fast-moving water. We'll be bringing you all the latest throughout the day. We're pausing our live coverage We are pausing our live coverage on the devastating flash floods in Texas - thank you for following along. Rescued girl 'was on a mattress for hours' Texas Congressman Chip Roy has said that a girl was stuck on a mattress for hours before she was rescued. "One of my kids' schoolmates was missing. She was on a mattress for two to three hours in the middle of the night. She was reunited with her mom, and that's wonderful," he told reporters at a news conference. "These are the kind of blessings we should be celebrating while also mourning the loss of life as we identify those who didn't make it." Texas governor declares 'day of prayer' Greg Abbott has asked Texans to "join me in prayer" for those affected by the devastating floods. Two sisters died in Kerr County flooding, with grandparents still missing - reports Blair, 13, and Brooke Harber, 11, have died after going missing during the flash floods in Kerr County, their father told CNN. RJ Harber said his parents, Charlene and Mike Harber, are still missing, but he believes that they are also dead. Blair was a "gifted student and had a generous kind heart", while her sister Brooke "was like a light in any room, people gravitated to her and she made them laugh and enjoy the moment", their father said. In pictures: Campers reunited with their families Campers and staff from one of the camps on the Guadalupe River, Camp Waldemar, have been reunited with their families. People were seen embracing their loved ones, with some shedding tears, at a reunification area. Unknown number of people missing Kerrville city manager Dalton Rice said there could be more people missing in the region than the 27 girls unaccounted for from Camp Mystic. "We are kind of looking at this in two ways, called the known missing, which is the 27... We will not put a number on the other side because we just don't know," he said at a news conference. He said "hundreds" have been rescued from campsites around the Guadalupe River so far, and searches are ongoing. Authorities in Travis County said at least 13 people are missing. In Burnet County, a firefighter was among the missing after he was swept away by floodwaters while responding to a rescue, county Emergency Management Coordinator Derek Marchio said. Some of the deadliest floods to hit the US in the last 25 years Flooding causes an average of more than 125 deaths a year, according to the National Weather Service. Here's some of the most deadly flooding to have occurred in the last 25 years... Hurricane Helene, 2024 Helene struck Florida, Georgia, the Carolinas, Tennessee and Virginia in September 2024. The storm caused about 250 deaths, according to the National Weather Service. Kentucky, 2022 Raging floodwaters in eastern Kentucky led to 45 deaths in late July. The floods destroyed homes and businesses and caused significant damage to schools, roads, bridges and water systems. Tennessee, 2021 Twenty people were killed when creeks near the small Middle Tennessee town of Waverly overflowed, following 43cm of rainfall in less than 24 hours. Hurricane Harvey, 2017 Harvey killed at least 68 people when it swept into Texas in August 2017. All but three of the Harvey deaths were directly attributed to freshwater flooding, which damaged more than 300,000 structures and caused an estimated $125 billion in damage. West Virginia, 2016 It began as a rainstorm that seemed minor, but turned into a catastrophe that trapped dozens of people, ultimately killing 23 in the state. Superstorm Sandy, 2012 Sandy was a freak combination of a hurricane and other storms that struck New York and the surrounding areas in October 2012. It killed 147 people. Hurricane Katrina, 2005 This was the deadliest flood event in the past 25 years. Katrina caused nearly 1,400 deaths and an estimated $200 billion in damages, with people having to be rescued by boat and helicopter from rooftops. Death toll rises to 51 At least 43 people have been killed in the flash flooding in Kerr County, Kerr County Sheriff Larry Leitha said at a news conference. This includes at least 15 children and 28 adults, with five children and 12 adults pending identification. In nearby Kendall County, one person has died. At least four people were killed in Travis County, while at least two people died in Burnet County. A 62-year-old woman died in the city of San Angelo in Tom Green County. Tanya Burwick's body was found "several blocks" from her flooded car, local police said in a statement.
Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
Soccer coach and wife killed in Texas floods as their kids remain missing with death toll at 52: Live updates
A beloved soccer coach and his wife have been confirmed among those killed by the devastating floods sweeping Texas, as the death toll surpasses 50 people. The ongoing deluge which started on July 3 has taken the lives of at least 52 people, including 15 children, while destroying thousands of homes and businesses. Soccer coach Reece Zunker and his wife Paula died in the horrific torrent - and their two young children are still missing. The couple's family and local soccer team confirmed their deaths on social media, while one relative said their house was spotted 'floating down the Guadalupe River'. It comes as residents have started questioning why officials failed to warn them about the floods until 1.18pm on July 3, and framed them as only 'moderate' storms. The National Weather Service escalated the alert to a flash flood warning at 1am Friday, then a more serious Flash Flood Emergency by 4.30am - but by this stage water was already pouring into families' homes. A flood watch remains in place for many of the worst-hit areas of central Texas through Sunday, including Kerrville County where the majority of the deaths have been recorded. Forecasters have warned that more rain is on the way. 12:32 Beloved soccer coach and wife among the dead Reece Zunker and his wife Paula are among those who died in the devastating floods, and their two young children are still missing. The couple's family and local soccer team confirmed their deaths on social media, while one relative said their house was spotted 'floating down the Guadalupe River'. Tivy Boys Soccer team paid tribute to their coach in a Facebook post, saying he 'rebuilt the soccer program and left a legacy'. 'His passion for his players, students, co-workers, community and his family will never be forgotten,' the team wrote. Dozens of people commented on the post to share the 'incredible' impact he had on their lives. Texas flooding death toll climbs to 52 Officials have said 52 people have been confirmed dead, including 15 children, since the deluge began in central Texas on Thursday. The majority of those who died were in Kerrville County, where the Guadalupe River broke its banks in the early hours of the Fourth of July. Rescuers were continuing to comb the river for dozens of missing people on Sunday. The death toll is expected to rise.
The Sun
an hour ago
- The Sun
Terrifying vid shows Texas river swallow bridge & swell to bursting in just 2 MINUTES as 51 dead & 27 children missing
WATCH the terrifying video of a Texas river swallowing a whole bridge in just two minutes as killer floods engulfed parts of the state. At least 51 people have died and two dozens girls are missing after flash flooding bulldozed through homes and summer camps - and dozens are still missing. 10 10 Timelapse footage of the Llano river shows the terrifying pace at which the water rose. A road bridge crosses the river, which is filled with rocks, islands and trees. Suddenly, a wall of water cascades down the river. The surface level rises sharply - and in under two minutes the bridge is totally submerged. All but the top leaves of the very tallest trees along the river disappear as thousands of tons of water flood through the valley. Locals on the ground - including public safety officials - captured the bridge disappearing from ground level. They are repeatedly forced to seek higher ground as the torrent climbs up the river bank. Rescuers are still scouring the devastated landscape in central Texas, but hopes of finding survivors are fast dwindling. Worst hit was Kerr County, particularly areas around the Guadeloupe River where waters rose by 26ft in 45 minutes following a freak dump of rainfall. About a third of a year's worth of rain fell in a few short hours, completely overwhelming the waterways and creating an "extraordinary catastrophe". Larry Leitha, Kerr County sheriff, said: "We have recovered 43 deceased individuals in Kerr County. Among these who are deceased we have 28 adults and 15 children." Dalton Rice, Kerville city manager, said on Saturday: "We've been rescuing people out of these camps by the hundreds. There's a lot of folks that are shelter in place, so we leave them in place to make sure that we get them food, water." Multiple people lost their lives in other counties, bringing the current confirmed death toll to 51 - though this is sadly expected to rise. The most desperate search is for a group of school-age girls who went missing from Camp Mystic - a Christian summer camp near the river. 10 10 Heartbreaking photos from the wrecked site show sodden mattresses and teddies strewn across dormitories. On Saturday, Sheriff Leitha said 27 of the children were still missing. The parents of all the missing children have been notified - and many turned to social media to share desperate pleas for information about their girls. Local reports suggest that up to five girls have been confirmed as dead, citing their families. Janie Hunt, 9, was among the dead, her distraught mother told CNN. A relative of nine-year-old Renee Smajstrla revealed on Facebook that the girls's body had been found. 10 10 Shawna Salta wrote: "We are thankful she was with her friends and having the time of her life, as evidenced by this picture from yesterday." Lila Bonner's family also statement confirming her death. They wrote: "In the midst of our unimaginable grief, we ask for privacy and are unable to confirm any details at this time. "We ache with all who loved her and are praying endlessly." Lila shared a cabin with her best friend Eloise Peck, 8, who also lost her life. 10 10 Her mom, Missy Peck, told Fox4: 'Eloise was literally friends with everyone. She loved spaghetti but not more than she loved dogs and animals. 'She passed away with her cabinmate and best friend Lila Bonner who also died. "Eloise had a family who loved her fiercely for the 8 years she was with us. Especially her Mommy.' Camp Mystic's owner and director Dick Eastland is amongst those confirmed to have died. Elsewhere in Texas, four people were confirmed dead in Travis County, northeast of Kerr, and 13 people were missing, according to public information office director Hector Nieto. The total number of people missing is still unknown.
