Texas floods leave at least 51 dead, 27 girls missing as rescue efforts continue
The flooding in Kerr County killed at least 43 people, including 15 children, and at least eight people died in nearby counties.
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Among the missing are 27 girls who have not been seen since their camp was hit by a wall of water in a historic flash flood.
Debris on a bridge over the Guadalupe River after the flooding (Julio Cortez/AP)
Authorities have not said how many people are missing beyond the children from Camp Mystic, a Christian summer camp along a river in Kerr County, where most of the dead were recovered.
The destructive, fast-moving waters rose 26 feet on the Guadalupe River in just 45 minutes before daybreak on Friday, washing away homes and vehicles.
The danger was not over as rains continued pounding communities outside San Antonio on Saturday and flash flood warnings and watches remained in effect.
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Searchers used helicopters, boats and drones to look for victims and to rescue people stranded in trees and from camps isolated by washed-out roads.
Governor Greg Abbott vowed that authorities would work around the clock and said new areas were being searched as the water receded.
He declared Sunday a day of prayer for the state.
Fast-moving waters rose 26 feet in 45 minutes, washing away homes and vehicles (Eric Gay/AP)
'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,' he said in a statement.
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Authorities were coming under scrutiny about whether the camps and residents in places long vulnerable to flooding had 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 swum and spent time outdoors.
The area is especially popular around the July 4 holiday, making it more difficult to know how many are missing.
'We don't even want to begin to estimate at this time,' Kerrville city manager Dalton Rice said previously.
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Sky News
5 minutes ago
- Sky News
Texas flooding latest: At least 104 dead - as new pictures show devastation at children's camp
Goodbye That's all for our coverage on the flash floods in Texas for now. At least 104 people have died across the state. However, with dozens still missing, and 10 girls among them, it is widely expected the number of dead will continue to rise. The floods struck Friday, with water levels rising rapidly, catching many people unaware along waterways such as the Guadalupe River. While warning texts and alerts were sent out, there are concerns that a lack of mobile phone signal meant not everyone got them. A number of summer camps were situated near the rivers, meaning a number of children are among the dead. Kerr County is the worst-hit area, with at least 84 dead - including 56 adults and 28 children. Burnet County, Travis County, Kendall County, Williamson County and Tom Green County have all suffered deaths as well. Political finger pointing Parallel to ongoing search and rescue efforts, a political blame game has unfolded throughout the day. Some Democrats have criticised Donald Trump for his administration's cuts of the National Weather Service - under Elon Musk's DOGE. The White House has gone on the offensive however, with press secretary Karoline Leavitt calling attacks on the president a "depraved lie". Republican Texan senator Ted Cruz warned against "partisan" finger pointing and said his state was "grieving". Trump visit in the works US President Donald Trump has said he is going to visit Texas, but details are still being worked out. He previously said it may happen Friday. Leavitt said: "The White House is currently arranging those travel plans, we hope that it will be later this week, likely on Friday." Details of the missing The first details of the missing have begun to emerge as well. Camp Mystic was hard hit by the flash floods with at least 27 dead. This includes the camp director who died trying to save children according to local media. Flood risk upgraded The flood risk for parts of Texas was upgraded from a Level Two to a Level Three - out of four. There are expected to be some lingering storms tonight as well. The National Weather Service warned of more storms and said in areas flash flooding could be "likely". Watch our latest report from US correspondent Martha Kelner below:
Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
BREAKING NEWS Counselor reveals heartbreaking sight after she delivered last surviving Camp Mystic children to parents... as those left realized the worst
A Camp Mystic counselor described the heartbreaking sight of parents desperately searching for their children after the Texas floods that took the lives of 27 of her campers and colleagues. The Biblical Texas floods have killed at least 100 across the state as of Monday afternoon, with 75 bodies having been recovered in hard-hit Kerr County alone. Two brave Camp Mystic staffers died trying to save young girls as the Guadalupe River flooded and surged by up to 30 feet above its usual water level on Friday. Authorities are racing against the clock as they continue their urgent search for 10 missing campers and one counselor. Camp Mystic counselor Holly Kate Hurley, 19, recalled the heartbreaking scene that followed as parents tried to reunite with their daughters. 'Seeing little girls run to their parents and just hug them and cry, and also just seeing some parents who were looking for their little girls and they weren't there... But, that's just a sight I don't think I'll ever forget,' she told Fox News. Hurley said she is thankful to the Army soldiers who helped them evacuate, but will never forget the moment when the water completely flooded the dam and swept away the camp's waterfront cabins with campers still inside. 'I was with my campers in the middle of the night, it was about 1.30 in the morning. And rain just kind of started coming through our windows. I woke my girls up, told them to close the windows and then the power just went out, all the fans turned off, running water didn't work,' she said. She added: 'In the morning, they gathered all the counselors that were at Cyprus Lake and they told us that two of the cabins with the seven-year-old girls were wiped away and all these girls were missing. 'And we went back to our cabins and tried to keep up good spirits with these young girls. I think I was just in shock.' The National Weather Service has extended a flash flood watch for the Texas Hill Country, where an additional one to three inches of rain is expected to fall Monday, until 7pm local time. Officials have come under scrutiny as to why residents and youth summer camps along the river were not alerted sooner, but White House leaders have insisted there were no errors. Hurley was a regular at Camp Mystic, having attended as a camper from the age of ten before joining the staff as a counselor. A heartbreaking photo showed an entire cabin of Camp Mystic girls and counselors who were washed away in the horrific Texas floods. The 13 girls and two counselors were staying in Camp Mystic's Bubble Inn cabin, which, alongside the Twins cabin, housed the youngest of the girls, aged 8 to 10. The cabins were less than 500 feet from the river and thus took in water from two directions - the Guadalupe river and a creek nearby, making the girls' escape particularly challenging. The bodies of nine of the girls and counselor Chloe Childress, 18, have been found as of Monday morning, while counselor Katherine Ferruzzo and four campers remain missing. Those confirmed dead are: Janie Hunt, Margaret Bellows, Lila Bonner, Lainey Landry, Sarah Marsh, Linnie McCown, Winne Naylor, Eloise Peck, Renee Smajstrla and Mary Stevens. Camp Mystic father-figure and owner, Richard 'Dick' Eastland, 70, died while trying to save the young girls. Crews are trudging through debris and wading into swollen riverbanks in search for victims. Joyce Boden's father Ty found another dead child while frantically hunting for his daughter. Ty Badon was scouring the epicenter of the carnage for his 21-year-old daughter when he stumbled across a little boy, who is one of at least 89 people killed by the inundation. Joyce's mother Kellye Badon broke the terrible news on Facebook Monday afternoon that she did not survive. With more rain on the way, the risk of more flooding is still high in saturated parts of central Texas. Survivors have described the floods as a 'pitch black wall of death' and said they received no emergency warnings. Officials have come under scrutiny as to why residents and youth summer camps along the river were not alerted sooner about the severe weather or told to evacuate. The White House has hit out the 'depraved' Democrats who are blaming President Donald Trump for the catastrophic floods in Texas. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt slammed Trump's critics for suggesting that his cuts to NOAA and FEMA contributed to the devastation. 'Unfortunately, in the wake of this once-in-a-generation natural disaster, we have seen many falsehoods pushed by Democrats such as Senator Chuck Schumer and some members of the media,' she said. 'Blaming President Trump for these floods is a depraved lie, and it serves no purpose during this time of national mourning.'
The Independent
an hour ago
- The Independent
Coast Guard member hailed as 'American hero' for saving Texas flood victims
US Coast Guard rescuer Scott Ruskan has been lauded as an 'American hero' by the Trump administration for saving 165 people during extreme floods in Texas. Ruskan, a 26-year-old helicopter rescue swimmer, undertook his first mission evacuating children from Camp Mystic, where 27 campers and counselors later died. The floods, caused by thunderstorms, led to the Guadalupe River surging, resulting in at least 82 fatalities across the region. Ruskan acted as the sole triage coordinator at the scene, with video showing him being airlifted from a submerged building. President Trump declared the floods a major disaster for Kerr County, while his administration faces scrutiny over cuts to the National Weather Service and his stance on climate change.
