Central Texas flood death toll rises to 24; at least one camper killed
July 5 (UPI) -- The death toll from flooding in central Texas rose to at least 24 people with 20 girls at a camp unaccounted for, officials said.
On Saturday, the mother of a missing Camp Mystic camper Janie Hunt, 9, told CNN that her daughter died. She had spoken with CNN on Friday, saying she hadn't heard anything about her daughter's whereabouts.
Torrential rain triggered flash flooding in Kerr County, which is 65 miles north of San Antonio and 101 miles west of Austin.
In just a few hours overnight into Friday, parts of Central Texas had a month's worth of rain, including Hunt near Kerrville with about 6.5 inches in three hours early Friday.
Heavy rain+ flooding threaten portions of West and Central Texas.
⚠️ PLEASE HEED LOCAL WARNINGS ⚠️@texasgamewarden is assisting #TeamTexas with search and rescue
Texas State Parks are posting latest info about storm impacts to their social media and https://t.co/MEqUWejwvK pic.twitter.com/apxiJNYnGe— Texas Parks & Wildlife (@TPWDnews) July 4, 2025
Meteorologist Matthew Cappucci posted on X that rainfall in the area totaled more than 10 inches, but "annual rainfall for this region is about 28-32 inches.
"Imagine 4 months' worth of rain falling in a 6-hour window," Cappucci said.
On Saturday, between 2 and 4 inches of additional rain are expected, with isolated amounts up to 10 inches, the weather service in Austin and San Antonio said.
A flood watch was in effect in the region until at least 7 p.m. CDT Saturday.
"Dangerous and life-threatening flooding and heavy rain continues this morning over Burnet, western Williamson, and northwestern Travis counties," the weather service posted on X. "A **Flash Flood Emergency** remains in effect for these areas. Seek higher ground if near a flooded creek or stream."
Gov. Greg Abbott said searches for those unaccounted for "will continue in the darkness of night."
Around 237 people were rescued or evacuated, including more than two-thirds by helicopters, according to Maj. Gen. Thomas M. Suelzer with the Texas Military Department, CNN reported. Some were rescued from trees.
Deployed were at least 14 helicopters, 12 drones and more than 500 rescuing units, with three more helicopters are on the way. Personnel were also sent Saturday to help manage evacuee shelters.
The campers were at Camp Mystic for Christian girls before the Guadalupe River rose more than 20 feet in two hours. Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said the trouble finding them "does not mean they are lost."
Authorities contacted 18 camps along the Guadalupe River and Camp Mystic was the only camp with people still unaccounted. Early Friday, 107 game wardens and an aviation group tried to access the camp, according to officials, finally were able to enter the camp at midday to start rescuing children.
Jane Ragsdale, Heart O' the Hills' director and co-owner, died in the flooding, according to an announcement Friday from the camp. She was described as a "woman who influenced countless lives and was the definition of strong and powerful."
"Thankfully, camp was not in session, and most of those who were on camp at the time have been accounted for and are on high ground," the message said about the camp, which is located along the Guadalupe River. "Rescue efforts are ongoing throughout the county as many people have been impacted by this devastation."
In Kerrville, heavy rain swelled two forks of the river before they converge and flow "through the city," City Manager Dalton Rice said at a news conference Friday.
Rice said the river swelled from 7 feet to 29 feet during the night.
Rice said he had been jogging along the Guadalupe River trail at 3:30 a.m. and there was only light rain.
"Within an hour and a half, [the river] had already risen over 25 feet," he said. "Within a matter of minutes, it was up to 29 feet."
"We had to drive over live power lines to get out of here because the only other way we could go was underwater," Candice Taylor told KENS-TV.
Nim Kidd, chief of the Texas Division of Emergency Management, said Friday night that the National Weather Service forecast "did not predict the amount of rain that we saw."
The NWS issued a flash flood warning on Thursday afternoon for Kerr County.
"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."
Abbott has issued a disaster declaration for the following counties: Bandera, Comal, Concho, Gillespie, Kendall, Kerr, Kimball, Llano, Mason, McCullough, Menard, Reeves, San Saba and Tom Green.
The declaration will ensure the counties "are going to have access to every tool, strategy, personnel that the state of Texas can provide to them, which will be limitless," he said.
On Friday night, President Donald Trump said the federal government is working with Abbott. "We'll take care of them," Trump told reporters on Air Force One.
"It's terrible. The floods? It's shocking. They don't know the answer yet as to how many people, but it looks like some young people have died," Trump told reporters as he traveled to his New Jersey golf club.
#TexasGameWardens have made entry into Camp Mystic with vehicles and are beginning to bring campers out! pic.twitter.com/OfyIdBAivg— Texas Game Wardens (@TexasGameWarden) July 5, 2025
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