At least 13 are dead and 20 missing from a girls camp in a catastrophic Texas flood
Kerr County Sheriff Larry Leitha said at a press conferences on Friday afternoon that there were 13 confirmed fatalities resulting from the torrential rains that hit Kerville early in the morning.
"There's still several people unaccounted for," Leitha added.
Camp Mystic, located in Hunt, Texas, has 750 campers, according to the New York Times; 20 girls are unaccounted for, according to Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick.
The Kerr County Sheriff's Department said on Facebook that it was respondng to a "catastrophic flooding event."
"Our Office is working with a wide variety of local and state agencies to respond to calls and rescues," the deparmtnet wrote on facebook. "The entire county is an extremely active scene. Residents are encouraged to shelter in place and not attempt travel. Those near creeks, streams, and the Guadalupe River should immediately move to higher ground."
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
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USA Today
2 hours ago
- USA Today
Why the flooding tragedy at Camp Mystic is hitting so hard for many parents
As search and rescue efforts press onward in central Texas following the deadly flash flood, many are feeling grief and anxiety over the devastation wrought on an all-girls camp caught in the deluge. When the flash flood struck early July 4, about 700 children were in residence at Camp Mystic, a 99-year-old nondenominational Christian summer camp for girls nestled in the Texas Hill Country, according to Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick. As of July 6, 10 children were still missing along with a camp counselor, according to officials, and at least three girls who were attending the summer camp are among the dead, based on reports from family members. Texas flooding: At least 79 dead; flood-ravaged state faces more rain At least 80 people have died in the flooding triggered by unrelenting rain that sent parts of the Guadalupe River to spill its banks, officials announced, and most of the deaths have been reported in the Kerr County area, which includes the camp. As of July 6, Larry Leitha of Kerr County, where the worst of the flooding occurred, said authorities recovered the bodies of 40 adults and 28 children. What happened at Camp Mystic? A day after the disaster struck, the camp was a tableau of devastation, the walls marked with slashes of mud several feet from the ground, showing how high the flood waters reached. Photos taken on July 5 show a damaged building at the camp missing an entire side, others with broken windows, and personal effects of the young campers strewn about alongside overturned furniture. Anguished parents were waiting for word on July 6 on the children still missing from Camp Mystic, while Texas Gov. Greg Abbott remarked on the scene after visiting the site. The girls' camp was "horrendously ravaged in ways unlike I've seen in any natural disaster," the governor said July 5, adding: "The height the rushing water reached to the top of cabins was shocking." Abbott, who issued a disaster declaration for nearly two dozen Texas counties, said: "We won't stop until we find every girl who was in those cabins." One Camp Mystic camper, 8-year-old Sarah Marsh of Alabama, was confirmed among the dead, according to Mountain Brook, Alabama, Mayor Stewart Welch. Janie Hunt, 9, was also among the dead, The New York Times and CNN both reported. Other campers were also reported dead by news outlets on Saturday. Where is Camp Mystic? The Christian girls camp hit by flooding in Texas? Why the Camp Mystic tragedy is hitting hard for many parents While the families of those missing and dead reel from the tragedy, the emotional aftershocks of the July 4 flood are reaching throughout the state. The camp has a storied history in the state. The daughters of three former Texas governors summered at the camp, according to Texas Monthly, and three generations of girls in former President Lyndon B. Johnson's family attended. Former first lady Laura Bush was once a camp counselor at Camp Mystic, the Texas Tribune reports, and a current Republican Congressman announced Saturday that two of his daughters were among those evacuated over the weekend. "Camille, Vivian and I are now reunited with Caroline and Juliana who were evacuated from Camp Mystic," U.S. Rep. August Pfluger posted on X. "The last day has brought unimaginable grief to many families and we mourn with them as well as holding out hope for survivors." Generations of Texas families have sent their daughters to Camp Mystic, former camper Clair Cannon told USA TODAY, where lifelong friendships were formed. The camp's effects are intergenerational for Cannon, as both her mother and daughter have also attended Camp Mystic. For many summers, Cannon has driven Highway 39 as it hugged the Guadalupe River on her way to the campgrounds perched on the riverbank. "What that area is like when it's in its prime – when it's not devastated like this – is probably one of the most serene and peaceful places that I've ever seen in my life," said Cannon, a commercial and residential real estate agent in Dallas. "That part of Texas is just absolutely gorgeous." Cannon's daughter, now a 19-year-old college student, knew counselors who were at the camp at the time of the disaster. The camp, described on its website as "nestled among cypress, live oak and pecan trees" along the banks of the Guadalupe River, operates three sessions each summer, offering classic summer camp activities including archery, canoeing, arts and crafts, swimming and horseback riding. "Campers and counselors join together to sing songs, listen to scripture, discover ways to grow spiritually, and learn to apply these lessons to their daily life at camp and back home," according to the site. Religious activities include: Bible studies, Saturday evening Catholic Mass, Sunday morning devotionals along the river, Sunday evening Vespers services, and, once during each two-week or four-week term, a sunrise communion service. Other activities include cooking, dance, basketball, lacrosse, soccer and yoga. Along Highway 39, there's a big sign reading "Mystic" atop a hill, Cannon said. It let girls know they're almost to camp, or if they were leaving, they wouldn't see friends until next summer. "It always makes you cry," Cannon said. Contributing: Jeanine Santucci, Joel Shannon, Eduardo Cuevas, Trish Choate, Zac Anderson, Mike Snider, USA TODAY. Kathryn Palmer is a national trending news reporter for USA TODAY. You can reach her at kapalmer@ and on X @KathrynPlmr.
Business Insider
2 hours ago
- Business Insider
Photos show scenes from the Texas floods and the summer camp where 10 children remain missing
During a press conference on Sunday,Kerr County Sheriff Larry Leitha said 68 people are confirmed dead, including 40 adults and 28 children. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said another 10 people were killed in the broader central Texas. Officials said 10 children and one counselor from Camp Mystic, a Christian girls' camp along the Guadalupe River, remained unaccounted for. In areas affected by the flooding across the state, there are still 41 known missing people. Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said the Guadalupe River rose 26 feet in 45 minutes on Friday as torrential rain battered the region. The National Weather Service said the river reached the second-highest height on record. The agency on Sunday extended a flood watch for parts of central Texas through 7 p.m. local time. Here are some images showing the impact of the flooding and ongoing search and rescue efforts.
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
Texas flood death toll mounts as campers remain missing
The death toll from catastrophic floods in Texas has reached 78 people including at least 28 children, as the search for girls missing from a summer camp enters a third day, and fears of more flash flooding as rain fell on saturated ground prompt fresh evacuations. Larry Leitha, the Kerr County Sheriff in Texas Hill Country, said 68 people had died in flooding in his county, the epicentre of the flooding, among them 28 children. Texas Governor Greg Abbott, speaking at a press conference on Sunday afternoon, said another 10 had died elsewhere in Texas and 41 confirmed missing. The governor did not say how many of the dead outside Kerr were children. Among the most devastating impacts of the flooding occurred at Camp Mystic summer camp, a nearly century-old Christian girls camp. Sheriff Leitha said on Sunday that 10 Camp Mystic campers and one counsellor were still missing. "It was nothing short of horrific to see what those young children went through," said Abbott, who said he toured the area on Saturday and pledged to continue efforts to locate the missing. The flooding occurred after the nearby Guadalupe River broke its banks after torrential rain fell in the central Texas area on Friday, the US Independence Day holiday. Texas Division of Emergency Management Chief Nim Kidd said at the press conference on Sunday afternoon the destruction killed three people in Burnet County, one in Tom Green County, five in Travis County and one in Williamson County. "You will see the death toll rise today and tomorrow," said Freeman Martin, director of the Texas Department of Public Safety, also speaking on Sunday. Officials said on Saturday that more than 850 people had been rescued, including some clinging to trees, after a sudden storm dumped up to 38cm of rain across the region, about 140km northwest of San Antonio. "Everyone in the community is hurting," Leitha told reporters. Kidd said he was receiving unconfirmed reports of "an additional wall of water" flowing down some of the creeks in the Guadalupe Rivershed, as rain continued to fall on soil in the region already saturated from Friday's rains. He said aircraft were sent aloft to scout for additional floodwaters, while search-and-rescue personnel who might be in harm's way were alerted to pull back from the river in the meantime. The National Weather Service issued flood warnings and advisories for central Texas as rains fell, potentially complicating rescue efforts. The Federal Emergency Management Agency was activated on Sunday and is deploying resources to first responders in Texas after President Donald Trump issued a major disaster declaration, the Department of Homeland Security said in a statement. US Coast Guard helicopters and planes are helping the search and rescue efforts, the department said. Trump, who said on Sunday he would visit the disaster scene, probably on Friday, has previously outlined plans to scale back the federal government's role in responding to natural disasters, leaving states to shoulder more of the burden themselves. Some experts questioned whether cuts to the federal workforce by the Trump administration, including to the agency that oversees the National Weather Service, led to a failure by officials to accurately predict the severity of the floods and issue appropriate warnings ahead of the storm. Camp Mystic had 700 girls in residence at the time of the flooding. The disaster unfolded rapidly on Friday morning as heavier-than-forecast rain drove river waters rapidly to as high as 9m. A day after the disaster struck, the summer camp was a scene of devastation. Inside one cabin, mud lines indicating how high the water had risen were at least 1.83m from the floor. Bed frames, mattresses and personal belongings caked with mud were scattered inside. Some buildings had broken windows, one had a missing wall. Lifeline 13 11 14 Kids Helpline 1800 55 1800 (for people aged 5 to 25)
