Photos show aftermath of 'catastrophic' flooding in Texas
As first responders continue what Texas Gov. Greg Abbott called a "24/7" rescue effort to find those lost in severe floodwaters along the Guadalupe River, a community remains in disarray, with vehicles overturned, buildings unrecognizable and roads undrivable.
As of Saturday, July 5, the death toll following the flooding in and around Kerr County is 27. The deceased consist of 18 adults and nine children, Kerr County Sheriff Larry Leitha said.
The flooding also led to campers at Camp Mystic, a Christian girls' camp along the Guadalupe River's edge, going missing. As of Saturday morning, there were 27 missing campers from the camp, Kerrville City Manager Dalton Rice said.
Camp Mystic is in central Texas's Kerr County, about 60 miles northwest of San Antonio. A few miles away along the river, another girls' camp said its director was killed in the flooding. The Heart O' the Hills Camp said it was not in session, and most people who were at camp when flooding occurred have been accounted for, but camp officials received word that Director Jane Ragsdale had died.
The number of people still missing is unclear, Rice said, adding that officials can't begin to estimate actual numbers since there may have been an uncertain number of people visiting the region on vacation. Five of the confirmed victims are from Harris County, where Houston is located, according to Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo.
"All of Texas is impacted by this tragic event," Hidalgo wrote in an X post on Friday, July 4.
Adding to Hidalgo's sentiment, Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick told reporters on Friday that his office has been in contact with the White House multiple times. President Donald Trump told state officials, 'Whatever we need, we will have,' Patrick said.
Photos show 'catastrophic' flooding in Texas
Here are some photos of the devastation caused by the catastrophic flooding, which the National Weather Service said is not over yet, as the system dumping rain over central Texas has slowed as it moves over the state.
Contributing: Jeanine Santucci, Joel Shannon, Doyle Rice & Elizabeth Weise, USA TODAY
Jonathan Limehouse covers breaking and trending news for USA TODAY. Reach him at JLimehouse@gannett.com.
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