The Girls Camp Where 20 Children Are Missing Is Nearly a Century Old
In a brief email to parents on Friday morning, Camp Mystic said it had sustained 'catastrophic level floods.' The camp has two sites along the river in Hunt, Texas.
Parents of campers who have not been accounted for have been notified, the email said. About 750 girls were at the camp this week, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick of Texas said at a news conference on Friday.
The camp said that it was assisting with search-and-rescue operations, but that it did not have power, water or Wi-Fi and was struggling to get more help because a nearby highway had washed away.
On social media and in text messages, parents circulated photos of some of the missing girls, and exchanged hopeful stories that they were hearing about dramatic rescues: girls clinging to trees, or floating downriver to a boys camp five miles away.
Camp Mystic aims 'to provide young girls with a wholesome Christian atmosphere in which they can develop outstanding personal qualities and self-esteem,'its website said. It draws from families around Texas and beyond, with the youngest campers entering third grade in the fall.
The camp was established in 1926, according to its website, and has been run by generations of the same family since the 1930s. The current owners, Dick and Tweety Eastland, have been with the camp since 1974. They worked alongside the previous owners for years after graduating from the University of Texas in Austin. Camp activities include archery, cooking, cheerleading, fishing and a variety of sports. Videos posted to the camp's Instagram account show large groups of girls participating in group dance performances this summer.
The affected stretch of the Guadalupe River is home to several summer camps for children, including Camp La Junta for boys, about five miles from Camp Mystic. The boys camp informed families on Friday that all campers there were safe and fed, but evacuations would not begin until at least 7 p.m. local time on Friday.
The Facebook page for another nearby girls camp, Heart o' the Hills, reported that it was not in session when the flooding took place.
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Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Camp Mystic, the century-old girls Christian summer camp deluged by the Texas flood
Camp Mystic, a 99-year-old Christian summer camp for girls in Texas Hill Country, was hosting 750 children this week when catastrophic flooding struck the Guadalupe River early Friday, leaving at least 25 children missing. Founded in 1926, Camp Mystic operates two sites along the river in Hunt, Texas. It has long billed itself as a place for girls to grow spiritually and 'develop outstanding personal qualities and self-esteem,' according to its website. Each summer, Mystic challenges its campers to 'be a better person for being at Mystic,' and to 'let Mystic bring out the best in them.' The camp's website emphasizes lifelong friendships and a 'wholesome Christian atmosphere.' The flash floods killed at least 24 people in Texas Hill Country. The identities of the deceased and missing have not yet been officially released, but dozens of families shared in local Facebook groups that they have received phone calls from safety officials saying their daughters had not yet been located. Camp Mystic said in an email to parents of the roughly 750 campers that if they have not been contacted directly, their child is accounted for. Dick and Tweety Eastland, the current owners, have been involved with Camp Mystic since 1974. The camp has remained in the same family for generations, dating back to the 1930s. A video on the Camp Mystic website shows a sprawling campus by the river, with footage of girls playing in the water, rowing boats, riding horses and playing tennis. The flash flooding began around 4 a.m. Friday after heavy overnight rain swelled the Guadalupe River. Water swept into Kerr County and surrounding areas with such speed that officials say they were unable to issue evacuation orders in time. 'This happened very quickly, over a very short period of time, that could not be predicted, even with the radar,' said Dalton Rice, city manager for Kerrville, the county seat. 'This happened within less than a two-hour span.' Bodies were reported to have been found in vehicles swept away from upstream areas. The river had crested in Kerrville and Comfort by Friday evening, but downstream sections — including near Spring Branch — weren't expected to peak until early Saturday. The National Weather Service projected a crest of 37.2 feet there, considered moderate flood stage. This article was originally published on
Fox News
5 hours ago
- Fox News
Parents desperately seeking answers on missing campers after Texas flood
Parents are searching for information about their children's whereabouts as dozens remain missing after a deadly, devastating river flood swept through a local Christian camp. Officials say between 23 and 25 girls from Camp Mystic, an all-girls private Christian camp in Hunt, Texas, remain missing. State officials confirmed Friday night that at least 25 people are dead, including adults and children. Among the deaths, 24 were reported in Kerr County and one was in Kendall County. Families have lined up at reunification centers hoping to see their loved ones. According to the Kerr County Sheriff's Office, Ingram Elementary School in Ingram, Texas, and The Arcadia Live Theater in Kerrville, Texas, are being used as reunification centers. Camp Mystic, which had approximately 750 attendees, reportedly told parents that if they had not been contacted directly it meant that their child was accounted for. Ellen Toranzo told Fox News Digital that her daughter, Greta Toranzo, is one of the campers who went missing during the flood. Carrie Hanna also confirmed to Fox News Digital that her daughter, Hadley, is unaccounted for. Elinor Lester, 13, told the Associated Press she was evacuated with her cabinmates by helicopter after wading through floodwaters. Lester also said that the "camp was completely destroyed" in the disastrous flood. The outlet noted that Lester was housed on higher ground at the camp, known as Senior Hill. Younger campers, who can begin attending at age 8, are housed along the riverbanks and were the first to flood, according to the Associated Press. The National Guard was deployed in Texas to respond after heavy rain on Friday morning caused the Guadalupe River to rise nearly 30 feet in 45 minutes. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem later said that members of the U.S. Coast Guard were deployed to assist in evacuations. Helicopters and military vehicles were used for evacuations. As of Friday night, 237 people had been evacuated, including 167 by helicopter. Texas deployed more than 1,000 state responders and over 800 vehicles and equipment assets, according to Gov. Greg Abbott's office. The governor also declared an emergency for 15 counties, and his office said that more could be added to the list. "This is a time when we, as a state, need God more than ever," Abbott said in a statement. "The one thing I hear the most are the prayers that are being sent for those who are in harm's way." President Donald Trump told reporters on Friday that the floods were "shocking" and "a terrible thing." He also said the state would receive federal aid and that his administration was working with Abbott. The Kerr County Sheriff's Office is encouraging those with missing loved ones to call the Red Cross at 1-800-733-2767 for information.
New York Times
9 hours ago
- New York Times
Live Updates: Rescuers Search Through the Night After Texas Floods Kill at Least 24
The flooded Guadalupe River in Kerrville, Texas, on Friday. At least 20 girls were missing from Camp Mystic, a nearly century-old girls camp nearby. Camp Mystic, the Christian summer camp for girls on the Guadalupe River where at least 20 children were missing in catastrophic flooding on Friday, is nearly a century old. Its facilities include a recreation hall that was constructed in the 1920s from local cypress trees. In a brief email to parents on Friday morning, Camp Mystic said it had sustained 'catastrophic level floods.' The camp has two sites along the river near Hunt, Texas. Parents of campers who have not been accounted for have been notified, the email said. About 750 girls were at the camp this week, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick of Texas said at a news conference on Friday. The camp said that it was assisting with search-and-rescue operations, but that it did not have power, water or Wi-Fi and was struggling to get more help because a nearby highway had washed away. On social media and in text messages, parents circulated photos of some of the missing girls, and exchanged hopeful stories that they were hearing about dramatic rescues: girls clinging to trees, or floating downriver to a boys camp five miles away. Camp Mystic aims 'to provide young girls with a wholesome Christian atmosphere in which they can develop outstanding personal qualities and self-esteem,' its website said. It draws from families around Texas and beyond, with the youngest campers entering third grade in the fall. The camp was established in 1926, according to its website, and has been run by generations of the same family since the 1930s. The current owners, Dick and Tweety Eastland, have been with the camp since 1974. They worked alongside the previous owners for years after graduating from the University of Texas in Austin. Camp activities include archery, cooking, cheerleading, fishing and a variety of sports. Videos posted to the camp's Instagram account show large groups of girls participating in group dance performances this summer. The affected stretch of the Guadalupe River is home to several summer camps for children, including Camp La Junta for boys, about five miles from Camp Mystic. The boys camp informed families on Friday that all campers there were safe and fed, but evacuations would not begin until at least 7 p.m. local time on Friday. The Facebook page for another nearby girls camp, Heart o' the Hills, reported that it was not in session when the flooding took place.
