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NBC News
6 hours ago
- NBC News
Death toll rises to at least 104 in catastrophic Texas flooding
At least 104 people are dead after catastrophic flooding ravaged central Texas on July 4. A century-old Christian camp for girls, Camp Mystic, confirmed 27 of its campers and counselors are among the dead and missing. NBC News' Tom Llamas reports on the lives lost and remarkable stories of 7, 2025
NBC News
6 hours ago
- NBC News
Search crews scour West Texas for signs of life after devastating floods
INGRAM, Texas — Samuel Cummings spent much of Monday wading through knee-high floodwaters, trudging across muddy fields, digging into mounds of dirt and slashing through thickets of brush with a chain saw. But the physical demands of the search and recovery efforts near flood-battered Kerrville were nothing compared with the emotional gut punch of what Cummings saw strewn underfoot: girls' Crocs and tennis shoes, volleyballs and water bottles. The objects are the tragic remnants of Camp Mystic, where 27 girls and counselors died in flash floods that ripped through West Texas over the weekend, leaving at least 104 people dead or missing across six counties. 'That's where you start to get choked up,' said Cummings, who spoke to NBC News roughly 5 miles downstream of Camp Mystic as helicopters circled overhead. Cummings, 22, a recent college graduate who lives in Corpus Christi, jumped in his Ford truck and headed straight for the flood-ravaged region Sunday night. He grew up in Kerrville and swam in the Guadalupe River as a kid. He wanted to help. He felt he had no choice. The monstrous floods abruptly tore through West Texas overnight Friday during the Fourth of July holiday weekend, inundating buildings, trapping residents in their homes and leaving a trail of death in their wake. Cummings and other volunteer search crews fanned out across West Texas on Monday. They sawed through knocked-down trees, rummaged through heaps of debris and searched for survivors — even as hopes of finding people alive dimmed. Brandie Masters, who lives in nearby Mountain Head with her husband, Jared, felt it was her responsibility to assist in the aftermath. Jared spent part of Monday behind the wheel of an excavator, digging through 'piles and piles and piles' of debris, Masters said. She stayed on foot, scouring the muck for any signs of life. She hasn't yet found any bodies, but she has encountered grim reminders of the young lives lost: kayaks, sports gear, little girls' clothes. Masters, 42, doesn't know when she and Jared will return home. They plan to 'stay as long as it takes.' They might sleep in their car overnight. 'A lot of men are out here working really hard to recover families,' Masters said. 'God is ultimately in control. Everyone just needs to pray.' Dennis Price, founder and CEO of Heroes for Humanity, a nonprofit organization that sends out veterans, first responders, medical personnel and other crews after disasters, described surreal scenes, including a dead cow stuck high in a tree. Price also saw '60 to 80 RVs pinned up against trees,' some stacked 'about 20 feet high with fallen trees, other debris and just pieces of vehicles smashed up, torn up and then flipped over.' He said his volunteers in the hardest-hit areas told him Monday they found two pairs of bodies as part of their rescue and recovery efforts. One of the team members put on his amphibious gear and 'went down into a river and pulled out two family members.' Two more people were found along the riverbank, he said. 'It's a massive tragedy. We feel for the families. We feel for all these people, and we keep them in our prayers. That's why we support every way we can,' he said. Mark Edwards, field operations manager for the nonprofit group Texas EquuSearch, deployed more than 120 trained volunteers on horseback, in ATVs and on foot to look for survivors and victims. The team included Robert Crow, a member of Tejas Vaqueros, a riding group from Houston. 'I have two daughters. I know what it feels like. I don't know what it feels like to lose them,' Crow said as he threw blankets over his horse, Peaches. Edwards is an experienced search-and-rescue professional whose teams coordinate with law enforcement. But disaster aftermath still takes an emotional toll, he said, even if it takes some time to absorb. 'I've learned to have a trigger switch. I'll fall apart later,' Edwards said.
Metro
9 hours ago
- Metro
Tributes to 'brave' Camp Mystic counselor, 18, who died saving children in Texas
A young counselor who helped build the Camp Mystic community was among more than two dozen at the camp who died in the Texas floodwaters. Chloe Childress, 18, had just graduated from The Kinkaid School in Houston and was working at the camp when the Guadalupe River flooding swept her and others away before daybreak on Friday. Childress was stationed at Bubble Inn Cabin, which housed the youngest girls, aged eight to 10, at the century-old Christian camp. Bubble Inn and Twins cabins were less than 500 feet from the river and close to a creek that overflowed simultaneously. The two bodies of water made it it especially difficult for the girls to escape. The bodies of Childress and nine other girls were found on Monday morning. 'Whether it was sharing her own challenges to ease someone's burden or quietly cheering a teammate or classmate through a tough day, Chloe made space for others to feel safe, valued, and brave,' wrote The Kinkaid School head Jonathan Eades in a letter to the community. 'She understood what it meant to be part of a community, and more than that, she helped build one.' Eades added that Childress 'was wise beyond her years, with a steady compassion that settled a room'. Childress began working at the camp in June shortly after graduating high school, according to her LinkedIn profile. She was set to attend the University of Texas at Austin in the fall, before her life was tragically cut short. The body of Camp Mystic director Richard 'Dick' Eastland, 70, was also recovered with the bodies of three girls he had attempted to save. Eastland was trying to rescue girls from the Bubble Inn cabin, which was 15 feet above the normal water level, The Washington Post reported. More Trending As of Monday afternoon, the bodies of Katherine Ferruzzo, a 68-year-old counselor, and 10 campers were still missing. A total of 27 campers and counselors vanished during the worst flash floods the US has seen in decades. At least 90 people have been killed across the Hill Country as storms continue to batter the region. 'Texas is grieving right now. The pain, the shock of what has transpired these last few days has broken the heart of our state,' said Senator Ted Cruz. The Camp Mystic deaths, he added, are 'every parent's nightmare'. Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: Girl, 8, killed after illegal firework strike on Independence Day MORE: Nissan recalls 480,000 vehicles over fears their engines might fail MORE: Last words of hero dad who died helping his family escape devastating Texas floods
