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Fox News
07-07-2025
- Climate
- Fox News
Texas river flood leaves at least 25 dead across two counties; children's camp evacuated by helicopter
The National Guard was deployed in Texas on Friday after a devastating river flood killed at least 25 people and swept away dozens of children at a local Christian camp. Heavy rain on Friday morning caused the Guadalupe River to rise nearly 30 feet in 45 minutes. 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. Between 23 and 25 people remain missing from Camp Mystic, an all-girls private Christian camp along the Guadalupe River, according to officials. The camp had more than 750 attendees. Helicopters and military vehicles were used for evacuations. So far, 237 people have been evacuated, including 167 by helicopter, Major General Thomas Suelzer said when discussing Texas National Guard efforts. "Day or night, whatever hour of the day, there will be local officials [and] state officials collaborating together," Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said at a news conference Friday night. The governor said Homeland Secretary Kristi Noem and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum contacted him and offered federal assistance and resources. "The federal government is leaning in and wants to assist the community here in the heart of Texas," Abbott said. 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. Other nearby camps reported all children were accounted for, according to Patrick. Kerrville Mayor Joe Herring Jr. issued a disaster declaration amid emergency evacuations. Abbott wrote earlier on X that the state is directing all available resources to respond to the flood. "That includes water rescue teams, sheltering centers, the National Guard, the Texas Department of Public Safety," Abbott wrote. "The immediate priority is saving lives." Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, posted on X asking for prayers. "Please pray right now for everyone in the Hill Country, especially Camp Mystic," Cruz wrote on X. "Today, I've spoken with Gov Abbott, Lt. Gov Patrick, the head of TDEM & President Trump. Multiple helicopters are performing search & rescue. President [Donald] Trump committed ANYTHING Texas needs." Texas Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, wrote: "Our prayers are with the families of those lost and those still unaccounted for in today's tragic flooding." Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick earlier urged parents of campers to avoid driving to the area, due to impassible roads. "I know if it was one of my children, I would be tempted to want to drive there from Houston as well," Patrick said. "Once we're able to get some of those roads clear, when the rain stops, then we have 10 busses ready to go in and pick up the kids, and we'll find a point … where you can be reunited with your child and hug them. Hug them hard, because you know they're frightened." The Kerrville Public Utility Board outage map showed nearly 3,000 people were without power, as of 11 p.m. eastern time. Local funeral homes told Fox News Digital they are completely overwhelmed. A local Walmart is being used as a temporary reunification center and shelters have been activated, according to the City of Kerrville Police Department. The Red Cross is assisting, according to the Kerr County Sheriff's Office.
ABC News
07-07-2025
- General
- ABC News
Hundreds of girls were 'living their best life' at Texas summer camp. Then disaster struck
Nestled among large oak and cypress trees on the banks of the glistening Guadalupe River in Texas, Camp Mystic was a summer paradise. Girls aged between seven and 17 would spend days in the sun, kayaking, fishing, riding horses, and performing choreographed dance routines. At night, they would share bunks in large cabins with names such as Wiggle Inn and Chatter Box. Photos showed the idyllic scenes, as smiling campers posed for the camera with arms draped across each other's shoulders. Carrie Hanna's eight-year-old daughter Hadley was having the time of her life attending the all-girls camp for the first time. "She seemed to be loving camp," Ms Hanna told CNN. She shared a photo of her daughter leaning against a tree with a big smile, wearing a yellow dress with frilled sleeves. "She is the most joyful, happy kid," Ms Hanna said. For nearly a century, the camp had been a haven for local girls looking to gain confidence and independence. It is now the site of one of the deadliest flood disasters in recent Texas history. Hadley is among the 10 girls and a counsellor still missing. At least 79 people have been killed across central Texas, among them were 28 children. There were 750 children staying across the 725-acre camp when torrential rainstorms hit overnight on Friday, July 4, local time. The Guadalupe River rose to near-historic levels in a matter of minutes, catching local officials off guard. The raging floodwaters reached treetops and the roofs of cabins as girls slept, washing some of them away. Eight-year-old Renee Smajstrla was among those killed. A photo of Ms Smajstrla was sent to her family just a day before the disaster struck. "We are thankful she was with her friends and having the time of her life, as evidenced by this picture from yesterday," her uncle Shawn Salta wrote on Facebook. Parents of Eloise Peck confirmed that their eight-year-old daughter and her best friend did not survive Friday's flooding. "Eloise was literally friends with everyone. She loved spaghetti but not more than she loved dogs and animals," her mother Missy Peck told FOX 4. "She passed away with her cabin-mate and best friend Lila Bonner who also died." Heart O' the Hills, another all-girls camp that sits along the Guadalupe River, was also right in the path of Friday's flood. The camp's co-owner and director, Jane Ragsdale, who was described as the "the heart of The Heart", was killed. Videos of 68-year-old Ms Ragsdale strumming a guitar and singing to campers were posted on the camp's Facebook page alongside the words: "Life is good today. So keep singing 'til we meet, again." By Friday afternoon, Texas Game Wardens had arrived at Camp Mystic and were evacuating campers. The first responders were met with scenes of devastation. Windows in the cabins were shattered by the force of the water. Blankets, teddy bears and other belongings were caked in mud and strewn throughout twisted metal bed-frames. A pick-up truck balanced precariously on two wheels, its side lodged halfway up a tree. A wall was torn entirely off one building, the interior empty except for a Texas flag and paintings hanging high along one side. "It was nothing short of horrific to see what those young children went through," Texas Governor Greg Abbott said. Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick recounted how some campers were able to escape. He said a counsellor smashed a window so girls could climb out of their cabin, swimming through floodwaters in their pyjamas to safety. "These little girls, they swam for about 10 or 15 minutes," Mr Patrick told Fox News. "Can you imagine, in the darkness and the rushing waters, and trees coming by you, and rocks come on you?" Camp Mystic co-owner Richard Eastland was killed while trying to rescue campers, according to Texas Public Radio. The 70-year-old, whose death was confirmed by his nephew on Facebook, had been involved with the camp since 1974. Rescuers scoured the riverbanks in hopes of finding survivors. A rope was tied so girls could hang on as they walked across a bridge, the floodwaters rushing around their knees. Elinor Lester, 13, said she was evacuated with her cabin-mates by helicopter after wading through floodwaters. She remembered startling awake about 1:30am as thunder crackled and water pelted the cabin windows. Ms Lester was among the older girls housed on elevated ground known as Senior Hill. Cabins housing the younger campers are situated along the riverbanks and were the first to flood, she said. Katharine Somerville was a counsellor on the Cypress Lake side of Camp Mystic, where cabins were on higher ground than the Guadalupe River side. She said her 13-year-old campers were scared as their cabins were damaged and lost power in the middle of the night. "Our cabins at the tippity-top of hills were completely flooded with water," Ms Somerville told Fox News. "I mean, y'all have seen the complete devastation, we never even imagined that this could happen." Ms Somerville said the campers in her care were put on military trucks and evacuated, and that all were safe. Camp Mystic officials told parents that if they had not been directly contacted to assume their daughters were accounted for and safe. But officials cautioned parents not to assume the worst. Families were allowed to look around the camp beginning Sunday morning. A woman and a teenage girl, both wearing rubber waders, briefly went inside one of the cabins. At one point, the pair doubled over, sobbing before they embraced. The National Weather Service warned on Sunday that slow-moving thunderstorms threatened more flash floods over the saturated ground of central Texas. The governor said additional rounds of heavy rains lasting into Tuesday could produce more life-threatening flooding, especially in places already saturated. But he vowed to continue the search. "We won't stop until we find every girl who was in those cabins," Mr Abbott posted on social media platform X after a visit to the site. Amid the frantic search for his daughter, Ty Badon said he had come across the body of a young boy. He was still holding out hope for his 21-year-old daughter Joyce, who had spent the weekend at a home along the Guadalupe River with three friends. His daughter had been on the phone and said "they just got washed away," and then a few seconds later, the phone went dead, Mr Baden told CNN. "We pray that all four of them are still alive."
CNN
05-07-2025
- Climate
- CNN
How torrential flooding wrought tragedy at a ‘haven' for girls in central Texas
As first responders continue to rescue people stranded by the torrential flooding that descended on central Texas Friday, dozens of people are facing a parent's worst nightmare: Their children are missing. A total of 27 children were missing as of Saturday afternoon from Camp Mystic in Kerr County, according to officials. The Christian all-girls camp is located along the Guadalupe River – which rose more than 20 feet in less than two hours overnight into the July Fourth holiday. The devastating storm took the lives of at least three campers, whose families confirmed their deaths to CNN. Other families are desperately awaiting news of their loved ones. Carrie Hanna told CNN her 8-year-old daughter, Hadley, is still missing. 'She is the most joyful, happy kid with a smile on her face,' Hanna said. 'She seemed to be loving camp. This was her first year.' The massive flooding seemed to have ripped the wall off at least one building and left a cabin covered in dirt and mud, with girls' mattresses strewn across the floor, photos of the devastation show. The water line can be seen nearly reaching the doorway. Authorities have pledged that they will not rest until all of the missing have been recovered, with search efforts including boats in the river, searches from the air, and crews on the ground. Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick on Friday promised families of missing campers they would 'do everything humanly possible to find' their children. 'Twenty-four-seven, looking at every tree, turning over every rock, whatever it takes – if your child is one of those truly missing and not just out of touch – to find your daughter,' Patrick said. Over 1,000 local, state and federal personnel are working to comb difficult, waterlogged terrain for the missing, Texas Rep. Chip Roy said Saturday. More than 850 people have been rescued, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said at a Saturday news conference, including some who were 'clinging to trees to save their lives.' The missing campers are but one element in the sprawling tragedy that struck central Texas, after torrential rain triggered flash flooding in parts of the state Friday. Some parts of Texas saw a month's rain in just a few hours. At least 32 people are dead, Kerr County Sheriff Larry Leitha said Saturday afternoon. Fourteen of them are children. The Trump administration is working with state and local officials in Texas to address the devastating flooding, President Donald Trump wrote on social media Saturday. He described the flooding as 'shocking' Friday. Camp Mystic is a private nondenominational Christian summer camp for girls, nestled in Hunt, an unincorporated community in western Kerr County. The camp hosts about 750 kids overall, who can participate in 30 different activities, including archery, canoeing, dancing and fishing. Founded in 1926, the camp provides a 'wholesome Christian atmosphere' and a haven where girls 'develop outstanding personal qualities and self-esteem,' according to its website. The girls at Camp Mystic develop friendships, grow spiritually and strive to 'be a better person' and to 'let Mystic bring out the best in them,' according to the website. The current owners, Dick and Tweety Eastland, are the third generation to manage the camp, according to their website. They've been at the camp since 1974. Authorities were in contact with about 18 different summer camps along the Guadalupe River and said Camp Mystic was the only camp with people still unaccounted for as of Friday evening. The parents of at least three campers have confirmed their deaths. The mother of missing Camp Mystic camper Janie Hunt, 9, told CNN in a message Saturday morning that her daughter had died. The families of Sarah Marsh and Lila Bonner also told CNN that their daughters died in the flooding. In a post on Facebook, US Sen. Katie Britt of Alabama said she and her husband were 'heartbroken over the loss of Sarah Marsh, and we are keeping her family in our thoughts and prayers during this unimaginable time.' Bonner's family told CNN in a statement that the 9-year-old has died. 'In the midst of our unimaginable grief, we ask for privacy and are unable to confirm any details at this time,' the family said in a statement. 'We ache with all who loved her and are praying endlessly for others to be spared from this tragic loss.' Other family members told CNN they are still awaiting news of their missing campers. Natalie Landry said her 'brave and sweet' 9-year-old daughter Lainey is still missing. Ellen Toranzo, whose 10-year-old daughter, Greta Toranzo, is missing, told CNN her daughter is 'an amazing girl.' Greta is 'very smart, sweet, and good at tennis,' she said. The brother of one missing camper, Blakely McCrory, told CNN his sister is 'so loved from everybody around her.' The family also lost their father in March, he said. 'I'm just hoping she comes back home safe,' McCrory said. 'Our family has been going through a lot.' The camp is located on the Guadalupe River, where heavy rain swelled two of the river's forks, city manager Rice said at a news conference Friday. Storms late Thursday into Friday 'dumped more rain than what was forecasted on both of those forks,' Rice said, describing how the river swelled from 7 feet to 29 feet in a short amount of time during the night. 'All of that converged at the Guadalupe, and that's where we saw those very quick rising floods,' Rice said. Rice also noted not all areas along the river have alarms to flag flooding. The alarms are typically 'further downstream,' he said, in places such as in Comfort, which sits about 15 miles southeast of Kerrville. Early Friday morning, about 107 game wardens and an aviation group tried to access Camp Mystic, according to officials. Shortly after midday, they were able to enter the camp and start rescuing children. Texas Lt. Gov. Patrick said the fates of the children still missing are still unclear. 'They could be in a tree, they could be out of communication,' he said Friday. Helicopter rescues are also underway at Camp Mystic, according to a source familiar with the rescue operation. Multiple flights are rescuing children and counselors impacted by recent storms and relocating them to safer ground, the person said. The wardens, part of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, were seen with a line of trucks coming into the driveway, photos from their Facebook page show. Children gathered into the beds of the trucks to be evacuated. At nearby Camp La Junta, one 14-year-old camper says he woke up to 'just a little bit of water' before it became 'more and more.' Wyndham Etheridge told CNN's Fredricka Whitfield Saturday that in the morning, he woke up to people from other parts of the camp coming 'to seek refuge' at his cabin. 'We didn't really know what was going on around us because it was dark. We couldn't see past the trees. All we really knew is that we needed to move stuff in order for it not to get wet,' he said. Etheridge and his fellow campers 'couldn't really go anywhere, because around us there were streams, really strong streams converging and we didn't want to get swept away because of all the runoff from the mountain,' he said. They then tried to move to the loft of their cabin to escape the water, but Etheridge said 'it was leaking up there, so we couldn't stay.' 'So at some point we just decided … we could go to bed for a little bit, but then we woke up again to more water,' he said. His parents told Whitfield they received a text message from the camp Friday notifying them of the flood and that their campers were accounted for. They picked up their son last night. 'All those boys were pretty traumatized,' Amy Etheridge said. School buses and trucks filled with rescued people drove into a reunification center in Ingram, Texas, on Friday as families reunited with their children from the nearby girls' and boys' camps. At Ingram Elementary, families embraced as people lined up around the building and others loaded into an army-style truck. Prev Next Some of the children appeared to be emotionally shaken and were heard telling their parents, 'I just want to go home.' Helicopters were seen landing and dropping off campers at the reunification center as yellow school buses arrived, video footage shows. Mystic isn't the only girls' camp that lost members in the catastrophic flooding. Jane Ragsdale, camp director and co-owner of Heart O' the Hills in Hunt, Texas, died in the flooding that struck the area overnight, according to an announcement from the camp. 'We at the camp are stunned and deeply saddened by Jane's death,' reads the announcement. 'She embodied the spirit of Heart O' the Hills and was exactly the type of strong, joyful woman that the camp aimed to develop with the girls entrusted to us each summer.' The camp, set alongside the Guadalupe River and 'right in the path of the flood,' was between sessions at the time of the flooding and 'no campers were in residence,' according to the announcement. The facility sustained 'serious damage' that is still being evaluated, the announcement said. The camp will be unable to open for its second session, which was scheduled to start Sunday. Leitha, the Kerr County sheriff, said first responders will continue to search for 'every single person' who is missing in the floods. 'One thing I want to tell you and assure y'all is that we will not stop until every single person is found – we've got all the resources we need,' he said during a news conference. 'Tragic incidents like this affect us all. This community is strong and will continue to pull together during this tragic time,' Leitha said. 'We have been humbled by the outpouring of support; we are very appreciative everyone that's stepped up to help us.' First responder helicopters with infrared technology will be flying overnight in a continued effort to locate any potential rescue victims, a source familiar with the search said. Gov. Abbott said Saturday, 'We will be relentless' in the ongoing search for missing people. 'We're not going to stop today or tomorrow,' he said. 'We will stop when the job is completed.' Ed Lavandera reported from Hunt and Ingram, Texas. Sarah Dewberry reported from Oklahoma. Zoe Sottile wrote this story from New York. CNN's Taylor Romine, Emma Tucker, Dalia Faheid, Rebekah Riess, Alaa Elassar, Hanna Park, Josh Campbell, and Tori B. Powell contributed to this report.
CNN
05-07-2025
- Climate
- CNN
How torrential flooding wrought tragedy at a ‘haven' for girls in central Texas
Storms HurricanesFacebookTweetLink Follow As first responders continue to rescue people stranded by the torrential flooding that descended on central Texas Friday, dozens of people are facing a parent's worst nightmare: Their children are missing. A total of 27 children were missing as of Saturday afternoon from Camp Mystic in Kerr County, according to officials. The Christian all-girls camp is located along the Guadalupe River – which rose more than 20 feet in less than two hours overnight into the July Fourth holiday. The devastating storm took the lives of at least three campers, whose families confirmed their deaths to CNN. Other families are desperately awaiting news of their loved ones. Carrie Hanna told CNN her 8-year-old daughter, Hadley, is still missing. 'She is the most joyful, happy kid with a smile on her face,' Hanna said. 'She seemed to be loving camp. This was her first year.' The massive flooding seemed to have ripped the wall off at least one building and left a cabin covered in dirt and mud, with girls' mattresses strewn across the floor, photos of the devastation show. The water line can be seen nearly reaching the doorway. Authorities have pledged that they will not rest until all of the missing have been recovered, with search efforts including boats in the river, searches from the air, and crews on the ground. Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick on Friday promised families of missing campers they would 'do everything humanly possible to find' their children. 'Twenty-four-seven, looking at every tree, turning over every rock, whatever it takes – if your child is one of those truly missing and not just out of touch – to find your daughter,' Patrick said. Over 1,000 local, state and federal personnel are working to comb difficult, waterlogged terrain for the missing, Texas Rep. Chip Roy said Saturday. More than 850 people have been rescued, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said at a Saturday news conference, including some who were 'clinging to trees to save their lives.' The missing campers are but one element in the sprawling tragedy that struck central Texas, after torrential rain triggered flash flooding in parts of the state Friday. Some parts of Texas saw a month's rain in just a few hours. At least 32 people are dead, Kerr County Sheriff Larry Leitha said Saturday afternoon. Fourteen of them are children. The Trump administration is working with state and local officials in Texas to address the devastating flooding, President Donald Trump wrote on social media Saturday. He described the flooding as 'shocking' Friday. Camp Mystic is a private nondenominational Christian summer camp for girls, nestled in Hunt, an unincorporated community in western Kerr County. The camp hosts about 750 kids overall, who can participate in 30 different activities, including archery, canoeing, dancing and fishing. Founded in 1926, the camp provides a 'wholesome Christian atmosphere' and a haven where girls 'develop outstanding personal qualities and self-esteem,' according to its website. The girls at Camp Mystic develop friendships, grow spiritually and strive to 'be a better person' and to 'let Mystic bring out the best in them,' according to the website. The current owners, Dick and Tweety Eastland, are the third generation to manage the camp, according to their website. They've been at the camp since 1974. Authorities were in contact with about 18 different summer camps along the Guadalupe River and said Camp Mystic was the only camp with people still unaccounted for as of Friday evening. The parents of at least three campers have confirmed their deaths. The mother of missing Camp Mystic camper Janie Hunt, 9, told CNN in a message Saturday morning that her daughter had died. The families of Sarah Marsh and Lila Bonner also told CNN that their daughters died in the flooding. In a post on Facebook, US Sen. Katie Britt of Alabama said she and her husband were 'heartbroken over the loss of Sarah Marsh, and we are keeping her family in our thoughts and prayers during this unimaginable time.' Bonner's family told CNN in a statement that the 9-year-old has died. 'In the midst of our unimaginable grief, we ask for privacy and are unable to confirm any details at this time,' the family said in a statement. 'We ache with all who loved her and are praying endlessly for others to be spared from this tragic loss.' Other family members told CNN they are still awaiting news of their missing campers. Natalie Landry said her 'brave and sweet' 9-year-old daughter Lainey is still missing. Ellen Toranzo, whose 10-year-old daughter, Greta Toranzo, is missing, told CNN her daughter is 'an amazing girl.' Greta is 'very smart, sweet, and good at tennis,' she said. The brother of one missing camper, Blakely McCrory, told CNN his sister is 'so loved from everybody around her.' The family also lost their father in March, he said. 'I'm just hoping she comes back home safe,' McCrory said. 'Our family has been going through a lot.' The camp is located on the Guadalupe River, where heavy rain swelled two of the river's forks, city manager Rice said at a news conference Friday. Storms late Thursday into Friday 'dumped more rain than what was forecasted on both of those forks,' Rice said, describing how the river swelled from 7 feet to 29 feet in a short amount of time during the night. 'All of that converged at the Guadalupe, and that's where we saw those very quick rising floods,' Rice said. Rice also noted not all areas along the river have alarms to flag flooding. The alarms are typically 'further downstream,' he said, in places such as in Comfort, which sits about 15 miles southeast of Kerrville. Early Friday morning, about 107 game wardens and an aviation group tried to access Camp Mystic, according to officials. Shortly after midday, they were able to enter the camp and start rescuing children. Texas Lt. Gov. Patrick said the fates of the children still missing are still unclear. 'They could be in a tree, they could be out of communication,' he said Friday. Helicopter rescues are also underway at Camp Mystic, according to a source familiar with the rescue operation. Multiple flights are rescuing children and counselors impacted by recent storms and relocating them to safer ground, the person said. The wardens, part of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, were seen with a line of trucks coming into the driveway, photos from their Facebook page show. Children gathered into the beds of the trucks to be evacuated. At nearby Camp La Junta, one 14-year-old camper says he woke up to 'just a little bit of water' before it became 'more and more.' Wyndham Etheridge told CNN's Fredricka Whitfield Saturday that in the morning, he woke up to people from other parts of the camp coming 'to seek refuge' at his cabin. 'We didn't really know what was going on around us because it was dark. We couldn't see past the trees. All we really knew is that we needed to move stuff in order for it not to get wet,' he said. Etheridge and his fellow campers 'couldn't really go anywhere, because around us there were streams, really strong streams converging and we didn't want to get swept away because of all the runoff from the mountain,' he said. They then tried to move to the loft of their cabin to escape the water, but Etheridge said 'it was leaking up there, so we couldn't stay.' 'So at some point we just decided … we could go to bed for a little bit, but then we woke up again to more water,' he said. His parents told Whitfield they received a text message from the camp Friday notifying them of the flood and that their campers were accounted for. They picked up their son last night. 'All those boys were pretty traumatized,' Amy Etheridge said. School buses and trucks filled with rescued people drove into a reunification center in Ingram, Texas, on Friday as families reunited with their children from the nearby girls' and boys' camps. At Ingram Elementary, families embraced as people lined up around the building and others loaded into an army-style truck. Prev Next Some of the children appeared to be emotionally shaken and were heard telling their parents, 'I just want to go home.' Helicopters were seen landing and dropping off campers at the reunification center as yellow school buses arrived, video footage shows. Mystic isn't the only girls' camp that lost members in the catastrophic flooding. Jane Ragsdale, camp director and co-owner of Heart O' the Hills in Hunt, Texas, died in the flooding that struck the area overnight, according to an announcement from the camp. 'We at the camp are stunned and deeply saddened by Jane's death,' reads the announcement. 'She embodied the spirit of Heart O' the Hills and was exactly the type of strong, joyful woman that the camp aimed to develop with the girls entrusted to us each summer.' The camp, set alongside the Guadalupe River and 'right in the path of the flood,' was between sessions at the time of the flooding and 'no campers were in residence,' according to the announcement. The facility sustained 'serious damage' that is still being evaluated, the announcement said. The camp will be unable to open for its second session, which was scheduled to start Sunday. Leitha, the Kerr County sheriff, said first responders will continue to search for 'every single person' who is missing in the floods. 'One thing I want to tell you and assure y'all is that we will not stop until every single person is found – we've got all the resources we need,' he said during a news conference. 'Tragic incidents like this affect us all. This community is strong and will continue to pull together during this tragic time,' Leitha said. 'We have been humbled by the outpouring of support; we are very appreciative everyone that's stepped up to help us.' First responder helicopters with infrared technology will be flying overnight in a continued effort to locate any potential rescue victims, a source familiar with the search said. Gov. Abbott said Saturday, 'We will be relentless' in the ongoing search for missing people. 'We're not going to stop today or tomorrow,' he said. 'We will stop when the job is completed.' Ed Lavandera reported from Hunt and Ingram, Texas. Sarah Dewberry reported from Oklahoma. Zoe Sottile wrote this story from New York. CNN's Taylor Romine, Emma Tucker, Dalia Faheid, Rebekah Riess, Alaa Elassar, Hanna Park, Josh Campbell, and Tori B. Powell contributed to this report.
Fox News
05-07-2025
- General
- 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.
