Latest news with #ReneeSmajstrla
Washington Post
7 days ago
- General
- Washington Post
Sunday worship after Texas floods filled with sorrow and fear
KERRVILLE, Texas — Service had just started at St. Peter's Episcopal Church on Sunday when worshipers' cellphones began buzzing with another flash flood warning. The Guadalupe River was rising — again. 'We need you to be here,' Rev. Bert Baetz assured the nearly three dozen people in the congregation. The church had held a funeral for one of their own the day before: 8-year-old Renee Smajstrla, one of two dozen girls who died in this month's flooding at nearby Camp Mystic.
Metro
09-07-2025
- General
- Metro
Satellites show roads washed away in Texas flooding after more than 110 killed
Before and after images of the Texas floods which killed more than 110 with 160 still missing lay bare the destruction the 'tsunami wall of water' has caused. Images released by Maxar Technologies shows the Ingram Dam before flash flooding along the Guadalupe River on July 25, 2022. On July 4 heavy rain caused the river to surge by more than 20 feet within 90 minutes, washing out the surrounding areas. The epicentre of the floods was in Kerr County, west of Austin, with girl's summer retreat Camp Mysticstruck by a 'tsunami wall of water' killing 27 children and their counselors. Renee Smajstrla was the first victim at the camp confirmed dead following the deluge. Her uncle Shawn Salta wrote on Facebook: 'Thank you to all our friends and family for all the prayers and outreach. 'Renee has been found and while not the outcome we prayed for, the social media outreach likely assisted the first responders in helping to identify her so quickly. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video 'We are thankful she was with her friends and having the time of her life, as evidenced by this picture from yesterday. She will forever be living her best life at Camp Mystic. Please continue to pray for the other families in Kerrville.' Lila Bonner, nine, was also identified, along with Eloise Peck, eight. Both attended the same primary school. Eloise's mother Missy told Fox4News: 'Eloise was literally friends with anyone. 'Eloise had a family who loved her fiercely for the 8 years she was with us. Especially her Mommy.' The other two victims were identified as Sarah Marsh and Janie Hunt. At least five girls and 19-year-old counselor Katherine Ferruzzo are still missing. Several towns were also devastated by the severe floods, with 850 people evacuated from the area. Some 87 people have died with 161 still missing in Kerr County, while seven bodies have been found in Travis with at least 10 still missing. Eight people have died in Kendall, and Burnet has suffered five fatalities, with one person still missing. Three are confirmed to have died in Williamson County, with one still missing, and at least one body has been located in Tom Green County. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Hopes of finding survivors are rapidly fading, with only bodies now being found five days on from the flooding. Witnesses describe a 'wall of water' smashing into their homes and reaching all the way up to the first floor. More Trending One survivor Hallie Thompson told NBC the force of the floods ripped her home in half – before receding as rapidly as it came. Texas governor Greg Abbott has declared a disaster in the following counties: Bexar, Burnet, Caldwell, Guadalupe, Travis, Williamson, Bandera, Coke, Comal, Concho, Gillespie, Kendall, Kerr, Kimble, Llano, Mason, McCulloch, Menard, Reeves, San Saba and Tom Green. Meanwhile the National Weather Service has declared a flash food emergency in Ruidoso, New Mexico, with residents urged to seek higher ground. Footage shows a home being swept up in the waters where river waters have risen by 15 ft. Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page.
The Guardian
09-07-2025
- Climate
- The Guardian
Among the Texas flood victims: campers, staff, grandparents and teachers
As search-and-rescue operations continue across central Texas, the death toll from the devastating and catastrophic flash flooding of the Guadalupe River continues to rise. On Sunday, Texas's governor, Greg Abbott, said more than 40 people remain missing. More than 100 people have now died in the floods. At least 27 of those are children. The crisis is being described as one of the US's deadliest floods in decades and has caused between $18bn and $22bn in total damage and economic loss, according to a preliminary estimate from AccuWeather. The hardest-hit area was Kerr county, where at least 75 of the deaths occurred. Many of the victims have been identified by their relatives. Here is what we know so far about some of those whose lives were taken by the floods: As of Monday morning, at least 27 girls and camp counselors from Camp Mystic, a Christian all-girls summer camp along the Guadalupe River, have died, the camp confirmed in a statement. Among the victims was eight-year-old Renee Smajstrla, whose uncle, Shawn Salta, has confirmed her death to multiple outlets. Salta wrote on Facebook that Renee was 'found and while not the outcome we prayed for, the social media outreach likely assisted the first responders in helping to identify her so quickly'. 'We are thankful she was with her friends and having the time of her life,' Salta wrote. Twin sisters Hanna and Rebecca Lawrence, eight, were also among those lost, according to their grandfather, David Lawrence Jr, the former publisher of the Miami Herald. 'It has been an unimaginable time for all of us,' Lawrence Jr told the Herald. Best friends and cabin mates Eloise Peck, eight, and Lila Bonner, nine, both from Dallas, also died in the flood, according to members of their families who spoke with Fox 4 News and other outlets. 'Eloise was literally friends with everyone,' her mother told FOX 4. 'She loved spaghetti but not more than she loved dogs and animals.' Nine-year-old Janie Hunt of Dallas, also died in the flash flooding, her mother told CNN and her grandmother told the New York Times. A great-granddaughter of the oil baron William Herbert Hunt, Janie was remembered on Instagram by her relative, Tavia Hunt, the wife of Kansas City Chiefs owner Clark Hunt. 'How do we trust a God who is supposed to be good, all knowing and all powerful, but who allows such terrible things to happen – even to children?' she wrote. The family of another camper, eight-year-old Sarah Marsh, confirmed to multiple outlets that the girl died in the flooding. The mayor of Mountain Brook, Alabama, said in a statement that 'Sarah's passing is a sorrow shared by all of us, and our hearts are with those who knew her and loved her'. Alabama senator Katie Britt said that she was 'heartbroken' over the loss of Sarah. The family of eight-year-old Anna Margaret Bellows also confirmed to Fox News that their daughter was among those killed. According to the local NBC affiliate, Bellows shared a cabin with two other missing campers. Camp Mystic's co-owner and director, Richard 'Dick' Eastland is also among those who have died, according to the the New York Times and other outlets. Eastland, who had run Camp Mystic alongside his wife, Tweety, for more than 50 years, died while being transported to a Houston hospital, the BBC reported. He and his wife were the third generation of their family to operate the all-girls Christian summer camp. Many of their 11 grandchildren are involved in camp operations today. Eastland died while trying to save campers during the flooding, his grandson George wrote on Instagram. Camp counselor Chloe Childress was also killed during the devastating flooding, her family told ABC News. Childress 'lived a beautiful life that saturated those around her with contagious joy, unending grace, and abiding faith', her family said. As of Monday, one counselor and 10 young girls remain missing. Jane Ragsdale, 68, the co-owner and director of another all-girls camp along the Guadalupe River, Heart O' the Hills, was among those killed in the devastating flood, the camp confirmed. In a statement, the camp described Ragsdale as someone who 'embodied the spirit of Heart O' the Hills'. The camp was between sessions at the time of the flooding, and no campers were on-site, the camp said. Julian Ryan, 27, died while helping his family escape rising floodwaters in Ingram, Texas, his fiancee, Christinia Wilson, told CBS affiliate KHOU and the New York Times. As water surged into their home early Friday, Wilson said that Ryan placed their 13-month-old and six-year-old children on floating mattresses, and punched through a window to get his family out. Wilson said that Ryan was badly injured in the process and that despite multiple 911 calls, help didn't arrive in time. 'He died a hero, and that will never go unnoticed,' Ryan's sister, Connie Salas, told KHOU. Jeff Wilson, a longtime teacher in suburban Houston, was also killed in the Kerrville flood, according to the Humble independent school district, which called him a 'beloved teacher and co-worker' who worked in the school district for more than 30 years. His wife and 12-year-old son remain missing, according to the post by the school district. The family had been camping in the area ahead of the Kerrville Open Pro Rodeo, the New York Times reported. Wilson's son, Shiloh, had been planning to compete in the event. Both father and son were the proud descendants of Stanley Wilson, a member of the Texas Rodeo Hall of Fame. Sisters Blair and Brooke Harber, 13 and 11, died after their cabin along the Guadalupe River was swept away, according to their pastor, the Joshua J Whitfield, who spoke with the New York Times and NBC News, and their school, St Rita Catholic Community in Dallas. In a statement, the school said that the girls had been staying with their grandparents, who remain missing. '[Blair] was a gifted student and had a generous kind heart,' the girls' father, RJ Harber, told CNN. '[Brooke] was like a light in any room, people gravitated to her and she made them laugh and enjoy the moment.' Reece Zunker, a teacher and soccer coach at Tivy high school, and his wife, Paula, a former teacher, were killed in the flooding, according to the Kerrville independent school district. Their children, Lyle and Holland, remain missing as of Sunday. Grandmother Sally Sample Graves was another victim of the flash flooding, according to her relative Sarah Sample, who posted a statement on Facebook. 'A powerful 30ft wave destroyed her home, sweeping her and our dad downstream,' Sample wrote. 'Though our dad and his dog miraculously survived, we're still reeling.' Tanya Burwick, 62, was swept away by the floodwaters while driving to her job at Walmart in San Angelo on Friday morning, her family has confirmed. Burwick's employer filed a missing persons report when she did not show up to work and police recovered her SUV from the water later the same day. Burwick was later discovered downstream on Saturday. 'She lit up the room and had a laugh that made other people laugh,' her daughter, Lindsey, told the Associated Press. Dr Katheryn Eads, a psychology professor at the University of Texas, San Antonio, was also killed in the flooding. Her daughter told ABC News said that Eads and her husband were camping in an RV when they got separated in the floodwater. Her family described her as having 'lived a fulfilling life, cut far too short'. They said that she was 'an incredible wife, daughter, mother, grandmother and person who spent her life helping kids, from those in the foster care system early in her career to those in school, both in early education as a psychologist and in college as a professor'.
The Guardian
08-07-2025
- Climate
- The Guardian
Among the Texas flood victims: campers, staff, grandparents and teachers
As search-and-rescue operations continue across central Texas, the death toll from the devastating and catastrophic flash flooding of the Guadalupe River continues to rise. On Sunday, Texas's governor, Greg Abbott, said more than 40 people remain missing. More than 100 people have now died in the floods. At least 27 of those are children. The crisis is being described as one of the US's deadliest floods in decades and has caused between $18bn and $22bn in total damage and economic loss, according to a preliminary estimate from AccuWeather. The hardest-hit area was Kerr county, where at least 75 of the deaths occurred. Many of the victims have been identified by their relatives. Here is what we know so far about some of those whose lives were taken by the floods: As of Monday morning, at least 27 girls and camp counselors from Camp Mystic, a Christian all-girls summer camp along the Guadalupe River, have died, the camp confirmed in a statement. Among the victims was eight-year-old Renee Smajstrla, whose uncle, Shawn Salta, has confirmed her death to multiple outlets. Salta wrote on Facebook that Renee was 'found and while not the outcome we prayed for, the social media outreach likely assisted the first responders in helping to identify her so quickly'. 'We are thankful she was with her friends and having the time of her life,' Salta wrote. Twin sisters Hanna and Rebecca Lawrence, eight, were also among those lost, according to their grandfather, David Lawrence Jr, the former publisher of the Miami Herald. 'It has been an unimaginable time for all of us,' Lawrence Jr told the Herald. Best friends and cabin mates Eloise Peck, eight, and Lila Bonner, nine, both from Dallas, also died in the flood, according to members of their families who spoke with Fox 4 News and other outlets. 'Eloise was literally friends with everyone,' her mother told FOX 4. 'She loved spaghetti but not more than she loved dogs and animals.' Nine-year-old Janie Hunt of Dallas, also died in the flash flooding, her mother told CNN and her grandmother told the New York Times. A great-granddaughter of the oil baron William Herbert Hunt, Janie was remembered on Instagram by her relative, Tavia Hunt, the wife of Kansas City Chiefs owner Clark Hunt. 'How do we trust a God who is supposed to be good, all knowing and all powerful, but who allows such terrible things to happen – even to children?' she wrote. The family of another camper, eight-year-old Sarah Marsh, confirmed to multiple outlets that the girl died in the flooding. The mayor of Mountain Brook, Alabama, said in a statement that 'Sarah's passing is a sorrow shared by all of us, and our hearts are with those who knew her and loved her'. Alabama senator Katie Britt said that she was 'heartbroken' over the loss of Sarah. The family of -year-old Anna Margaret Bellows also confirmed to Fox News that their daughter was among those killed. According to the local NBC affiliate, Bellows shared a cabin with two other missing campers. Camp Mystic's co-owner and director, Richard 'Dick' Eastland is also among those who have died, according to the the New York Times and other outlets. Eastland, who had run Camp Mystic alongside his wife, Tweety, for more than 50 years, died while being transported to a Houston hospital, the BBC reported. He and his wife were the third generation of their family to operate the all-girls Christian summer camp. Many of their 11 grandchildren are involved in camp operations today. Eastland died while trying to save campers during the flooding, his grandson George wrote on Instagram. Camp counselor Chloe Childress was also killed during the devastating flooding, her family told ABC News. Childress 'lived a beautiful life that saturated those around her with contagious joy, unending grace, and abiding faith', her family said. As of Monday, one counselor and 10 young girls remain missing. Jane Ragsdale, 68, the co-owner and director of another all-girls camp along the Guadalupe River, Heart O' the Hills, was among those killed in the devastating flood, the camp confirmed. In a statement, the camp described Ragsdale as someone who 'embodied the spirit of Heart O' the Hills'. The camp was between sessions at the time of the flooding, and no campers were on-site, the camp said. Julian Ryan, 27, died while helping his family escape rising floodwaters in Ingram, Texas, his fiancee, Christinia Wilson, told CBS affiliate KHOU and the New York Times. As water surged into their home early Friday, Wilson said that Ryan placed their 13-month-old and six-year-old children on floating mattresses, and punched through a window to get his family out. Wilson said that Ryan was badly injured in the process and that despite multiple 911 calls, help didn't arrive in time. 'He died a hero, and that will never go unnoticed,' Ryan's sister, Connie Salas, told KHOU. Jeff Wilson, a longtime teacher in suburban Houston, was also killed in the Kerrville flood, according to the Humble independent school district, which called him a 'beloved teacher and co-worker' who worked in the school district for more than 30 years. His wife and 12-year-old son remain missing, according to the post by the school district. The family had been camping in the area ahead of the Kerrville Open Pro Rodeo, the New York Times reported. Wilson's son, Shiloh, had been planning to compete in the event. Both father and son were the proud descendants of Stanley Wilson, a member of the Texas Rodeo Hall of Fame. Sisters Blair and Brooke Harber, 13 and 11, died after their cabin along the Guadalupe River was swept away, according to their pastor, the Joshua J Whitfield, who spoke with the New York Times and NBC News, and their school, St Rita Catholic Community in Dallas. In a statement, the school said that the girls had been staying with their grandparents, who remain missing. '[Blair] was a gifted student and had a generous kind heart,' the girls' father, RJ Harber, told CNN. '[Brooke] was like a light in any room, people gravitated to her and she made them laugh and enjoy the moment.' Reece Zunker, a teacher and soccer coach at Tivy high school, and his wife, Paula, a former teacher, were killed in the flooding, according to the Kerrville independent school district. Their children, Lyle and Holland, remain missing as of Sunday. Grandmother Sally Sample Graves was another victim of the flash flooding, according to her relative Sarah Sample, who posted a statement on Facebook. 'A powerful 30ft wave destroyed her home, sweeping her and our dad downstream,' Sample wrote. 'Though our dad and his dog miraculously survived, we're still reeling.' Tanya Burwick, 62, was swept away by the floodwaters while driving to her job at Walmart in San Angelo on Friday morning, her family has confirmed. Burwick's employer filed a missing persons report when she did not show up to work and police recovered her SUV from the water later the same day. Burwick was later discovered downstream on Saturday. 'She lit up the room and had a laugh that made other people laugh,' her daughter, Lindsey, told the Associated Press. Dr Katheryn Eads, a psychology professor at the University of Texas, San Antonio, was also killed in the flooding. Her daughter told ABC News said that Eads and her husband were camping in an RV when they got separated in the floodwater. Her family described her as having 'lived a fulfilling life, cut far too short'. They said that she was 'an incredible wife, daughter, mother, grandmother and person who spent her life helping kids, from those in the foster care system early in her career to those in school, both in early education as a psychologist and in college as a professor'.
Yahoo
07-07-2025
- Yahoo
Everything we know about Texas flooding victims: Girl ‘living her best life' at camp and man who saved his family
Devastating floods that swept Central Texas over the weekend have killed at least 51 people, including 15 children. Unexpected torrential downpours struck the region on Friday evening, causing the Guadalupe River to rapidly rise and flood the surrounding area. The flooding destroyed homes, swept away vehicles and devastated Camp Mystic, an all-girls summer camp situated on the banks of the river. There are still 27 children missing from the camp as of Saturday afternoon. The identities of the victims are still being determined and released to the public. Here's what we know about the victims so far. Eight-year-old Renee Smajstrla was at Camp Mystic, the all-girls summer camp near the Guadalupe River, her uncle confirmed in a Facebook post. Smajstrla was one of the 27 campers unaccounted for after the devastating floods, Shawn Salta said in the post. 'Renee has been found and while not the outcome we prayed for, the social media outreach likely assisted the first responders in helping to identify her so quickly,' Salta wrote. 'We are thankful she was with her friends and having the time of her life, as evidenced by this picture from yesterday. She will forever be living her best life at Camp Mystic.' Sarah Marsh, an eight-year-old girl from Mountain Brook, Alabama, was killed in the devastating floods while at Camp Mystic. Debbie Ford Marsh, the grandmother of Sarah, confirmed the young girl's death in a now-private Facebook post. 'We will always feel blessed to have had this beautiful spunky ray of light in our lives,' Marsh wrote. 'She will live on in our hearts forever!' Janie Hunt, a nine-year-old Camp Mystic camper, died in the catastrophic flooding, her mother told CNN. Nine-year-old Lila Bonner of Dallas died in the floods while attending Camp Mystic. 'In the midst of our unimaginable grief, we ask for privacy and are unable to confirm any details at this time. We ache with all who loved her,' the Bonner family said in a statement to NBC5. Jane Ragsdale, the director of Heart O' the Hills camp in Kerr County, is among the victims killed in the floods, a close friend confirmed on Facebook. 'Jane was more than the beloved Director of Heart O' the Hills. She was a legend in the camp community shaping generations of campers, staff, and leaders through her unwavering belief in the power of camp to change lives,' Dani Shaw wrote on Facebook. 'She modeled the highest standards of care, character, and connection.' Julian Ryan, 27, died in the floods while saving his family from the rushing water, according to a GoFundMe launched to support his family. 'Julian, his fiancé, kids, and mother were awakened when water came rushing into their home,' the GoFundMe reads. 'Julian jumped into action to protect and save his family and get them to safety.' 'Julian gave his life for his family, passing as a true hero,' the GoFundMe continues. 'While his family is eternally grateful for his sacrifice, they are shattered by their loss.' Katheryn Eads died in the floods, while her husband Brian survived, her family told The Washington Post. She previously worked at Olive Branch Counseling and Training. 'Katheryn was a hope and a light to all who knew her,' the company's owner told the Post. 'A daughter, a wife, a mother, grandmother, friend and colleague. She was a stellar counselor and professor and she simply just made everything better. Katheryn was changing lives.' Two sisters — 13-year-old Blair and 11-year-old Brooke — were killed by the floods in Kerr County, their father told CNN on Saturday night. Harber described Blair as 'a gifted student' who had 'a generous, kind heart.' Harber said that Brooke was 'like a light in any room, people gravitated to her and she made them laugh and enjoy the moment.' The sisters were not attending Camp Mystic, their father added.
