Latest news with #missinggirls
Sky News
07-07-2025
- Climate
- Sky News
Texas flooding live: Heavy rain forecast as search goes on for missing girls and dozens more
The victims and people missing named so far Details of those who have died and those who are missing after US flash floods are slowly emerging - with several young girls among those unaccounted for. Tributes to those who died, and appeals for those who are still missing, are now being shared. Among those killed are girls as young as eight who were at Camp Mystic, a Christian summer camp for girls along the Guadalupe River. In pictures: Devastating impact of Texas floods As the deadly floodwaters in Texas have receded, the scale of the destruction has become more evident. More heavy rainfall has been forecast today (see 9.08 post), hastening efforts from rescue workers to find those unaccounted for across the state. Here are the latest images from Texas: At least 10 girls still missing from Camp Mystic There are still at least 10 girls and one counsellor still unaccounted for from Camp Mystic, a Christian summer camp for girls along the Guadalupe River. In a statement, the summer camp said that it is continuing to coordinate with local and state authorities in the search. Camp Mystic was hosting 750 children when the floodwaters struck. It has already confirmed at least 27 people died from flooding and said it continues to grieve the deaths of campers and counsellors. "Our hearts are broken alongside our families that are enduring this unimaginable tragedy. We are praying for them constantly," the statement said. The camp thanked the community, first responders and officials for "the outpouring of support" and asked for continued prayers. The director of the camp, Dick Eastland, was among those killed in the floods. He died trying to save the campers "he so loved and cared for", his grandson George said on social media. Flood watch extended as more heavy rainfall expected The National Weather Service is warning of the possibility of more flash floods over the next few hours in central Texas. "Thunderstorms are expected to increase across portions of central TX over the next few hours, with areas of slow movement and locally heavy rainfall," the weather service said in a forecast discussion. The service said up to three inches of localised hourly rainfall is expected, "leading to isolated flash flood concerns across the region". Welcome back Good morning and welcome back to our live coverage of the devastating flooding in Texas. At least 82 people have died after heavy rain burst the banks of the Guadalupe River on Friday US President Donald Trump announced he had signed a major disaster declaration for Kerr County, the area hardest-hit. Rescuers are still searching for at least 41 missing people, according to state and local officials. Among them are 10 girls and one counsellor from Camp Mystic, an all-girls summer camp along the river. Texas governor Greg Abbott said flash flooding continues to pose a danger for several parts of the state as "more heavy rainfall" is expected. The National Weather Service has extended the flood watch over much of south-central Texas as several inches of rain are expected for the region today. Stay with us as we bring you the all the latest. We're pausing our live coverage We are now pausing our live coverage of the devastating flooding that ripped through parts of Texas early Friday. Thank you for following along. Death toll rises to at least 82 The number of those killed in the floods is 82, but officials have repeatedly warned that this figure is likely to change, as rescuers work night and day to find survivors and recover bodies. Here are the deaths per county: Kerr: 68 Williamson: 1 Burnet: 4 Tom Green: 1 Travis County: 6 Kendall: 2 George W. Bush and Barack Obama send prayers to Texas Two former presidents have offered prayers for the families in Texas. George W. Bush, who served as governor of Texas from 1995 to 2000, said he and his wife are "holding up our fellow Texans who are hurting." Laura Bush, his wife, used to be a counsellor at Camp Mystic, where 27 people died in the floods. President Barack Obama also shared heartfelt condolences, writing in a post on X that the flash flooding is "absolutely heartbreaking." Watch: US Coast Guard rescues people stuck in flooded mobile home The Coast Guard helped rescue people in flood-affected areas of Texas, including assisting four people from a mobile home community in Leander. White House hit backs at 'disgusting' claims about weather service staffing The White House has hit back at criticism that the National Weather Service was not properly staffed. Officials have said forecasts underestimated the amount of rain, with questions being asked about what warnings were sent out to residents. Critics blamed cuts by the Trump administration. Donald Trump's administration has already ordered 800 job cuts at the science and climate organisation NOAA, the parent organisation of the National Weather Service, which predicts and warns about extreme weather like the Texas floods. A 30% cut to its budget is also in the pipeline, subject to approval by Congress. But Abigail Jackson, a White House spokesperson, told Sky's US partner NBC News the accusations were "disgusting" lies to target political opponents. "False claims about the NWS have been repeatedly debunked by meteorologists, experts, and other public reporting," Jackson said. "The NWS did their job, even issuing a flood watch more than 12 hours in advance."
Yahoo
07-07-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Texas Floods: Search Continues for Camp Mystic Girls
A view inside a cabin at Camp Mystic, the site where over 20 girls went missing after flash flooding in Texas. The cabin is pictured in the aftermath, amid searches for missing campers, on July 5, 2025. Credit - Ronaldo Schemidt—Getty Images The search continues in Texas on Sunday for 10 girls from a children's camp who are missing amid deadly flash floods along the Guadalupe River in Texas Hill Country. Texas authorities provided a general overview of the disaster in the state on Sunday afternoon, reporting a rise in the death toll. There have been at least 80 fatalities, including at least 28 children. 68 of those deaths occurred in Kerr County. Several of the deceased have yet to be formally identified. Many people remain unaccounted for as the rescue efforts continue for a third day. An alert sent on Sunday afternoon warned people along the Guadalupe River to move to higher ground as further flooding is expected. 'This is a death toll that continues to rise,' Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick told NBC on Sunday morning, reiterating that search and rescue efforts had not slowed down. 'We never give up on looking for someone. We've had storms in the past where people have gone down river 10, 15 miles, and you find them later and they've survived... Those hours, of course, are getting long now.' Among those still missing are 10 young girls and one counselor from an all-girls Christian summer camp, Camp Mystic, Sheriff Larry Leitha of Kerr County confirmed on Sunday afternoon. The camp is situated right by the river in Kerr County, which was hit especially hard by Friday's flash flood. Parents have been appealing for information about their missing children via social media. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, who referred to the flood as "extraordinarily catastrophic,' visited the Camp Mystic site on Saturday and said it had been "horrendously ravaged in ways unlike I've seen in any natural disaster." "The height the rushing water reached to the top of cabins was shocking. We won't stop until we find every girl who was in those cabins," Abbott said. Rescue teams have been using helicopters, drones, and boats to search for victims and reach survivors. A difficult task as, per the authorities, the Guadalupe River rose 26 ft in under an hour on Friday. Though the flood waters are now receding, authorities have said the area is still 'very difficult terrain,' especially as debris is washing up and further flooding is feared. Sheriff Leitha said officials have evacuated or rescued over 850 people so far. Read More: Texas Suffers Deadly Flash Floods on July 4 Camp Mystic is understood to house older girls on elevated ground known as Senior Hill. Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick on Friday evening said: "All campers on Senior Hill are accounted for. If your daughter is not accounted for, you have been notified from the camp. If you have not been personally contacted, then your daughter has been accounted for." He went on to clarify, "That does not mean [the missing children] have been lost. They could be out of communication." Patrick read a statement from Camp Mystic, saying it had experienced "catastrophic levels of flooding" and has been left with "no power, water, or wifi." 'The camp was completely destroyed,' said 13-year-old Elinor Lester, one of the campers at Camp Mystic, according to Associated Press. 'A helicopter landed and started taking people away. It was really scary.' Camp Mystic's longtime director Dick Eastland lost his life in the floods, officials and family members confirmed. In a tribute shared on Instagram, Eastland's grandson George said he died trying to save girls at the camp. Jane Ragsdale, the director and long-time co-owner of Heart O' the Hills, another camp in the area, also lost her life in the flood, according to an announcement from the summer camp. 'We are fortunate that the camp was between sessions when the flooding occurred, so there were no campers in residence. However, our director and the camp's longtime co-owner, Jane Ragsdale, lost her life. We at the camp are stunned and deeply saddened by Jane's death,' the statement read. '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.' On Friday, Abbott issued a disaster declaration for 15 counties in Texas 'to ensure counties have access to every tool, strategy, and personnel that the State of Texas can provide to them, which will be limitless.' On Saturday afternoon, Abbott expanded his disaster declaration. "We will continue to add counties as needed," Abbott told reporters. "We will ensure that every asset and resource the state has is going to be made available to every county that's a subject of this disaster declaration." Abbott also signed a request for a federal disaster declaration, seeking immediate and ongoing help from the federal government. He thanked President Donald Trump 'in advance' for his attention to the matter. Noem joined Abbott at a press conference on Saturday afternoon, in which she indicated that Trump would 'honor' Abbott's request as he is "absolutely committed to using all the resources at the federal government to help unify families [and try to] rescue all those who are still missing." Trump first commented on the floods on Friday, calling the news 'shocking' when talking to reporters on Air Force One. When asked about federal aid, Trump said: 'We'll take care of it,' adding that he would work with Abbott. Trump elaborated on Saturday morning, stating that his Administration is working with state and local officials in response to the 'tragic' flooding, and that Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem would be assessing the situation on-the-ground in Texas. 'Melania and I are praying for all of the families impacted by this horrible tragedy,' Trump said via Truth Social. 'Our brave first responders are on site doing what they do best. God bless the families and God bless Texas.' Meanwhile, locals spent the weekend clinging on to hope in regards to the missing persons. Texas Rep. Chip Roy, a Republican, told press on Saturday that one of his children's schoolmates was on a mattress for several hours in the middle of the night after the flood, but had since been reunited with her mom. Roy did not clarify if the child was floating on a mattress in floodwaters or where they had been prior to the flooding. 'Those are the kind of blessings that we should be celebrating, while we're also mourning the loss of life as we identify those who didn't make it,' Roy said. Read More: Experts Question If Weather Service Was Operating at Its Best Ahead of Texas Floods Amid Trump Administration Cuts Nim Kidd, the chief of the Texas Division of Emergency Management (TDEM), said Friday that National Weather Service (NWS) advisories and forecasts 'did not predict the amount of rain we saw.' Early Thursday afternoon, the NWS had issued a broad flood watch for parts of south-central Texas, including Kerr County. "Locally heavy rainfall could cause flash flooding across portions of South Central Texas," read the notice. The most severe warnings came in the middle of the night and early morning on Friday. Contact us at letters@
The Independent
06-07-2025
- Climate
- The Independent
Search for 27 missing girls continues after Texas flash flood kills at least 51
The grueling search for 27 missing girls stretched into a third day on Sunday. Texans were asked to pray that any survivors would be found after raging waters surged into a summer camp on Friday. At least 51 people, including 15 children, were killed, with most of the deaths coming in Kerr County in the state's Hill Country. Besides the 43 dead in Kerr County, four deaths were reported in Travis, three in Burnet and 1 in Kendall. Rescuers dealt with broken trees, overturned cars and muck-filled debris in a difficult task to find survivors. Authorities still have not said how many people were missing beyond the children from Camp Mystic, a Christian summer camp along the Guadalupe River in Kerr County where most of the dead were recovered. The destructive, fast-moving waters rose 26 feet (8 meters) on the river in only 45 minutes before daybreak Friday, washing away homes and vehicles. The danger was not over as at least one flash flood warning remained in effect in central Texas on Sunday. Searchers used helicopters, boats and drones to look for victims and to rescue people stranded in trees and from camps isolated by washed-out roads. Gov. Greg Abbott vowed that authorities will work around the clock and said new areas were being searched as the water receded. He declared Sunday a day of prayer for the state. "I urge every Texan to join me in prayer this Sunday — for the lives lost, for those still missing, for the recovery of our communities, and for the safety of those on the front lines,' he said in a statement. Pope Leo XIV offered special prayers for those touched by the disaster. History's first American pope spoke in English at the end of his Sunday noon blessing, 'I would like to express sincere condolences to all the families who have lost loved ones, in particular their daughters who were in summer camp, in the disaster caused by the flooding of the Guadalupe River in Texas in the United States. We pray for them.' Authorities were coming under scrutiny over whether the camps and residents in places long vulnerable to flooding received proper warning and whether enough preparations were made. The hills along the Guadalupe River are dotted with century-old youth camps and campgrounds where generations of families have come to swim and enjoy the outdoors. The area is especially popular around the Independence Day holiday, making it more difficult to know how many are missing. 'We don't even want to begin to estimate at this time,' Kerrville City Manager Dalton Rice said earlier. Raging storm hit the camp in the middle of the night 'The camp was completely destroyed,' said Elinor Lester, 13, one of hundreds of campers. 'A helicopter landed and started taking people away. It was really scary.' The raging storm, fueled by massive amounts of moisture, woke up her cabin just after midnight Friday. When rescuers arrived, they tied a rope for the girls to hold as they walked across a bridge with water whipping around their legs, she said. Frantic parents and families posted photos of missing loved ones and pleas for information. Among those confirmed dead were an 8-year-old girl from Mountain Brook, Alabama, who was at Camp Mystic, and the director of another camp up the road. The flooding in the middle of the night caught many residents, campers and officials by surprise. AccuWeather said the private forecasting company and the National Weather Service sent warnings about potential flash flooding hours beforehand. 'These warnings should have provided officials with ample time to evacuate camps such as Camp Mystic and get people to safety,' AccuWeather said in a statement. It called the Hill Country one of the most flash-flood-prone areas of the U.S. because of its terrain and many water crossings. At the Mo-Ranch Camp in the community of Hunt, officials had been monitoring the weather and opted to move several hundred campers and attendees at a church youth conference to higher ground. At nearby Camps Rio Vista and Sierra Vista, organizers also had mentioned on social media that they were watching the weather the day before ending their second summer session Thursday. Authorities and elected officials have said they did not expect such an intense downpour, the equivalent of months' worth of rain for the area. U.S. Rep. Chip Roy, whose district includes the ravaged area, called it a once-in-a-century flood and acknowledged that there would be second-guessing and finger-pointing as people look for someone to blame. Search crews faced harsh conditions while 'looking in every possible location,' Rice said. Officials said more than 850 people were rescued in the last 36 hours, with heroic efforts at the camps to save children. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem arrived and pledged that the Trump administration would use all available resources. Coast Guard helicopters and planes were assisting to ensure operations continued even in darkness. One reunification center at an elementary school was mostly quiet after taking in hundreds of evacuees the day before. 'We still have people coming here looking for their loved ones. We've had a little success, but not much,' said Bobby Templeton, superintendent of Ingram Independent School District. People clung to trees and fled to attics In Ingram, Erin Burgess awoke to thunder and rain in the middle of the night. Only 20 minutes later, water poured into her home, she said, describing an agonizing hour clinging to a tree with her teen son. 'My son and I floated to a tree where we hung onto it, and my boyfriend and my dog floated away. He was lost for a while, but we found them,' she said. Barry Adelman said water pushed everyone in his three-story house into the attic, including his 94-year-old grandmother and 9-year-old grandson. 'I was having to look at my grandson in the face and tell him everything was going to be OK, but inside I was scared to death,' he said. Locals know the area as ' flash flood alley.' 'When it rains, water doesn't soak into the soil,' said Austin Dickson, CEO of the Community Foundation of the Texas Hill Country, which was collecting donations. 'It rushes down the hill.' 'Nobody saw this coming' The weekend forecast had called for rain, with a flood watch upgraded to a warning overnight Friday for at least 30,000 people. 'We know we get rains. We know the river rises. But nobody saw this coming,' said Kerr County Judge Rob Kelly, the county's chief elected official. The county had considered a flood warning system on the river similar to a tornado warning siren about six or seven years ago, but Kelly said the idea never got off the ground and the cost would have been an issue. Kelly said he was heartbroken seeing body bags at the funeral home and the devastation on the ground during a helicopter tour. 'The rescue has gone as well as can be expected. It's getting time now for the recovery,' he said. 'And that's going to be a long, toilsome task for us.'
Globe and Mail
06-07-2025
- Climate
- Globe and Mail
At least 51 dead in Texas floods as search for missing girls reaches third day
The grueling, desperate search for 27 missing girls stretched into a third day on Sunday after raging floodwaters surged into a summer camp as rescuers maneuvered through challenging terrain, while Texans were asked to pray that any survivors would be found. At least 51 people, including 15 children, were killed, with most of the deaths coming in Kerr County in the state's Hill Country. Besides the 43 dead in Kerr County, four deaths were reported in Travis, three in Burnet and 1 in Kendall. Rescuers dealt with broken trees, overturned cars and muck-filled debris in a difficult task to find survivors. Authorities still have not said how many people were missing beyond the children from Camp Mystic, a Christian summer camp along the Guadalupe River in Kerr County where most of the dead were recovered. The destructive, fast-moving waters rose eight metres on the river in only 45 minutes before daybreak Friday, washing away homes and vehicles. The danger was not over as at least one flash flood warning remained in effect in central Texas on Sunday. Searchers used helicopters, boats and drones to look for victims and to rescue people stranded in trees and from camps isolated by washed-out roads. Governor Greg Abbott vowed that authorities will work around the clock and said new areas were being searched as the water receded. He declared Sunday a day of prayer for the state. 'I urge every Texan to join me in prayer this Sunday – for the lives lost, for those still missing, for the recovery of our communities, and for the safety of those on the front lines,' he said in a statement. Pope Leo XIV offered special prayers for those touched by the disaster. History's first American pope spoke in English at the end of his Sunday noon blessing, 'I would like to express sincere condolences to all the families who have lost loved ones, in particular their daughters who were in summer camp, in the disaster caused by the flooding of the Guadalupe River in Texas in the United States. We pray for them.' Authorities were coming under scrutiny over whether the camps and residents in places long vulnerable to flooding received proper warning and whether enough preparations were made. The hills along the Guadalupe River are dotted with century-old youth camps and campgrounds where generations of families have come to swim and enjoy the outdoors. The area is especially popular around the Independence Day holiday, making it more difficult to know how many are missing. 'We don't even want to begin to estimate at this time,' Kerrville city manager Dalton Rice said earlier. 'The camp was completely destroyed,' said Elinor Lester, 13, one of hundreds of campers. 'A helicopter landed and started taking people away. It was really scary.' The raging storm, fueled by massive amounts of moisture, woke up her cabin just after midnight Friday. When rescuers arrived, they tied a rope for the girls to hold as they walked across a bridge with water whipping around their legs, she said. Frantic parents and families posted photos of missing loved ones and pleas for information. Among those confirmed dead were an eight-year-old girl from Mountain Brook, Alabama, who was at Camp Mystic, and the director of another camp up the road. The flooding in the middle of the night caught many residents, campers and officials by surprise. AccuWeather said the private forecasting company and the National Weather Service sent warnings about potential flash flooding hours beforehand. 'These warnings should have provided officials with ample time to evacuate camps such as Camp Mystic and get people to safety,' AccuWeather said in a statement. It called the Hill Country one of the most flash-flood-prone areas of the U.S. because of its terrain and many water crossings. At the Mo-Ranch Camp in the community of Hunt, officials had been monitoring the weather and opted to move several hundred campers and attendees at a church youth conference to higher ground. At nearby Camps Rio Vista and Sierra Vista, organizers also had mentioned on social media that they were watching the weather the day before ending their second summer session Thursday. Authorities and elected officials have said they did not expect such an intense downpour, the equivalent of months' worth of rain for the area. U.S. Representative Chip Roy, whose district includes the ravaged area, called it a once-in-a-century flood and acknowledged that there would be second-guessing and finger-pointing as people look for someone to blame. Search crews faced harsh conditions while 'looking in every possible location,' Rice said. Officials said more than 850 people were rescued in the last 36 hours, with heroic efforts at the camps to save children. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem arrived and pledged that the Trump administration would use all available resources. Coast Guard helicopters and planes were assisting to ensure operations continued even in darkness. One reunification center at an elementary school was mostly quiet after taking in hundreds of evacuees the day before. 'We still have people coming here looking for their loved ones. We've had a little success, but not much,' said Bobby Templeton, superintendent of Ingram Independent School District. In Ingram, Erin Burgess awoke to thunder and rain in the middle of the night. Only 20 minutes later, water poured into her home, she said, describing an agonizing hour clinging to a tree with her teen son. 'My son and I floated to a tree where we hung onto it, and my boyfriend and my dog floated away. He was lost for a while, but we found them,' she said. Barry Adelman said water pushed everyone in his three-story house into the attic, including his 94-year-old grandmother and 9-year-old grandson. 'I was having to look at my grandson in the face and tell him everything was going to be OK, but inside I was scared to death,' he said. 'When it rains, water doesn't soak into the soil,' said Austin Dickson, CEO of the Community Foundation of the Texas Hill Country, which was collecting donations. 'It rushes down the hill.' The weekend forecast had called for rain, with a flood watch upgraded to a warning overnight Friday for at least 30,000 people. 'We know we get rains. We know the river rises. But nobody saw this coming,' said Kerr County Judge Rob Kelly, the county's chief elected official. The county had considered a flood warning system on the river similar to a tornado warning siren about six or seven years ago, but Kelly said the idea never got off the ground and the cost would have been an issue. Kelly said he was heartbroken seeing body bags at the funeral home and the devastation on the ground during a helicopter tour. 'The rescue has gone as well as can be expected. It's getting time now for the recovery,' he said. 'And that's going to be a long, toilsome task for us.'
Washington Post
06-07-2025
- Climate
- Washington Post
Search for 27 missing girls plows forward after flash flood kills at least 51 people in Texas
KERRVILLE, Texas — The grueling, desperate search for 27 missing girls stretched into a third day on Sunday after raging floodwaters surged into a summer camp as rescuers maneuvered through challenging terrain, while Texans were asked to pray that any survivors would be found. At least 51 people, including 15 children, were killed, with most of the deaths coming in Kerr County in the state's Hill Country. Besides the 43 dead in Kerr County, four deaths were reported in Travis, three in Burnet and 1 in Kendall.
