At least 27 people, including nine children, have died in central Texas after flash floods swept through Kerr County over the weekend, local authorities confirmed on Saturday. The search remains ongoing for dozens of others, including more than 20 young girls still missing from a local summer camp.
Kerr County Sheriff Larry Leitha told reporters that over 800 people had been evacuated after the Guadalupe River surged to dangerous levels, rising 29 feet in a matter of hours. The sudden flooding was fueled by intense thunderstorms that dumped up to 15 inches of rain, nearly half the region’s annual average, in just one night.
“We will not stop until every single person is found,” Leitha said at a press briefing.
Among those unaccounted for are 23 to 25 children from Camp Mystic, a girls’ summer camp that had about 700 campers in residence at the time of the disaster. The U.S. National Weather Service said the flash flood emergency has largely ended in the area, but a broader flood watch remains in effect until 7 p.m.
The floods struck just as the region was preparing for Fourth of July celebrations. Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick estimated that up to 500 emergency personnel are actively involved in the rescue operations, scouring riverbanks, rooftops, and debris fields for survivors.
“We don’t know how many people were staying in tents, trailers, or vacation rentals along the river for the holiday,” Patrick said in an interview on Fox News Live.
Another nearby camp, Heart O’ the Hills, reported that co-owner Jane Ragsdale died during the flood. The camp was not in session at the time.
President Donald Trump offered condolences and pledged federal assistance, saying the government is working closely with state and local officials to respond to the crisis.
“Melania and I are praying for all the families impacted by this horrible tragedy. Our brave first responders are on site doing what they do best,” Trump wrote on social media.
Drone footage and local reports captured the devastation: foundations where homes once stood, roads washed out, and residents being rescued from rooftops and treetops. In some cases, emergency crews formed human chains to pull people from rushing water.
Dalton Rice, Kerrville’s city manager, said the flooding hit before dawn, leaving little time to warn residents or issue evacuation orders. The river surpassed major flood stage within two hours.
Officials noted similarities to the devastating 1987 flood on the Guadalupe River, in which 10 teenagers drowned while fleeing a church camp.
“This is one of the worst disasters this area has seen in decades,” said W. Nim Kidd, director of the Texas Division of Emergency Management. He acknowledged that although early forecasts had predicted heavy rainfall, “they did not anticipate the volume we actually saw.”
The disaster underscores the increasing frequency and severity of weather-related emergencies across the U.S., particularly in regions already prone to flash flooding.
Reuters/s.s