A devastating natural disaster has unfolded as unprecedented flooding has ripped through the heart of Texas.
At least 24 people are confirmed dead and 23 remain missing after historic flash floods tore through Kerr County late Friday.
The floods are decimating riverside camps and triggering a full-scale emergency response.
Most of the missing were attending Camp Mystic, a popular girls’ summer camp nestled along the banks of the Guadalupe River.
The river surged to more than 30 feet above normal levels during the storm.
WATCH:
Kerrville texas flood before & after 2025 pic.twitter.com/Qmz7vn4WsS
— Emma Peel (@madelynrogers) July 4, 2025
Texas Governor Greg Abbott described the destruction as overwhelming, declaring at a late Friday press conference, “We need God more than ever.”
“It needs God, but it also needs a robust response… searches will continue in the darkness of night, and they will continue into the early hours of Saturday,” Abbott said.
“We’ll put in everything we have in the entire state.”
Texas officials have launched an enormous search-and-rescue operation.
According to Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, more than 500 personnel, 14 helicopters, 12 drones, and ground teams have been deployed to locate the missing.
So far, 237 people have been rescued, including over 150 airlifted to safety by helicopter.
Dramatic footage posted online showed one individual being hoisted from raging floodwaters by a rescue chopper.
WATCH:
🚨 WATCH: HEROES in helicopters are repelling down to rescue children trapped in the Texas floods
Many of these children are believed to have been swept away at Camp Mystic, and several have been airlifted out so far
God bless these first responders. Keep praying. pic.twitter.com/HNc9TLoQyP
— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) July 5, 2025
Children Among the Missing
Many of the missing are young girls who were attending camp when the floods struck.
Some parents have already begun releasing names and photos of their missing daughters in a desperate attempt to locate them. Among them:
- Virginia Hollis
- Annie Flack
- Hadley Crossman
- Cile Steward
- Wynne Naylor
- Linnie McCown
- Mary Grace Baker
- Molly DeWitt
- Sarah Marsh
- Anna Margaret Bellows
- Blakely McCrory
More names are expected to surface as the reunification process continues.
An emotional Janie Hunt, the mother of a 9-year-old camper still missing, told reporters: “We are just praying.”
President Donald Trump issued a statement late Friday, pledging full federal support to Texas during the recovery effort.
“It’s terrible, the floods, it’s shocking,” Trump said.
When asked by reporters whether federal aid would be forthcoming, Trump replied, “We’ll take care of them.”
“It’s a terrible thing,” he added.
The president’s words came as videos emerged of survivors taking refuge in local firehouses, clearly shaken from the disaster.
One viral image showed a group of unidentified young girls, wrapped in blankets, seated on a concrete floor, awaiting reunification with their families.
As search efforts continue, scrutiny has intensified over whether camp organizers and local officials were adequately prepared.
Serena Hanor Aldrich, whose daughters, aged 9 and 12, were rescued, told The New York Times that camp management failed to act on early warnings.
“They should have been watching the Texas Division of Emergency Management and Kerr County,” she said.
“They were posting stuff yesterday morning.
“They should have been on top of it.”
She credited the higher elevation of her daughters’ specific camp for their survival.
“There are still campers missing,” Aldrich added from a reunification center, where other families continued to wait for news.
The National Weather Service had issued alerts well in advance of the flooding, raising questions about how many campgrounds, particularly those close to the river, had effective evacuation plans in place.
With floodwaters beginning to recede, officials are bracing for a higher death toll as recovery crews comb through destroyed buildings and overturned vehicles.
Multiple structures have been completely swept off their foundations, and the full scope of the devastation is still unfolding.
As of Saturday morning, the identities of the deceased have not yet been released, pending family notification.
What began as a summer adventure has turned into a harrowing tragedy for dozens of Texas families.
And for many, answers and accountability may be just as urgent as the rescue effort itself.
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