Texas Floods: At least 13 people have died after flash floods swept through south-central Texas early Friday, officials confirmed, with more than 20 girls from a summer camp still unaccounted for.
“We have identified 13 fatalities,” Kerr County Sheriff Larry Leitha announced at a press conference following the catastrophic floods that struck the region northwest of San Antonio. Leitha warned that the number of casualties could rise as search and rescue efforts continue.
Children Die in Texas Floods
Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick revealed that some of the victims were children.
He also said that “about 23” girls from Camp Mystic, located along the Guadalupe River, were unaccounted for after the river surged 26 feet (eight meters) in just 45 minutes overnight.
“That does not mean they’ve been lost. They could be in a tree, they could be out of communication,” Patrick clarified.
Catastrophic flooding in Kerr County, Texas has left 13 people dead and 23 girls missing from Camp Mystic. The Guadalupe River rose about 9 meters after 18 cm of rain. 500 rescuers and 40 helicopters deployed. A once-in-a-lifetime disaster. #Texas #flood #kerrville #alert #usa pic.twitter.com/3ZJFo0u2b0
— WeatherUpdateEU (@WeatherUpdateEU) July 4, 2025
Texas Floods: Camp Mystic Suffers ‘Catastrophic’ Flooding
Patrick read a message from the director of Camp Mystic, which was hosting around 750 campers over the July 4 holiday weekend. The director reported that the camp had sustained a “catastrophic level of flooding.”
“We have no power, water or Wi-Fi,” the message stated.
Massive rescue operations were underway throughout the day, with trucks reaching the flooded campsite by Friday evening to begin evacuating people, according to U.S. media reports.
Texas Floods Wreck Widespread Destruction
Authorities have urged residents to avoid traveling to the area, which is dotted with campgrounds along the Guadalupe River.
Dozens of roads remained “impassable” following the flash floods, which were triggered by overnight rainfall of up to 12 inches—equivalent to one-third of Kerr County’s average annual rainfall.
Videos shared on social media captured the extent of the devastation, showing houses and trees being swept away by the raging floodwaters.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott posted a video on X showing a dramatic rescue of a stranded victim being airlifted from a treetop by a helicopter as floodwaters churned below.
“Air rescue missions like this are being done around the clock. We will not stop until everyone is accounted for,” Abbott said.
Rescuers Deployed Across Texas
Approximately 500 rescue personnel and 14 helicopters were deployed to aid in the search and rescue operations. The Texas National Guard dispatched teams to assist, while the US Coast Guard also joined the efforts.
Forecasters issued flood warnings for Kerr County, advising those living near the Guadalupe River to immediately “move to higher ground.”
