Texas flash floods kill 13; 20+ girls missing from summer camp as rescue efforts continue amid severe flooding. Photos/X.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.”
Zubair Amin is a Senior Journalist at NewsX with over seven years of experience in reporting and editorial work. He has written for leading national and international publications, including Foreign Policy Magazine, Al Jazeera, The Economic Times, The Indian Express, The Wire, Article 14, Mongabay, News9, among others. His primary focus is on international affairs, with a strong interest in US politics and policy. He also writes on West Asia, Indian polity, and constitutional issues. Zubair tweets at zubaiyr.amin
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