When the rain came, it wasn’t gentle. It battered central Texas in the early hours of Friday, turning the Guadalupe River into a raging force that rose 26 feet in just 45 minutes. By Saturday night, the floods had killed at least 52 people, 15 of them children, and left rescuers combing through debris and mud for the missing.
In Kerr County alone, 43 lives were lost. Many were campers at Camp Mystic, a Christian summer retreat that had stood along the river for nearly a century. It’s here that 27 girls are still unaccounted for.
“The camp was completely destroyed,” said Elinor Lester, 13, one of the survivors. “A helicopter landed and started taking people away. It was really scary.”
Texas floods death toll by county: latest numbers
The death toll from the flash floods that ripped through Texas Hill Country has climbed to 52, including 15 children. Search teams are still combing through debris and swollen rivers, with 27 girls from Camp Mystic still missing. Here’s what we know so far about where victims were found:
The missing and the waiting
Search teams have rescued more than 850 people so far — some from trees, others from rooftops. But there’s a grim sense that time is slipping away. Dalton Rice, Kerrville City Manager, said, “We’re tracking the ‘known missing’ — the 27 — but there could be others. We simply don’t know yet.”
At an elementary school acting as a reunification centre, families wait for news. Some cling to hope. Others brace for the worst.
“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.
A region known for danger
This part of Texas has a nickname: flash flood alley. It’s earned. The Hill Country is all rugged slopes and shallow soils that shed rain like a tin roof.
“When it rains, water doesn’t soak into the soil,” said Austin Dickson, CEO of the Community Foundation of the Texas Hill Country. “It rushes down the hill.”
In the past, officials had considered setting up a flood siren system along the river — like the tornado sirens in the Midwest. “We know we get rains. We know the river rises. But nobody saw this coming,” said Kerr County Judge Rob Kelly. He admitted the plan for flood warnings never got off the ground, partly because of the cost.
Frantic rescues, bitter questions
Inside Camp Mystic, the chaos came fast. Some campers crossed bridges roped together in knee-high water. Others were lifted out by helicopter. An 8-year-old girl from Alabama was among the confirmed dead. Jane Ragsdale, co-owner of Heart O’ the Hills, another nearby camp, died in the flooding too.
Governor Greg Abbott declared a state of disaster and urged Texans to pray. “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.
Yet there’s anger too. AccuWeather claimed its warnings, along with alerts from the National Weather Service, should have given officials enough time to evacuate vulnerable camps. “These warnings should have provided officials with ample time to evacuate camps such as Camp Mystic and get people to safety,” the company said.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem admitted the forecast had fallen short. “A moderate flood watch issued on Thursday… did not accurately predict the extreme rainfall,” she said.
Former NOAA director Rick Spinrad put it more bluntly: “People’s ability to prepare for these storms will be compromised. It undoubtedly means that additional lives will be lost and probably more property damage.”
Families swept away
There’s no shortage of horror stories. Erin Burgess and her teenage son clung to a tree for an hour after water poured into their house. “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 watched water drive his entire family — including his 94-year-old grandmother and his 9-year-old grandson — into the attic. “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.”
W. Nim Kidd, chief of the Texas Division of Emergency Management, promised that no one will give up. “The process is going to keep going,” he said. “We’re not going to stop until we find everyone that’s missing.”
President Donald Trump offered prayers and federal aid. “Our Brave First Responders are on site doing what they do best,” he posted.
Yet for many families in the Hill Country, the truth is harder than any headline. Tonia Fucci summed up the mood as she stood in Comfort, a town downstream from Camp Mystic. “Complete shock. I’m still in shock today. And with the rescues going on and helicopters, you just know there’s so many missing children and missing people. You just want them to be found for the sake of the families. But, you know, it’s not going to be a good ending.”
Here’s the thing. In places like this, rain can turn deadly overnight. The question is whether this time, someone should have seen it coming.
(With inputs from Agencies)
In Kerr County alone, 43 lives were lost. Many were campers at Camp Mystic, a Christian summer retreat that had stood along the river for nearly a century. It’s here that 27 girls are still unaccounted for.
“The camp was completely destroyed,” said Elinor Lester, 13, one of the survivors. “A helicopter landed and started taking people away. It was really scary.”
Texas floods death toll by county: latest numbers
The death toll from the flash floods that ripped through Texas Hill Country has climbed to 52, including 15 children. Search teams are still combing through debris and swollen rivers, with 27 girls from Camp Mystic still missing. Here’s what we know so far about where victims were found:
- Kerr County: 44 confirmed dead. Most victims were swept away along the Guadalupe River near Hunt and Ingram, where floodwaters rose over 25 feet in under an hour.
- Travis County: 5 dead. Several cars were caught on flooded roads west of Austin.
- Burnet County: 2 dead. A father and daughter were found in a trailer near Lake Buchanan.
- Kendall County: 1 confirmed dead. A woman’s body was recovered near Comfort after her car was washed off a rural crossing.
The missing and the waiting
Search teams have rescued more than 850 people so far — some from trees, others from rooftops. But there’s a grim sense that time is slipping away. Dalton Rice, Kerrville City Manager, said, “We’re tracking the ‘known missing’ — the 27 — but there could be others. We simply don’t know yet.”
At an elementary school acting as a reunification centre, families wait for news. Some cling to hope. Others brace for the worst.
“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.
A region known for danger
This part of Texas has a nickname: flash flood alley. It’s earned. The Hill Country is all rugged slopes and shallow soils that shed rain like a tin roof.
“When it rains, water doesn’t soak into the soil,” said Austin Dickson, CEO of the Community Foundation of the Texas Hill Country. “It rushes down the hill.”
In the past, officials had considered setting up a flood siren system along the river — like the tornado sirens in the Midwest. “We know we get rains. We know the river rises. But nobody saw this coming,” said Kerr County Judge Rob Kelly. He admitted the plan for flood warnings never got off the ground, partly because of the cost.
Frantic rescues, bitter questions
Inside Camp Mystic, the chaos came fast. Some campers crossed bridges roped together in knee-high water. Others were lifted out by helicopter. An 8-year-old girl from Alabama was among the confirmed dead. Jane Ragsdale, co-owner of Heart O’ the Hills, another nearby camp, died in the flooding too.
Governor Greg Abbott declared a state of disaster and urged Texans to pray. “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.
Yet there’s anger too. AccuWeather claimed its warnings, along with alerts from the National Weather Service, should have given officials enough time to evacuate vulnerable camps. “These warnings should have provided officials with ample time to evacuate camps such as Camp Mystic and get people to safety,” the company said.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem admitted the forecast had fallen short. “A moderate flood watch issued on Thursday… did not accurately predict the extreme rainfall,” she said.
Former NOAA director Rick Spinrad put it more bluntly: “People’s ability to prepare for these storms will be compromised. It undoubtedly means that additional lives will be lost and probably more property damage.”
Families swept away
There’s no shortage of horror stories. Erin Burgess and her teenage son clung to a tree for an hour after water poured into their house. “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 watched water drive his entire family — including his 94-year-old grandmother and his 9-year-old grandson — into the attic. “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.”
W. Nim Kidd, chief of the Texas Division of Emergency Management, promised that no one will give up. “The process is going to keep going,” he said. “We’re not going to stop until we find everyone that’s missing.”
President Donald Trump offered prayers and federal aid. “Our Brave First Responders are on site doing what they do best,” he posted.
Yet for many families in the Hill Country, the truth is harder than any headline. Tonia Fucci summed up the mood as she stood in Comfort, a town downstream from Camp Mystic. “Complete shock. I’m still in shock today. And with the rescues going on and helicopters, you just know there’s so many missing children and missing people. You just want them to be found for the sake of the families. But, you know, it’s not going to be a good ending.”
Here’s the thing. In places like this, rain can turn deadly overnight. The question is whether this time, someone should have seen it coming.
(With inputs from Agencies)
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