Texas Flood Death Toll Climbs to 91 Amid Ongoing Searches/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ At least 91 people have died in catastrophic flash floods across central Texas, with 10 campers still missing. Rising waters devastated Camp Mystic, sweeping away cabins and families, as rescuers continue urgent searches. Governor Abbott and President Trump pledged aid while warnings persist of more life-threatening rain.
Quick Look
- Death toll climbs to 91 in Texas floods
- 10 girls, counselor still missing from Camp Mystic
- River rose 26 feet in just 45 minutes
- Over 850 people rescued in first 36 hours
- Federal disaster declared; more rain forecast through Tuesday
- Pope and Texas leaders offer prayers for victims
Death Toll Rises to 91 in Texas Floods as Search Continues for Missing Campers
Deep Look
KERRVILLE, Texas (AP) — Families picked through battered cabins and waterlogged debris Sunday at Camp Mystic, the all-girls summer camp devastated by catastrophic flash floods in central Texas that have now claimed at least 91 lives.
Rescue crews, battling swift waters and treacherous terrain, pressed on with their search for the missing, including 10 girls and a camp counselor who vanished when torrents from the Guadalupe River surged without warning.
For the first time since storms began hammering Texas days ago, Gov. Greg Abbott said 41 people remain officially unaccounted for across the state—a number authorities fear could still climb.
In Kerr County alone—home to several of Texas’ historic summer camps—searchers have recovered the bodies of 68 people, including 28 children, Sheriff Larry Leitha said Sunday.
“We will keep going until everybody is found,” Leitha vowed.
Additional deaths have been confirmed in neighboring Travis, Burnet, Kendall, Tom Green, and Williamson counties. Col. Freeman Martin of the Texas Department of Public Safety warned the toll would likely rise further in the days ahead.
More Rain, More Risk
As Gov. Abbott updated the state from Austin, cell phones blared emergency alerts warning of renewed flooding threats in the Kerrville area. Loudspeakers near Camp Mystic urged evacuations—though officials later clarified there was no immediate danger.
Rain continued falling Sunday, soaking already saturated ground and heightening fears of more deadly floods through Tuesday.
Families were allowed back into Camp Mystic for the first time Sunday. One teenage girl emerged from a damaged building carrying a large camp bell. Nearby, a man whose daughter survived from a cabin perched at the camp’s highest point scoured the riverbank, peering under debris and along tree roots.
Elsewhere, a woman and teenage girl in rubber waders stepped into a cabin, only to collapse in sobs. Another family departed with a blue footlocker as a teary-eyed girl gazed from their car window at the devastation.
Relentless Search and Rescues
As families grieved and searched for keepsakes, heavy machinery pulled tangled trees from the river, and rescuers scanned the water for signs of the missing.
The odds of finding additional survivors were growing slimmer by the hour. Some locals and volunteers searched the flood zone themselves, despite officials urging them to stay away for safety.
“I would have gone today, but we’d just be in the way,” Trump said before boarding Air Force One back to Washington. “It’s a horrible thing that took place, absolutely horrible.”
The floods struck with ferocious speed early Friday, as the Guadalupe River rose 26 feet in just 45 minutes, swallowing roads, homes, and vehicles. Flash flood warnings remain in place across central Texas.
In the first 36 hours after the flood hit, emergency crews rescued over 850 people by boat, helicopter, and drone.
Texas, Pope Pray for Victims
Gov. Abbott declared Sunday a day of prayer for Texas.
“I urge every Texan to join me in prayer—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.
From Rome, Pope Leo XIV offered condolences and prayers for the victims, speaking in English after his traditional Sunday address.
“I would like to express sincere condolences to all the families who have lost loved ones, in particular their daughters who were in summer camp,” he said, referring to those swept away along the Guadalupe River.
‘Flash Flood Alley’ Turns Deadly
Texas’ Hill Country, often called “flash flood alley,” has a long history of deadly floods. But this storm surprised many despite earlier warnings from the National Weather Service, which issued several advisories and flash flood emergencies overnight Thursday into Friday.
Nearby youth camps, such as Mo-Ranch, preemptively evacuated campers. Camp Mystic, tragically, did not evacuate before the floodwaters struck.
At Camp Mystic, survivors described clinging to ropes stretched across bridges as water surged around their legs.
Among the confirmed dead: an 8-year-old camper from Alabama and the director of another nearby camp. Two sisters from Dallas remain missing, along with their grandparents, after their cabin washed away.
Residents like Matthew Stone of Kerrville told of terrifying escapes:
“A pitch black wall of death,” he said. “We had no warning on our phones. Nothing.”
Review of Emergency Response
Local and state leaders pledged a thorough review of the disaster response—including how warnings were communicated and whether more lives could have been saved.
Kerrville City Manager Dalton Rice promised transparency.
Meanwhile, President Trump faced questions about his prior statements on phasing out FEMA.
“Right now, we are busy working,” Trump said, declining to discuss agency changes while recovery efforts continued.
As Texas braces for more rain, the grief and uncertainty weigh heavily over the Hill Country, where families cling to hope for the missing and mourn the lives already lost.
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