Texas Floods Claim 27 Lives, Search Continues for Missing/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ Catastrophic floods in Texas have killed at least 27 people, including nine children, and left dozens missing. Rescuers search for campers from Camp Mystic swept away by the Guadalupe River’s sudden rise. Officials brace for more rain as flash flood warnings persist across the Hill Country.
Texas Floods Quick Looks
- Texas floods kill 27, including nine children.
- 27 campers missing after Guadalupe River surge.
- River rose 26 feet in 45 minutes.
- Rescue teams deploy helicopters, boats, drones statewide.
- Flash flood warnings remain amid more rain forecasts.
- Camp Mystic heavily damaged, families seek loved ones.
- Hill Country region prone to deadly flash floods.
- Officials defend response despite surprise rainfall intensity.
Texas Floods Leave At Least 27 Dead, Dozens Still Missing
Deep Look
KERRVILLE, Texas (AP) — Rescue crews in Texas continued searching Saturday for dozens of people still missing, including nearly 30 children from a girls’ summer camp, after devastating floods swept through the Texas Hill Country, killing at least 27 people. Among the victims were nine children.
The floods struck early Friday morning when the Guadalupe River surged 26 feet in just 45 minutes, tearing through homes, camps, and communities northwest of San Antonio. Officials warned the danger isn’t over, as more rain is forecast through Sunday and flash flood warnings remain in place for central Texas.
Search for Missing Campers
Officials said 27 people from Camp Mystic, a Christian girls’ camp along the river, remain unaccounted for. “People need to know today will be a hard day,” Kerrville Mayor Joe Herring Jr. said during a press briefing.
Helicopters, boats, drones, and more than 1,000 rescuers scoured flood-ravaged areas, plucking survivors from rooftops and trees. U.S. Coast Guard helicopters joined the search effort. So far, approximately 850 people have been rescued.
Elinor Lester, 13, a camper at Camp Mystic, described a harrowing night as water rushed in around 1 a.m. Friday.
“A helicopter landed and started taking people away. It was really scary,” she said. She and other campers held onto ropes while crossing a bridge as water surged around their legs.
Wall of Water Strikes Overnight
Floodwaters rose rapidly across the region, catching many by surprise despite forecasts predicting heavy rain. The National Weather Service had estimated up to six inches of rain for the area earlier in the week, but the storm dumped significantly more.
“A river gauge near Camp Mystic recorded a rise of 22 feet in just two hours,” said Bob Fogarty, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Austin/San Antonio. The gauge ultimately failed after peaking at 29.5 feet.
AccuWeather said warnings were issued well before the disaster and argued there was time to evacuate camps like Mystic. Texas officials defended their response, saying the rainfall far exceeded predictions.
“The water’s moving so fast, you’re not going to recognize how bad it is until it’s on top of you,” Fogarty said.
Terrifying Escape Stories
Residents described terrifying escapes from the surging waters. Erin Burgess of Ingram said she awoke to thunder, only for floodwaters to pour into her home minutes later. She spent an hour clinging to a tree with her teenage son.
“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.
Matthew Stone, 44, of Kerrville said no emergency alerts reached his phone before the flood hit.
“We got no emergency alert. There was nothing,” he said, describing the oncoming flood as “a pitch-black wall of death.”
Barry Adelman recalled how floodwaters pushed his entire family—including his 94-year-old grandmother and 9-year-old grandson—into the attic of their three-story home. Water started seeping through the attic floor before it finally receded.
“I was horrified,” Adelman said. “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.”
Challenges with Warning Systems
Kerr County Judge Rob Kelly, the county’s chief elected official, acknowledged the region lacks a countywide flood warning system.
“We do not have a warning system,” he said, while emphasizing that no one foresaw the scale of the disaster.
Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick added that predicting the exact location and intensity of such rainfalls remains a challenge.
“Everything was done to give them a heads up that you could have heavy rain, and we’re not exactly sure where it’s going to land,” Patrick said.
Flash Flood Alley
The Texas Hill Country, known as “flash flood alley,” is especially vulnerable to rapid flooding because of its thin soil and hilly terrain.
“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.”
River tourism is a major part of the region’s economy. The Guadalupe River typically attracts swimmers, campers, and tourists who flock to the scenic area each summer.
“It’s generally a very tranquil river with really beautiful clear blue water that people have been attracted to for generations,” Dickson said.
As rescuers continue their efforts, forecasters warn that additional heavy rain could bring more life-threatening floods through the weekend. The full toll of the disaster may not be known for days.
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