By Joke Kujenya
HEAVY RAINS tore through Texas Hill Country overnight, unleashing flash floods that claimed at least 27 lives and left dozens missing, including over 20 girls from a Christian summer camp near Kerrville.
Media reports note that more than 10 inches of rain pounded central Kerr County within hours, causing the Guadalupe River to surge by 26 feet in under an hour, sweeping away cabins, mobile homes and holiday lodges as families celebrated the Fourth of July.
Emergency crews, including helicopters, drones, and swift-water rescue teams, have pulled 237 people to safety so far, according to Kerr County Sheriff Larry Leitha.
But the scale of the disaster continues to unfold, with roads washed away and entire areas cut off. A state of emergency remains in effect across multiple counties.
Camp Mystic, nestled near Hunt and home to 750 girls during the summer session, became the centre of a frantic rescue mission after dozens of campers could not be located.
Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick confirmed that between six and ten bodies had been recovered by Friday afternoon, noting both children and adults among the victims.
He stressed that missing children may still be safe but unreachable due to power and communication failures. “That does not mean they have been lost,” he said. “They could be out of communication.”
Survivors described the chaos that followed the river’s dramatic rise. Bud Bolton, who witnessed an RV being swept away in Kerrville, recalled the screams of children trapped inside.
“And you can’t do nothing for them,” he said. Others spoke of waking to thunder and urgent evacuation orders from local fire departments before floodwaters engulfed their homes and vehicles.
At Camp Mystic, staff confirmed they were without power, water or Wi-Fi. “The highway has washed away, so we are struggling to get more help,” one statement read. Aerial images showed helicopters plucking survivors from treetops and bridges submerged beneath turbulent floodwaters.
Despite forecasts warning of rainfall, residents reported receiving no alerts as the region’s known vulnerability to flash floods again proved deadly. Referred to as “flash flood alley,” the Texas Hill Country is shaped by thin soil and steep terrain, which funnel rainwater into rivers and creeks with alarming speed.
County Judge Rob Kelly addressed criticism over the lack of evacuation: “We didn’t know this flood was coming. Rest assured, no one knew this kind of flood was coming,” he said.
“We do not have a warning system.” He described the disaster as worse than the 1987 Comfort flood, which killed ten teenagers in a church camp bus incident.
President Trump Expressed Shock
President Donald Trump described the tragedy as “shocking” and “terrible,” and pledged federal support.
The White House confirmed that additional resources would be sent to assist local emergency operations.
The National Weather Service had not anticipated the extreme rainfall totals. While early estimates warned of up to eight inches, parts of the county recorded significantly higher levels.
A river gauge at Hunt measured a 22-foot rise in just two hours before failing at 29.5 feet.
As the sun set over Kerr County, search efforts intensified. Officials urged people to stay away unless they were residents. “If you do not live in the area, do not come,” authorities warned.
Families are seen gathered at reunification centres clung to hope as helicopters passed overhead and boats scoured the floodplain. The mission, officials said, would not stop until every person was accounted for.
