DOZENS MISSING, 78 DEAD IN TEXAS FLASH FLOODS AS RESCUERS RACE AGAINST TIME
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Agency Report
Rescuers in central Texas were racing against time on Sunday to locate dozens of missing people, including children, after devastating flash floods killed at least 78 people, with more torrential rain threatening further disaster.
Kerr County emerged as the epicenter of the catastrophe, with 40 adults and 28 children confirmed dead, Sheriff Larry Leitha said at a press briefing. State officials reported an additional ten deaths in surrounding areas as rivers surged and rain-swollen creeks overflowed.
“You will see the death toll rise today,” warned Texas Public Safety Chief Freeman Martin during a press conference.
Across the affected regions, 41 people remain missing, Texas Governor Greg Abbott confirmed, as emergency crews—backed by volunteers—scoured devastated landscapes by foot and helicopter. Among the missing are ten young girls and a camp counselor from Camp Mystic, a Christian summer camp along the Guadalupe River that housed around 750 people when disaster struck overnight Friday.
As the river rose to treetop levels, it overwhelmed cabins where the girls were sleeping. The flash floods shattered windows and swept away belongings, leaving behind a trail of mud-soaked teddy bears and twisted debris.
Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick described harrowing scenes of survival and heroism. One camp counselor reportedly broke a window, allowing girls in their pajamas to escape and swim through neck-high, debris-filled water.
“These little girls, they swam for about 10 or 15 minutes,” Patrick told Fox News. “In the darkness, with rushing waters and trees coming by them — and then they get to a spot on the land.”
Officials had initially said 27 girls were missing from Camp Mystic. That figure dropped to ten girls and one counselor, but no explanation for the change was provided.
The National Weather Service (NWS) warned that more slow-moving storms on Sunday could trigger additional flash floods over the already saturated ground in “Flash Flood Alley,” the nickname for this region of south and central Texas.
The flooding began suddenly at the start of the July Fourth holiday weekend, as months’ worth of rain fell in just hours—most of it overnight. The Guadalupe River surged an astonishing 26 feet in just 45 minutes, overtopping two-story buildings.
President Donald Trump, speaking from his golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey, signed a major disaster declaration, unlocking federal resources to aid the state’s response.
Flash floods are not uncommon in this region, but scientists say climate change is intensifying such extreme weather events, making floods, droughts, and heatwaves both more frequent and more severe.
Volunteer efforts ramped up on Sunday, with residents from across Texas arriving in Kerr County to aid the search. While some used personal drones to assist, officials warned these could interfere with aerial rescue operations and urged civilians to stand down.
One search focused on a group of young women swept away from a house by the river. Adam and Amber Durda, both 45, drove three hours to join efforts after hearing the family’s plea for help.
“There was a group of 20-year-olds that were in a house that had gotten washed away,” said Adam Durda. “That’s who the family requested help for, but of course, we’re looking for anybody.”
Justin Morales, 36, was part of a volunteer team that recovered three bodies, including that of a young Camp Mystic girl trapped in a tree.
“We’re happy to give a family closure,” Morales said. “Hopefully we can keep looking and find some of the… you know, whoever. Help give some of those families closure. That’s why we’re out here.”
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