At least 24 people are dead and more than 20 campers remain missing after catastrophic flooding struck central Texas early Friday morning, overwhelming the Guadalupe River in Kerr County and prompting a massive, ongoing search and rescue mission. Governor Greg Abbott described the effort as a "24/7" operation during a Friday evening press conference, with 237 individuals rescued and hundreds more still unaccounted for.
The flooding began with a sudden deluge that dumped more than 10 inches of rain in just a few hours across the Hill Country. Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick stated, "Within 45 minutes, the Guadalupe River rose 26 feet and it was a destructive flood - taking property and sadly lives."
Camp Mystic, a nearly century-old Christian girls' summer camp situated along the riverbank, became a focal point of rescue operations. State officials confirmed that around two dozen campers were still unaccounted for as of Friday night. The Texas National Guard, working with local emergency responders, deployed 14 helicopters and over 500 personnel in search operations throughout the affected areas.
"Whatever we need, we will have," President Donald Trump told state officials, according to Patrick, following multiple briefings with the White House.
The National Weather Service warned that the danger was far from over. A flood watch remained in effect until Saturday evening, with 2 to 4 additional inches of rain forecast, and isolated pockets possibly receiving up to 10 inches. The NWS emphasized the unpredictability of the storm system, calling it a "Particularly Dangerous Situation with life-threatening flash flooding."
Kerrville City Manager Dalton Rice recalled jogging near the Guadalupe River at 3:30 a.m. and seeing no signs of danger. By 5:00 a.m., the river had surged over 25 feet. "Within a matter of minutes it was up to 29 feet," Rice said.
Meteorologist Matthew Cappucci posted on X that the river near Bergheim rose 40 feet in just three hours, while annual rainfall totals for the region are typically between 28 and 32 inches.
Emergency shelters were established in Kerrville, including one at a local elementary school where hundreds of parents gathered awaiting word on missing children. Tanya Powell said her 21-year-old daughter, Ella Rose, was among the missing. "They were here for the weekend and we lost touch with them about 4 a.m. and haven't gotten any word from them," she said.
Kerr County Sheriff Larry Leitha warned that the death toll may still rise as the scope of the disaster becomes clearer. Judge Rob Kelly declared a local disaster, citing massive damage to both public and private infrastructure.
