Hill Country Flood Disaster claims over 80 lives; 10 girls remain missing

KERRVILLE, Texas (AP) — Families sifted through waterlogged debris Sunday and stepped inside empty cabins at Camp Mystic, an all-girls summer camp ripped apart by flash floods that washed homes off their foundations and killed at least 82 people in central Texas.

Rescuers maneuvering through challenging terrain, high waters and snakes including water moccasins continued their desperate search for the missing, including 10 girls and a counselor from the camp. For the first time since the storms began pounding Texas, Gov. Greg Abbott said there were 41 people confirmed to be unaccounted for across the state and more could be missing.

In Kerr County, home to Camp Mystic and other youth camps in the Texas Hill Country, searchers have found the bodies of 68 people, including 28 children, Sheriff Larry Leitha said in the afternoon.

He pledged to keep searching until “everybody is found” from Friday’s flash floods. Ten other deaths were reported in Travis, Burnet, Kendall, Tom Green and Williamson counties, according to local officials. The death toll is certain to rise over the next few days, said Col. Freeman Martin of the Texas Department of Public Safety.

The governor warned that additional rounds of heavy rains lasting into Tuesday could produce more life-threatening flooding, especially in places already saturated. As he spoke at a news conference in Austin, emergency alerts lit up mobile phones in Kerr County that warned of “High confidence of river flooding” and a loudspeaker near Camp Mystic urged people to leave. Minutes later, however, authorities on the scene said there was no risk.

Families were allowed to look around the camp beginning Sunday morning. One girl walked out of a building carrying a large bell. A man, who said his daughter was rescued from a cabin on the highest point in the camp, walked a riverbank, looking in clumps of trees and under big rocks.

A woman and a teenage girl, both wearing rubber waders, briefly went inside one of the cabins, which stood next to a pile of soaked mattresses, a storage trunk and clothes. At one point, the pair doubled over, sobbing before they embraced.

One family left with a blue footlocker. A teenage girl had tears running down her face looking out the open window, gazing at the wreckage as they slowly drove away.

Searching the disaster zone

While the families saw the devastation for the first time, nearby crews operating heavy equipment pulled tree trunks and tangled branches from the water as they searched the river.

With each passing hour, the outlook of finding more survivors became even more bleak. Volunteers and some families of the missing who drove to the disaster zone searched the riverbanks despite being asked not to do so.

Authorities faced growing questions about whether enough warnings were issued in an area long vulnerable to flooding and whether enough preparations were made.

President Donald Trump signed a major disaster declaration Sunday for Kerr County, activating the Federal Emergency Management Agency to Texas.

The president said he would likely visit Friday. “I would have done it today, but we’d just be in their way,” he told reporters before boarding Air Force One back to Washington after spending the weekend at his golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey. “It’s a horrible thing that took place, absolutely horrible.”

The destructive, fast-moving waters rose 26 feet (8 meters) on the river in only 45 minutes before daybreak Friday, washing away homes and vehicles. The danger was not over as flash flood watches remained in effect and more rain fell in central Texas on Sunday.

Searchers used helicopters, boats and drones to look for victims and to rescue people stranded in trees and from camps isolated by washed-out roads. Officials said more than 850 people were rescued in the first 36 hours.

Prayers in Texas — and from the Vatican

Gov. Greg Abbott vowed that authorities will work around the clock and said new areas were being searched as the water receded. He declared Sunday a day of prayer for the state.

“I urge every Texan to join me in prayer this Sunday — 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 in a statement.

In Rome, Pope Leo XIV offered special prayers for those touched by the disaster. History’s first American pope spoke in English at the end of his Sunday noon blessing, “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, in the disaster caused by the flooding of the Guadalupe River in Texas in the United States. We pray for them.”

The hills along the Guadalupe River are dotted with century-old youth camps and campgrounds where generations of families have come to swim and enjoy the outdoors. The area is especially popular around the Independence Day holiday, making it more difficult to know how many are missing.

Harrowing escapes from floodwaters

Survivors shared terrifying stories of being swept away and clinging to trees as rampaging floodwaters carried trees and cars past them. Others fled to attics inside their homes, praying the water wouldn’t reach them.

At Camp Mystic, a cabin full of girls held onto a rope strung by rescuers as they walked across a bridge with water whipping around their legs.

Among those confirmed dead were an 8-year-old girl from Mountain Brook, Alabama, who was at Camp Mystic, and the director of another camp up the road.

Two school-age sisters from Dallas were missing after their cabin was swept away. Their parents were staying in a different cabin and were safe, but the girls’ grandparents were unaccounted for.

Locals know the Hill Country as “ flash flood alley” but the flooding in the middle of the night caught many campers and residents by surprise even though there were warnings.

Warnings came before the disaster

The National Weather Service on Thursday advised of potential flooding and then sent out a series of flash flood warnings in the early hours of Friday before issuing flash flood emergencies — a rare alert notifying of imminent danger.

At the Mo-Ranch Camp in the community of Hunt, officials had been monitoring the weather and opted to move several hundred campers and attendees at a church youth conference to higher ground. At nearby Camps Rio Vista and Sierra Vista, organizers also had mentioned on social media that they were watching the weather the day before ending their second summer session Thursday.

Authorities and elected officials have said they did not expect such an intense downpour, the equivalent of months’ worth of rain for the area.

Kerrville City Manager Dalton Rice said authorities are committed to a full review of the emergency response, including how the public was alerted to the storm threat.

Trump, asked whether he was still planning to phase out the Federal Emergency Management Agency, said that was something “we can talk about later, but right now we are busy working.” He has previously said he wants to overhaul if not completely eliminate FEMA and has been sharply critical of its performance.

Trump also was asked whether he planned to rehire any of the federal meteorologists who were fired this year as part of widespread government spending reductions.

“I would think not. This was a thing that happened in seconds. Nobody expected it. Nobody saw it. Very talented people there, and they didn’t see it,” the president said.

The White House faith office has issued a statement on the ongoing flood recovery in Texas, and the massive death toll of the floods.

“The White House Faith Office asks you to join us in prayer for the precious lives lost in the Texas floods. Amidst this tragedy, our nation must come together to pray for the victims, their families, and the first responders conducting rescue missions to find those still missing. May God wrap his loving arms around all those in Texas.

Psalm 34:18 – “The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.

On Sunday, earlier reporting from the Kerr County Lead indicated that two girls had been rescued from 30 feet up a tree after the flooding in Kerr County.

The Kerr County Lead has since retracted this claim. We are still working to determine what happened and are working with law enforcement to verify all claims.

UPDATE 5:30 PM – A vigil has been organized by Centro San Antonio to pay tribute to those who have lost their lives in the flooding.

UPDATE 4:15 PM – 68 dead in Kerr County, including 40 adults and 28 children. Working to identify 18 adults and 10 children.

10 children and one counselor from Camp Mystic are still missing.

UPDATE 3:30 PM – A FLASH FLOOD WARNING has been issued for Southwestern Gillespie and East Central Kerr County until 7:00 p.m.

We’re watching as the water levels rise, with an expected increase of two feet along the Guadalupe between Ingram adjust south of Kerrville.

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UPDATE 2:30 PM – Abbott is hosting a press event on the latest from the recovery effort.

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UPDATE 1:00 PM – KERR COUNTY ROAD CLOSURE UPDATE

Road and bridge crews have been working tirelessly to restore access to local communities. Here are the latest closures:

Unless otherwise listed, all Kerr County-maintained low water crossings and bridges are closed.

Updates available on known roads, low water crossings, and bridges are as follows:

— Arrowhead- Closed
— Bear Creek @ Arcadia- Closed
— Bear Creek @ Freedom- Open
— Byas Springs- Water over the road – Emergency Passable
— Bumble Bee- Emergency Passable
— Cade Loop- Emergency Passable
— Cedar Cliff- Open
— Clark Ranch- Open
— Crossing St @ Lion’s Park – Closed
— CP River Rd – Brink’s Crossing (Monkey Island) – Closed
— Cougar Park-Closed @ the concrete – Emergency Passable
— Cutbirth- Open
— Dowling- Closed
— Ehler’s – Closed
— Fallow Run- Open
— Felix Fisher- Open with one lane closed
— Hermann Sons- Open
— Homilius- Open
— Honey Creek – Emergency Passable
— Hoot Owl Hollow – Emergency Passable
— Indian Creek-Emergency Passable
— Kelly Creek Rd @ Hwy 39 (Waltonia Crossing to Baldwin) – Closed
— Kerrville South Area- Open
— Lane Valley- Emergency passable
— Leinweber – Open
— Mo Ranch – Open
— Seago – Closed
— Sheppard Rees- Open
— Stower’s Ranch – Open
— Stewart Junkin- Open
— Ranchero – Open
— Rio Vista – Closed
— Rockbottom- Open
— Upper Turtle Creek – All crossings have water over the road.

Assessments for hidden damage to the structures will be conducted once the water recedes. Roads marked “emergency passable” are NOT open for the general public.

TX-39 has also been closed to onlookers, as the volume of traffic west of Ingram was impeding search and rescue operations. Those who live in the area must be prepared to show photo ID to officers on the roadway.

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UPDATE 12:00 PM – President Donald Trump has approved federal disaster assistance for the state of Texas to assist in recovery efforts after massive floods destroyed dozens of homes and killed nearly 70 people.

The funding is available to affected individuals in Kerr County, with assistance including grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property, and various other recovery programs.

Funding will also be available to state and local governments, as well as certain nonprofits, for emergency work and the repair of critical infrastructure, as well as the repair or replacement of facilities.

Individuals who sustained losses in the designated areas should first file claims with their insurance providers and then apply for assistance by registering online at www.DisasterAssistance.gov, by calling 1-800-621-3362 or by using the FEMA App.

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UPDATE 11:30 AM – Archbishop Gustavo Garcia-Siller is set to install Fr. Scott Janysek as the new pastor of Notre Dame Catholic Church in Kerrville, a community devastated by the Hill Country Floods.

The mass comes as communities across the Texas Hill Country are picking up the pieces, and the search for the missing continues.

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According to posts from her father, Kellyanne Lytal remains missing from Camp Mystic. Her family is holding out hope that she may be safe.

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Officials in New Braunfels have closed off river access temporarily on the Comal and Guadalupe Rivers for Sunday, July 6.

Increased water flow and clarity issues, as well as submerged debris due to the heavy rains, are leading officials to restrict access. Officials will reevaluate the closure on July 7 to determine a reopening date.

Some roads across the City of New Braunfels remain closed due to the recent rains. Officials emphasize that residents or travelers should never drive around barricades, and never drive through standing or rushing water.

The latest information on the closures can be found on the New Braunfels Road Closures website.

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UPDATE 10:25 am – Kerr County officials say as of 9 a.m. Sunday, 59 people have been killed in Kerr County, among those are 38 adults and 21 children. 18 adults and 4 children are pending identification. 11 Camp Mystic campers are still unaccounted for and 1 counselor.

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UPDATE – A Kerrville ISD soccer coach has reportedly died. According to a Tivy Boys Soccer Facebook post, Coach Reece Zunker and his wife Paula have tragically passed away.

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KERRVILLE, Texas (AP) — Rescuers scoured a devastated central Texas landscape of mangled trees, overturned cars and muck-filled debris Saturday in an increasingly bleak mission to locate survivors, including 27 girls who have not been seen since their camp was slammed with a wall of water in a historic flash flood.

The flooding in Kerr County killed at least 43 people, including 15 children, and at least eight people died in nearby counties.

Authorities still have not said how many people were missing beyond the children from Camp Mystic, a Christian summer camp along a river in Kerr County where most of the dead were recovered.

The destructive, fast-moving waters rose 26 feet (8 meters) on the Guadalupe River in just 45 minutes before daybreak Friday, washing away homes and vehicles. The danger was not over as rains continued pounding communities outside San Antonio on Saturday and flash flood warnings and watches remained in effect.

Searchers used helicopters, boats and drones to look for victims and to rescue people stranded in trees and from camps isolated by washed-out roads.

Gov. Greg Abbott vowed that authorities will work around the clock and said new areas were being searched as the water receded. He declared Sunday a day of prayer for the state.

Authorities were coming under scrutiny over whether the camps and residents in places long vulnerable to flooding received proper warning and whether enough preparations were made.

The hills along the Guadalupe River in central Texas are dotted with century-old youth camps and campgrounds where generations of families have come to swim and enjoy the outdoors. The area is especially popular around the July Fourth holiday, making it more difficult to know how many are missing.

“We don’t even want to begin to estimate at this time,” Kerrville City Manager Dalton Rice said earlier.

Raging storm hit camp in middle of the night

“The camp was completely destroyed,” said Elinor Lester, 13, one of hundreds of campers. “A helicopter landed and started taking people away. It was really scary.”

The raging storm, fueled by incredible amounts of moisture, woke up her cabin just after midnight Friday. When rescuers arrived, they tied a rope for the girls to hold as they walked across a bridge with water whipping around their legs, she said.

Frantic parents and families posted photos of missing loved ones and pleas for information.

Among those confirmed dead were an 8-year-old girl from Mountain Brook, Alabama, who was at Camp Mystic, and the director of another camp just up the road.

The flooding in the middle of the night caught many residents, campers and officials by surprise.

AccuWeather said the private forecasting company and the National Weather Service sent warnings about potential flash flooding hours beforehand.

“These warnings should have provided officials with ample time to evacuate camps such as Camp Mystic and get people to safety,” AccuWeather said in a statement. It called the Hill Country one of the most flash-flood-prone areas of the U.S. because of its terrain and many water crossings.

Authorities and elected officials have said they did not expect such an intense downpour, the equivalent of months’ worth of rain for the area.

U.S. Rep. Chip Roy, whose district includes the ravaged area, called it a once-in-a-century flood and acknowledged that there would be second-guessing and finger-pointing as people look for someone to blame.

Helicopters and drones used in frantic search

Search crews were facing harsh conditions while “looking in every possible location,” Rice said.

Officials said more than 850 people had been rescued in the last 36 hours and there were heroic efforts at the camps to save children.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem arrived and pledged that the Trump administration would use all available resources. Coast Guard helicopters and planes were assisting to ensure operations can continue even in darkness.

One reunification center at an elementary school was mostly quiet after taking in hundreds of evacuees the day before.

“We still have people coming here looking for their loved ones. We’ve had a little success, but not much,” said Bobby Templeton, superintendent of Ingram Independent School District.

People clung to trees and fled to attics

In Ingram, Erin Burgess woke to thunder and rain in the middle of the night. Just 20 minutes later, water was pouring into her home, she said. She described an agonizing hour clinging to a tree with her teen 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.

Barry Adelman said water pushed everyone in his three-story house into the attic, including his 94-year-old grandmother and 9-year-old grandson.

“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,” he said.

Locals know the place as ” flash flood alley.”

“When it rains, water doesn’t soak into the soil,” said Austin Dickson, CEO of the Community Foundation of the Texas Hill Country, which was collecting donations. “It rushes down the hill.”

‘Nobody saw this coming’

The weekend forecast had called for rain, with a flood watch upgraded to a warning overnight Friday for at least 30,000 people.

“We know we get rains. We know the river rises. But nobody saw this coming,” said Kerr County Judge Rob Kelly, the county’s chief elected official.

The county had considered a flood warning system on the river similar to a tornado warning siren about six or seven years ago, but Kelly said the idea never got off the ground and the cost would have been an issue.

Kelly said he was heartbroken seeing body bags at the funeral home and the devastation on the ground during a helicopter tour.

“The rescue has gone as well as can be expected. It’s getting time now for the recovery,” he said. “And that’s going to be a long, toilsome task for us.”

Hill Country Flood Disaster claims over 80 lives; 10 girls remain missing

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