Eight-year-old girls at sleep-away camp, some for the first time. Out-of-town families spanning generations, crammed into recreational vehicles to relax by a river in the Hill Country of Texas. Local residents, traveling to or from work, or simply sleeping at home.<\/p>\n
In the predawn inkiness of Independence Day, the rains came, and the waters rose. And rose. And rose. By Friday morning, at least 121 people had died from the Guadalupe River pouring over its banks. Many perished in the dark, in raging floodwaters, as they were swept out of cars, cabins, houses and trailers. The disaster ranks as one of the deadliest for children in the United States in recent decades.<\/p>\n
Among the dead: at least two dozen girls and staff members at a storied Christian summer camp, a 23-year-old police officer and his parents camping in their R.V., a 62-year-old woman driving to her job at Walmart.<\/p>\n
And there will be more. As of Thursday morning, at least 161 people were missing from one county alone \u2014 Kerr \u2014 northwest of San Antonio. Some of those still unaccounted for were camping or staying with relatives and friends who have been found dead.<\/p>\n
Stories are emerging about some of the victims, as identified by The New York Times through interviews with families, school officials, church leaders and official statements.<\/p>\n
The Times will continue to update this page with glimpses into the lives of the victims of the Texas floods.<\/p>\n
People have long come to the Hill Country to boat and fly fish in tranquil waters teeming with largemouth bass and catfish, and hike rugged terrain with views of limestone canyons that are surrounded by wildflowers and cypress and pecan trees. Visitors browse antique shops and wineries, or check out a century-old rodeo, and look for gray foxes, armadillos and white-tailed deer. This bucolic region is also known as Flash Flood Alley.<\/p>\n
Mr. Wilson was a beloved high school teacher who would often bolt out of his classroom on Friday afternoons so he could take his family to rodeo competitions. Shiloh, a middle-schooler, was an accomplished saddle bronc rider whose rodeo nickname was \u201cStingray.\u201d Ms. Wilson was known as Mama Bear because she meticulously prepared the family for each trip and event, friends said, and fiercely protected her husband and son. \u201cThey were always together in life, the Wilson three,\u201d said Clint Wilson, a family friend. \u201cNow they\u2019ll be together forever.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
Blair and Brooke were middle schoolers at St. Rita Catholic School in Dallas, and their friends and family said they could do it all. The sisters each played several sports \u2014 including volleyball, basketball and lacrosse \u2014 and loved taking part in the school\u2019s speech and drama program. They also were kind, had a strong Christian faith and were energetic, their school said. And onstage, the girls shined. Blair was excited to audition for the lead role in the eighth-grade play. Brooke had a gift for improv and making people laugh. Their aunt, Jennifer Harber, said the girls had their rosaries with them and were found holding hands.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
\u201cShe was an incredible wife, daughter, mother, grandmother and person who spent her life helping kids,\u201d Victoria Eads, her daughter, wrote in an email. Her mother helped children in the foster care system when she worked in early education as a psychologist. She also helped young people during her time as a college professor, her daughter wrote. <\/p>\n<\/li>\n
via The Kerrville Daily Times<\/p>\n
The Martins, a married couple from Odessa, Texas, were camping in their R.V. along the Guadalupe River, Bobby Martin\u2019s father, John Keith Martin, told The New York Times. He said his son \u201cwas an adventurous man, adventurous and outgoing. He had many good friends, because he was a good friend.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
via Odessa Police Department<\/p>\n
Mr. Martin, the son of Bobby and Amanda Martin and an officer with the Odessa Police Department, was camping with his parents when the floods hit.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
The Moellers, who lived in New Braunfels, were camping in an R.V., according to Ms. Moeller\u2019s aunt.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
Ms. Schaffer, known for her \u201chyper-friendly, cheerful disposition,\u201d was married to her husband, Richard, for 57 years, her obituary said. They lived in Houston and, together, they enjoyed spring breaks in Florida for ballgames and walks on the beach, and weekend trips to New York City. They traveled every summer to the Hill Country, where they swam, marveled at the scenery and attended Richard\u2019s law school reunions. It was their happy place. Now Mr. Schaffer credits his wife with saving his life there. The day of the flood, she made sure he was able to escape their sinking car before she tried to save herself, he said. In her obituary, he and his son Josh wrote, \u201cNo husband could ask for a more loyal companion on such a long ride.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
via Mackenzie Cahill-Hodulik<\/p>\n
Ms. Badon, who was from Beaumont, was staying with Reese Manchaca and other friends at a house in Hunt. She was a student at the Savannah College of Art and Design in Georgia. \u201cJoyce was passionate about using her artistry and talent to impact the world,\u201d the school said in a statement. It added that Ms. Badon had recently helped redesign donation centers for Goodwill as part of a spring course. <\/p>\n<\/li>\n
via Mackenzie Cahill-Hodulik<\/p>\n
Ms. Manchaca was a student at the University of Texas at San Antonio.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
via Mackenzie Cahill-Hodulik<\/p>\n
Ms. Cahill, a student at the University of Texas at San Antonio, was excited for her senior year as a business management major. After graduation, she had plans to move in with her high school sweetheart and start dreaming of their wedding. \u201cShe was always happy, caring and just really loved her family,\u201d Mackenzie Cahill-Hodulik, Ms. Cahill\u2019s older sister, said, adding that her sister was very smart. \u201cShe had a bright future ahead of her.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
Mr. and Ms. Bryan were from San Antonio, and their son, Hutcher Bryan, said the couple had a special love for animals and also had a very strong faith. \u201cThey believed in God and Jesus as their savior,\u201d Hutcher said. \u201cThey were loving parents and will be missed.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
Ms. Ramsey, who was from Lewisville, northwest of Dallas, was camping in her R.V. Her younger brother, Eric Steele, said that as a teenager, she would take him to work with her to keep an eye on him. \u201cShe was always there for me, whether I was a brat or not.\u201d He added that she had survived a bout with breast cancer about a year ago.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
via The Kerrville Daily Times<\/p>\n
The Rushings, who were from Sulphur Springs in East Texas, were camping in their R.V.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
The Burgesses were camping with their young sons, while their daughter was at a nearby camp. Mr. Burgess was a financial adviser, Ms. Burgess an elementary school teacher. In a statement, the Liberty ISD Education Foundation, where Ms. Burgess had worked since 2019, saluted \u201cher bubbly personality, radiant smile and deep love for her students.\u201d Their daughter is safe.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
Mr. Perry had been a volunteer firefighter in League City, Texas, southeast of Houston. He had a great sense of humor and \u201ckept people laughing,\u201d Kimberly Tees, his sister-in-law, said. Mr. Perry\u2019s wife, Tina, survived the flood.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
Robert Brake, Sr. and Joni Brake should be \u201cremembered for their love, faith, and service to others,\u201d Robert Brake, Jr., their son, said in a statement. He added that his father \u201ctaught us to love people, to help when we could, and to never take one another for granted.\u201d The senior Mr. Brake was an Air Force veteran and Ms. Brake was a registered nurse who worked on an Air Force base. The Fourth of July had been one of their favorite holidays, their grandson, Ryen, said.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
Some who died were retired and had lived in these parts for years. Others were newcomers, just starting jobs and putting down roots. They were going about their routines on the Fourth of July.<\/p>\n
Ms. Burwick was driving to her job at a Walmart in San Angelo when her vehicle was caught in rising floodwaters, according to her son, Zac Burwick. She lived in Blackwell, about 48 miles north of San Angelo. \u201cShe had a heart of gold,\u201d Mr. Burwick said. \u201cShe never knew a stranger and loved everybody that was around her.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
Mr. Ryan had been a stay-at-home father until he started a job recently as a dishwasher in a local restaurant to bolster the family\u2019s income. But even when money was tight, he would go out of his way to help others, said Christinia Wilson, his fianc\u00e9e. \u201cIf he saw someone with a sign on the road, asking for money, he would always stop and give something, no matter how little we had,\u201d Ms. Wilson said. \u201cHe\u2019d always say, \u2018If you bring positivity into the world, you\u2019ll get it back.\u2019\u201d He died trying to save his family from the flood, his family said.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
via The Kerrville Daily Times<\/p>\n
Mr. Zunker was the boys\u2019 soccer coach at Tivy High School in Kerrville; Ms. Zunker had recently stepped back from teaching English in the same district. The soccer team at the school credited Mr. Zunker as someone who \u201crebuilt the soccer program and left a legacy.\u201d Friends of Paula Joe \u2014 known as PJ to some \u2014 remembered an accomplished horseback rider and teacher. She often played a pivotal role in her friends\u2019 milestone moments for love and childbirth, aiming to make the people around her laugh or feel appreciated, they said.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
Ms. Richardson moved to a small cabin along the Little Creek river in Liberty Hill three years ago, right behind a care center for people with disabilities where she worked. She is survived by two daughters and five grandchildren. She loved to crochet, and her daughter, Deliah Greenslet, said that items Ms. Richardson made for her family \u2014 baby blankets, hats, tapestries \u2014 are some of the only items she has left to remember her mother by.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
\u201cI\u2019m all in.\u201d Those were the words on Braxton\u2019s shirt at band camp last summer. Michael Garrison, the band director at Glenn High School in Leander, Texas, where Braxton was an incoming sophomore and a bass clarinetist, jokingly asked him if he was all in that day, and Braxton responded, \u201cCome on, Mr. Garrison. I\u2019m always all in.\u201d Mr. Garrison said there was no better tribute to a \u201cjoyful, kind and committed\u201d young man who always volunteered for whatever was needed. Anna Smith, the local school board president, said that her daughter, a piccolo player, marched next to Braxton all season, and he cheered her up with a smile.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
Ms. Martin was the stepmother of Braxton Jarmon. They were both home in Leander, Texas, when the flood hit. \u201cShe was my whole world,\u201d said Jermaine Jarmon, who is known as J.J. and is Braxton\u2019s father and Ms. Martin\u2019s longtime partner. \u201cShe took care of everything I had, and was proud to help anyone she could.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
Ms. Graves lived in Ingram, in Kerr County, according to an obituary notice. She and her late husband had two children, 10 grandchildren and 17 great-grandchildren.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
Ms. West had worked for decades as an electronics inspector at Texas Instruments. The night before she died, Ms. West\u2019s daughters said, family members had driven her to the family\u2019s cemetery plot to show her some new lighting on one grave. She approved, telling them she would like lights on her own grave when her time came. She also wanted \u201cBridge Over Troubled Water\u201d played at her funeral.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
Doug West, 54, a \u201cmama\u2019s boy,\u201d according to his sisters, was a devoted live-in caretaker for his mother, Betty West, 84, in Leander, Texas. He cooked for her and managed her medical care, while his brother, Gary Traugott, 60, served as her chauffeur and gardener. The three were at home together when the floods struck. Mr. West and his mother died, and Mr. Traugott is still missing. \u201cThe boys would always say, \u2018We\u2019re here to take care of her,\u2019\u201d their sister Sherry McCutcheon said, \u201cand when they died, that\u2019s what they were doing.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
Mr. Brizendine was a Navy veteran who for many years worked as a nurse at Austin State Hospital, a psychiatric hospital, before retiring. When he wasn\u2019t working, several of his friends said, he liked to go country-western dancing. He also loved tinkering with clocks and could repair anything from vintage grandfather clocks to newer wristwatches, his friends said.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
Mr. Venus, who served in the Army for 33 years, delivered medication to hospitals and nursing homes. His son William Venus Jr. live-streamed the search for him on Facebook, drawing residents to help. Searchers found his body on Monday, the son said.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
via Hamil Family Funeral Home<\/p>\n
Ms. Frizzell, who lived in the Casa Bonita subdivision in Hunt, once owned a clothing boutique in Abilene. After her late husband was diagnosed with dementia, she helped others who were dealing with that and supported the Alzheimer\u2019s Association of Abilene, according to an obituary notice.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
Malaya, who was about to be a high school senior, was heading to Missouri with her family from their home in Marble Falls, Texas, when their car was overtaken in the floodwaters. She was the only casualty. She was an artist who loved to sing and paint, her father, Matthew Hammond said, and had been on her way to work as a counselor at a Christian summer camp. Her dream was to take a gap year before college to visit Greece and learn to sculpt. \u201cShe was an angel on this earth,\u201d her father said. \u201cShe should be with us right now.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
via Jaeme Pagard Behrendt<\/p>\n
Mr. Pagard, and his wife, Carol Andrews, had just relocated to the Hill Country from Athens, Texas, in search of cooler weather and beautiful scenery, and were in the process of house hunting. Jaeme Pagard Behrendt, Mr. Pagard\u2019s daughter, said her father loved hunting, fishing and dogs. He also was a former surfer, she said, and she was confident that he had been \u201cdoing anything he could to help others to safety\u201d during the flood.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
With the freedom to \u201cjust be able to pick up and go,\u201d Mr. Ferguson and his wife, Penny, lived full time in their R.V., and had been staying at a campground in Kerrville, according to Autumn Orenday, their granddaughter. She told The Times that Mr. Ferguson had a reputation for building \u201cthe most perfect little fires\u201d and that the couple loved fishing, watching wildlife and were always laughing.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
via Monica Sanchez Shields<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
After a whirlwind middle school romance, Kent and Samantha Wattinger reconnected in their early 20s, embarking on a 13-year-old marriage during which they would ride motorcycles together and \u201cturn everything into an adventure,\u201d Samantha Wattinger said. He parlayed his high school diploma into a software engineering job at Amazon Robotics, and he would always drop everything to talk to his teenage son about coding or indulge his 10-year-old daughter belting out every word to Bon Jovi\u2019s \u201cYou Give Love a Bad Name.\u201d a song he had once played in their car. On the night of July 4, the couple was driving home when the bridge near their house in Marble Falls began to flood, killing the engine. Ms. Wattinger said her husband coaxed her out of the car \u2014 \u201cCome on, we\u2019re going on an adventure. We have to get out and get on top of the car\u201d \u2014 and he held her up when her legs buckled. But he did not make it.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
via Torres Ram\u00edrez family<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
Camp Mystic, an all-girls Christian camp near Hunt, Texas, which has been run by the Eastland family since the 1930s, is revered by parents and alumni that includes three generations of descendants of Lyndon Johnson. The former first lady, Laura Bush, once worked as a counselor. About 750 girls were attending Camp Mystic this week. <\/p>\n
Several girls who died or are now missing were in the low-lying cabins on the \u201cflats,\u201d where younger campers stay, less than 500 feet from the river. Most of the dead who have been identified, so far, were 8 or 9 years old, and were sleeping in the same cabin, nicknamed Bubble Inn.<\/p>\n
via The Kerrville Daily Times<\/p>\n
Sarah was a student at Cherokee Bend Elementary in Mountain Brook, Ala. \u201cThis is a tragedy that no parent can prepare for, and it will never be right this side of heaven,\u201d her family said in a statement. Sarah\u2019s grandmother, Debbie Ford Marsh, said on Facebook, \u201cWe will always feel blessed to have had this beautiful spunky ray of light in our lives. She will live on in our hearts forever!\u201d<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
via The Kerrville Daily Times<\/p>\n
For Janie, of Dallas, going to Camp Mystic was a family tradition. This summer was her first time going. A great-granddaughter of the oil baron William Herbert Hunt, Janie was the eldest of three children.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
Hanna and Rebecca, twins from Dallas, were also among the girls at Camp Mystic, according to their grandfather, Dave Lawrence, a former publisher of The Miami Herald. \u201cIt has been an unimaginable time for all of us,\u201d Mr. Lawrence said. The two girls, he added, gave \u201call in our family so much joy. They and that joy can never be forgotten.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
Eloise had just finished second grade at Bradfield Elementary School in Dallas. Known as Lulu, she adored animals, especially her Boston terrier, Oliver. Before heading to camp, Eloise had started a dog-walking service, pledging a quarter of her earnings to Blueberry Hill Farm and Rescue in Arkansas, which is run by family friends. \u201cHer profound love and compassion for animals shone brightly, reflecting the purity and kindness of her heart,\u201d the rescue said on its website.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
via The Dallas Foundation<\/p>\n
Lila was so such a confident and determined little girl that her family was sure that she would someday achieve her goal of starting and running an animal rescue. She loved animals, her family said in a statement, calling her their \u201cbeautiful and precious girl.\u201d In her memory, they are setting up a foundation to raise money for animals affected by natural disasters, \u201cjust as she would have wanted.\u201d The family added that though Lila\u2019s life was cut short, \u201cher legacy and story will not end there.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
Wynne, who was from Dallas, was a girl with a limitless sense of adventure who \u201cdanced through the world\u201d with hope, servitude, joy and endearment, her family said in a statement. She loved the outdoors, God and her community. To honor her life, they set up a fund that supports local schools, youth wildlife conservation efforts and several Christian ministries.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
via The Kerrville Daily Times<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
via The Kerrville Daily Times<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
Called Mary Kate by her family, she was from Houston. The family said in a statement she was \u201ctiny, but mighty, full of love and joy with a smile that melted your heart.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
via The Kerrville Daily Times<\/p>\n
In her short life, Mary Grace lived big, her family said in her obituary. She hugged so hard that it would nearly knock people over, and she wore a tutu as easily as she wore baseball pants, \u201csometimes even at the same time.\u201d In the car pool line at school, she would sing Disney songs out the window with her friends, and she loved rainbows, Legos, and creating things with sequins and beads. She could be silly, the family wrote, but she also \u201cshowed the maturity that we would hope for ourselves as adults.\u201d In 2023, Mary Grace was thrilled to land a part in the Beaumont Civic Theater\u2019s production of \u201cThe Nutcracker,\u201d a role she had hoped to reprise: She was an angel.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
Greta, a student at Sinclair Elementary School in Houston, was attending Camp Mystic in Hunt for a third year. \u201cShe was overjoyed to be reunited with her camp friends for weeks of fun, laughter, sports and sisterhood,\u201d her parents, Ellen and Jorge Toranzo, said in a statement.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
Linnie was a student at Casis Elementary School in Austin, and the community is tying green bows on the trees and signposts in her memory and for all those lost in the flood. She was a happy girl, a sister to two brothers and someone who loved to giggle, a neighbor said. In a statement, her family described Linnie as \u201ca shining light who filled our lives with indescribable joy.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
Molly, a student at Wilchester Elementary School in Houston, was spunky and strong-willed, just like her father, and was creative and liked to draw and design, just like her mother, according to her obituary. \u201cHer instinct was always to notice, to care and to extend kindness,\u201d the obit added. Molly was curious about people and how the world worked, and loved to read books and connect with others. She also enjoyed playing soccer and running free.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
Lainey, a girl with many nicknames, including Lainey Boo and Lainey Banana, was \u201ca light-on-her-feet, imaginative and courageous child,\u201d according to her obituary. She was a fierce soccer player and a star basketball player. She also loved playing with slime, playing cards and baking with her grandparents. At her Catholic church, she was the loudest singer, and she wanted to be a surfer, scientist, singer and a mom when she grew up, her obituary said, adding, \u201cLainey is surrounded by her Bubble Inn friends in Heaven, where they will always be first in line for Dr. Pepper and Bomb-Pop Popsicles.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
People working for Camp Mystic also died, including teenage counselors and the longtime director. The same is true of another nearby camp, Heart O\u2019 the Hills.<\/p>\n
Ms. Childress, a recent graduate of the Kinkaid School in Houston, had been working as a counselor at Camp Mystic since June. \u201cShe was wise beyond her years, with a steady compassion that settled a room,\u201d wrote Jonathan Eades, head of the Kinkaid School.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
via The Kerrville Daily Times<\/p>\n
Mr. Eastland had run Camp Mystic for decades, along with his wife, Tweety. He was reportedly swept away while trying to rescue children from rising floodwaters. \u201cIf he wasn\u2019t going to die of natural causes, this was the only other way, saving the girls that he so loved and cared for,\u201d Mr. Eastland\u2019s grandson George wrote on Instagram.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
Ms. Ragsdale was a camper and later a counselor at Heart O\u2019 the Hills summer camp in Hunt before becoming the camp director in 1988, and was also a co-owner. \u201cShe embodied the spirit of Heart O\u2019 the Hills and was exactly the type of strong, joyful woman that the camp aimed to develop with the girls entrusted to us each summer,\u201d the camp said in a statement.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Eight-year-old girls at sleep-away camp, some for the first time. Out-of-town families spanning generations, crammed into recreational vehicles…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":52393,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5122],"tags":[5229,33141,8072,39172,405,403,5226,5225,5228,5227,39173,33142,358,67,586,132,5230,68,2969,10901],"class_list":{"0":"post-57774","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-new-york","8":"tag-america","9":"tag-camp-mystic-hunt","10":"tag-floods","11":"tag-kerrville-tex","12":"tag-new-york","13":"tag-new-york-city","14":"tag-newyork","15":"tag-newyorkcity","16":"tag-ny","17":"tag-nyc","18":"tag-san-antonio-tex","19":"tag-tex","20":"tag-texas","21":"tag-united-states","22":"tag-united-states-of-america","23":"tag-unitedstates","24":"tag-unitedstatesofamerica","25":"tag-us","26":"tag-usa","27":"tag-vis-design"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/114836538976360619","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/57774","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=57774"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/57774\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/52393"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=57774"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=57774"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=57774"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}