Texas Flooding Updates: Over 20 Girls Missing from a Summer Camp, Hundreds Rescued

Texas Hill Country was gripped by tragedy Friday as “about 24” people were confirmed dead and over 20 girls attending a summer camp were reported missing after a deluge of rain—equivalent to several months’ worth—fell within hours, triggering devastating flash floods.

As of Friday night, authorities said 237 people had been rescued, including 167 by helicopter. Kerr County Sheriff Larry Leitha, along with local and state officials, provided updates during a press conference on Friday night.

“This is something where we need to begin now, and continue, to invoke God Almighty,” Republican Texas Gov. Gregg Abbott said.

There were 700 girls at the summer camp, Camp Mystic, at the time of the flash flooding that overwhelmed the Guadalupe River.

Elinor Lester, 13, said she and her cabin mates had to be helicoptered to safety.

A raging storm woke up her cabin around 1:30 a.m., and when rescuers arrived, Lester said they tied a rope for the girls to hold as the children in her cabin walked across bridge with floodwaters whipping around the calves and knees.

“The camp was completely destroyed,” she said. “A helicopter landed and started taking people away. It was really scary.”

The Ingram Fire Department shared a letter sent from the camp to families on Facebook. “We have sustained catastrophic level floods,” Camp Mystic said. “We have no power, water, or wifi.”

The camp said that all campers at Cypress Lake and Senior Hill are accounted for and that anyone whose daughter has been unaccounted for has been notified.

“We are working with search and rescue currently,” Camp Mystic added. “The highway has washed away so we are struggling to get more help. Please continue to pray and send any help if you have contacts to do so.”

Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick said at a Friday afternoon news conference there were from 400 to 500 search-and-rescue personnel on the ground in Hill Country, along with 14 helicopters and 11 drones in the air.

He continued, “I’m asking the people of Texas to do some serious praying this afternoon — on your knees kind of praying — that we find these young girls and that they’re only unaccounted for because they’re somewhere that we don’t know yet but that they’re alive and safe.”

“If they’re alive and safe, we will find them and bring them home to you, so please pray for these families tonight.”

Local outlet The Kerr County Lead said it has identified 16 of the missing children, with help from readers.

Camp Mystic said campers are being evacuated via helicopter in small groups and taken to a school in Ingram, according to a letter to families shared by the outlet.

At an elementary school in nearby Ingram that was being used as a reunification center, more than a hundred people milled around a courtyard with hopes of seeing their loved one step out of buses dropping off those who had been evacuated. One young girl wearing a Camp Mystic T-shirt stood in a puddle in her white socks, sobbing in her mother’s arms as she rubbed her hands together and watched the buses arrive.

Many families hoped to see loved ones who had been at campgrounds and mobile home parks in the area.

What to Know About Camp Mystic

Camp Mystic, nestled along the Guadalupe River in Hunt, Texas, is a private Christian summer camp for girls aged 7 to 17. Established in 1926 by University of Texas coach E.J. “Doc” Stewart, the camp has long been a cherished retreat in the Texas Hill Country. Campers participate in a variety of activities, including archery, kayaking, drama, and spiritual development, according to its website. The camp operates multiple sessions throughout the summer, including two- and four-week terms at both its original Guadalupe River site and the newer Cypress Lake campus.

Camp Mystic sits on a strip known as “flash flood alley,” said Austin Dickson, CEO of the Community Foundation of the Texas Hill Country, a charitable endowment that is collecting donations to help nonprofits responding to the disaster.

“When it rains, water doesn’t soak into the soil,” Dickson said. “It rushes down the hill.”

‘Catastrophic’ Texas Flooding Triggers Massive Rescue Response

Earlier on Friday, search teams launched urgent boat and helicopter rescues amid fast-moving waters that overwhelmed communities along the Guadalupe River.

Patrick said that from six to 10 bodies had been recovered during the frantic search, while Kerr County Sheriff Larry Leitha, speaking at a concurrent news conference, reported the death toll had risen to 13 in his county alone.

The flooding was fueled by more than 10 inches of overnight rain in central Kerr County, prompting desperate calls from families seeking updates on missing loved ones.

Teams conducted dozens of rescues, and emergency responders continued to search for those who were unaccounted for.

Comments on a Facebook post from the Kerr County sheriff’s office were riddled with photos of people in the flood zone. Loved ones posted there, hoping someone could offer an update on the whereabouts of those they hadn’t heard from. One woman said she couldn’t reach her daughter, who had rented a cabin in Hunt for her husband and two children and pleaded for someone to post the names of those already evacuated.

Judge Rob Kelly, the county’s top elected official, confirmed that the flooding had resulted in multiple fatalities and numerous water rescues. He noted that officials are still in the process of identifying the victims and said he had been advised against releasing specific numbers at this stage.

“Most of them, we don’t know who they are,” Kelly said during a news conference. “One of them was completely naked, he didn’t have any ID on him at all. We’re trying to get the identity of these folks, but we don’t have it yet.”

Texas Official: ‘Everything Was Done’ to Prepare Residents

The forecast had predicted rain, prompting a flood watch that was later upgraded to a warning overnight, affecting at least 30,000 residents. However, rainfall totals in some areas far exceeded expectations. Patrick emphasized that the threat of heavy rain and flooding had spanned a wide region.

“Everything was done to give them a heads-up that you could have heavy rain, and we weren’t exactly sure where it was going to land,” Patrick said. “Obviously, as it got dark last night and into the early morning hours, that’s when the storm started to zero in.”

When asked about alert efforts in Kerr County, Judge Rob Kelly, the county’s chief elected official, admitted, “We do not have a warning system.”

Pressed further about the lack of precautions, Kelly responded, “Rest assured, no one knew this kind of flood was coming.” He added, “We have floods all the time. This is the most dangerous river valley in the United States.”

This article includes reporting by the Associated Press.

Update: 7/4/25, 8:42 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with new information.

Update: 7/4/25, 10:48 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with new information and remarks.

Update: 7/4/25, 11:03 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with new information and remarks.

Update: 7/4/25, 12:10 a.m. ET: This article has been updated with new information and remarks.