Rescue operations are underway in south-central Texas following catastrophic flash floods that have claimed at least 24 lives and left around 20 girls missing from a riverside summer camp.
Kerr County Sheriff Larry Leitha confirmed the death toll late Friday, stating that search and rescue teams are still active, particularly in areas northwest of San Antonio where numerous individuals remain unaccounted for.
“There are still kids missing,” Sheriff Leitha said during a press briefing. “We’re doing everything in our power to find them.”
Among those missing are at least 20 girls from Camp Mystic, a summer camp located along the Guadalupe River. The river rose more than 26 feet in just 45 minutes after severe overnight rainfall inundated the region.
Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick acknowledged the magnitude of the tragedy, saying, “Some of the victims are children. Our hearts are heavy, and our focus remains on rescue and recovery.”
Patrick noted that the missing girls were part of a group of approximately 750 campers and emphasized that the situation remains fluid. “They could be in trees, in shelters, or simply out of communication. We remain hopeful,” he added.
In response to the disaster, Texas Governor Greg Abbott declared a state of disaster to expedite emergency response efforts. U.S. President Donald Trump addressed the situation, calling it “terrible” and promising federal assistance. “We’ll take care of it,” Trump told reporters. “We’re working closely with the governor.”
Major General Thomas Suelzer of the Texas Military Department reported that more than 237 people have been rescued so far, with 167 of those evacuations conducted by air. A total of 500 personnel and 14 helicopters have been deployed in the ongoing mission.
Freeman Martin, head of the Texas Department of Public Safety, described the situation as a “mass casualty event.”
“We had trouble accessing the area in the morning due to severe weather, but as conditions improved, so did our rescue operations,” he said.
Governor Abbott posted dramatic video footage on social media showing a flood victim being airlifted from a tree. “These missions are ongoing around the clock,” he stated. “We will not stop until every person is accounted for.”
Officials have advised residents to stay off roads in the affected counties, many of which remain submerged or impassable. Additional flooding is expected in the coming days.
“This isn’t over,” Martin warned. “We expect another wave to hit other counties soon.”
Kerr County Judge Rob Kelly admitted that authorities were unprepared for the scale of the flooding.
“We didn’t know this flood was coming,” he said. “We deal with floods often, but this is unlike anything we’ve seen. The Guadalupe River is the most dangerous river valley in the country.”
Meteorologists said the region experienced nearly 12 inches of rainfall overnight—about one-third of its annual average—resulting in sudden saturation of the ground and overwhelming runoff.
Climate experts have attributed the increasing frequency and intensity of such weather events to human-driven climate change, which they say is contributing to more extreme flooding, heatwaves, and droughts worldwide.
