At least 51 people, including 15 children, have been confirmed dead in catastrophic flash floods that tore through central Texas, with the worst devastation centred in Kerr County.
Authorities say 27 children remain missing after a Christian summer camp, Camp Mystic, located along the rapidly swelling Guadalupe River, was overwhelmed by floodwaters early Friday morning. The river reportedly rose over 26 feet in under an hour, sweeping away cabins and leaving devastation in its wake.
Governor Greg Abbott, addressing a press conference on Saturday, announced an expanded disaster declaration and pledged full state support: “We will stop when the job is completed. We are relentless in locating every single person affected by this event.”
Despite the scale of the tragedy, officials insisted the effort remains a search and rescue mission, not a recovery. Around 850 people have already been rescued, many by boat and helicopter, as emergency crews comb through flooded neighbourhoods and riverbanks.
President Donald Trump confirmed that his administration is working closely with Texas authorities to manage the crisis, while the National Weather Service warned of further rainfall over the weekend — between 2 to 5 inches (5–12cm), with some areas expecting up to 10 inches.
Particular attention has focused on the Christian girls’ camp Camp Mystic, where many of the missing children had been sleeping when floodwaters hit. Personal items — teddy bears, mattresses, and clothes — now lie soaked in mud. At nearby Camp Waldemor, stunned parents arrived to collect their children. Some, like Rachel Reed from Dallas, faced heartbreaking news.
The Harber family confirmed that 13-year-old Blair and 11-year-old Brooke, described by their community as “the heart and soul of the camp”, were among the victims.
Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick said that many of the missing were “under the age of 12”, and added that search teams were “working round the clock”.
In addition to the deaths in Kerr County, fatalities were also recorded in Travis and Tom Green counties. Local residents spoke of the chaos and terror of the floods. Lorena Guillen, who runs a riverside guesthouse, said 28 vehicles belonging to holidaymakers were lost and recalled hearing screams from a family of five.
In the nearby town of Kerrville, the Arcadia Live theatre became a reunification centre, as frantic parents waited for news.
Jonathan and Brittany Rojas returned to the ruins of a relative’s home — only the foundation remained. The family’s teenage son, Leo, survived after being caught in barbed wire. His mother and baby sibling remain missing.
One survivor, Anthony, returned to his apartment to find it destroyed. He recovered just one item — a box of childhood photos and his baby blanket.
A special Mass will be held on Sunday at Notre Dame Catholic Church in Kerrville to remember those who died and to pray for the missing. The local community, already reeling from loss, is rallying around affected families with vigils, donations, and shelter.
With search teams still pulling survivors from the water and heavy rain still forecast, Texas faces the grim possibility that the death toll could rise further in the coming days.
