Texas Flooding Leaves 24 Dead, 23 Girls Missing from Summer Camp
At least 24 people have died in Texas after torrential rains triggered flash flooding, with 23 children still missing from a girls’ summer camp, according to local reports.
The flooding struck around 4 a.m. local time in central Kerr County, where more than 700 children were attending a summer camp when the Guadalupe River rose rapidly after nearly 10 inches (25 centimeters) of rain fell overnight.
Judge Rob Kelly, the county’s chief elected official, confirmed the fatalities and said dozens of water rescues had been carried out, while most of the victims have yet to be identified. “We’re trying to get the identity of these folks, but we don’t have it yet,” Kelly told reporters.
Emergency crews are continuing a frantic search for the missing, using 14 helicopters, a dozen drones, and hundreds of personnel on the ground. Floodwaters have made roads impassable, complicating efforts to evacuate the remaining campers.
“Everybody is doing everything in their power to get these kids out,” Kelly said, adding that the disaster struck suddenly, despite forecasts for stormy weather. “We have floods all the time. This is the most dangerous river valley in the United States. We had no reason to believe this was going to be anything like what’s happened here.”
Families have turned to social media to search for loved ones, with some pleading for updates on those evacuated from the flooded camp.
