😭🙏Death toll in central Texas flash floods rises to 82 as sheriff says 10 campers remain missing

Families returned to Camp Mystic on Sunday, sifting through the waterlogged remains of cabins and personal belongings at the once-vibrant all-girls summer camp now devastated by deadly flash floods. The flooding, which swept homes from their foundations, has killed at least 82 people across central Texas and left dozens more missing.

Rescue crews continued a grueling search through rugged terrain, deep waters, and snake-infested areas—including sightings of water moccasins—in hopes of locating the missing. Among them are 10 young campers and a counselor from Camp Mystic, whose families cling to hope amid mounting grief.

For the first time since storms began battering the state, Governor Greg Abbott confirmed that 41 people remain unaccounted for—a number that could rise as rescue operations expand.

In Kerr County, home to Camp Mystic and several other youth camps in the Texas Hill Country, authorities have recovered 68 bodies, including 28 children, Sheriff Larry Leitha reported. He vowed to continue the search “until everybody is found.” Additional fatalities have been confirmed in Travis, Burnet, Kendall, Tom Green, and Williamson counties, officials said.

More Rain Ahead

Governor Abbott warned that another round of heavy rainfall—expected through Tuesday—could bring further life-threatening flooding, especially in areas already saturated. While speaking at a news briefing in Austin, emergency alerts lit up mobile phones in Kerr County with warnings of high risk for river flooding. Nearby, a loudspeaker near Camp Mystic urged people to evacuate, though local authorities quickly clarified there was no immediate danger on site.

Scenes of Grief and Recovery

Beginning Sunday morning, families were allowed to return to Camp Mystic to search for mementos and say quiet goodbyes. One young girl was seen emerging from a building, cradling a large camp bell—a symbol of the joyful routines that once defined camp life.

A father walked along the riverbank, scanning clumps of trees and lifting rocks—his daughter had been rescued from a cabin on the camp’s highest ground.

Nearby, a woman and a teenage girl, both clad in rubber waders, stepped inside a damaged cabin next to a heap of soaked mattresses, a toppled storage trunk, and scattered clothes. Moments later, they doubled over in tears and embraced tightly.

Another family gently carried a blue footlocker back to their car. Inside, a teenage girl gazed out of the open window, tears streaming down her face, silently taking in the wreckage as they drove away.

This weekend’s flooding has left a deep wound on Texas communities—especially those who sent their daughters to Camp Mystic for summer memories, never imagining such loss. With more rain on the horizon, the danger is far from over. But for the families who returned to the camp Sunday, the grief is already overwhelming, and the wait for answers continues.

A Sheriff's deputy pauses while combing through the banks of the Guadalupe River near Camp... — A Sheriff’s deputy pauses while combing through the banks of the Guadalupe River near Camp Mystic after a flash flood swept through the area Saturday, July 5, 2025, in Hunt, Texas.(Julio Cortez | AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

As families returned to witness the devastation at Camp Mystic for the first time, search crews nearby worked relentlessly, using heavy machinery to clear massive tree trunks and tangled branches from the raging river in hopes of uncovering signs of life—or loss.

With each passing hour, the chances of finding more survivors diminished. Despite warnings from authorities, some families of the missing and determined volunteers combed the riverbanks themselves, unwilling to wait for answers.

Questions Mount Over Warnings and Preparedness

Officials now face growing scrutiny over whether adequate flood warnings were issued in this region—an area long known to be vulnerable to sudden and severe flash floods—and whether more could have been done in advance to protect lives.

Federal Response

On Sunday, President Donald Trump signed a major disaster declaration for Kerr County, enabling federal assistance through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to begin flowing into Texas.

Speaking to reporters before departing his Bedminster, New Jersey golf club to return to Washington, Trump said he intends to visit the area Friday.

“I would have done it today, but we’d just be in their way,” he said. “It’s a horrible thing that took place—absolutely horrible.”

A River Rises in the Dark

The sheer force and speed of the disaster has stunned officials and locals alike. Before dawn Friday, the river surged a staggering 26 feet (8 meters) in just 45 minutes, sweeping away homes, campsites, and vehicles as it tore through the Hill Country with little warning.

Though the sun was out Sunday, the threat was far from over. Flash flood watches remained in effect, and additional rain continued falling across central Texas, further complicating rescue efforts.

Search and Rescue Efforts

Search teams have deployed helicopters, boats, and drones to scour the area—plucking stranded survivors from trees and reaching isolated camps and homes cut off by washed-out roads.

Officials confirmed that in the first 36 hours following the flood, more than 850 people were rescued.

As the search continues and the community begins to process the enormity of the loss, Texas stands on edge—grieving, questioning, and bracing for what may come next.

Families confirmed the identities of four of the campers killed in the Texas floods. (Source:... — Families confirmed the identities of four of the campers killed in the Texas floods. (Source: CNN, KENS, KABB, MARIYAH BONILLA, ANNE HUNT, RJ HARBER, SHAWN SALTA, LORENA GUILLEN, HOWDY’S RESTAURANT BAR AND CHILL, TEXAS GAME WARDENS)

preloaded gallery image — Families confirmed the identities of four of the campers killed in the Texas floods. (Source: CNN, KENS, KABB, MARIYAH BONILLA, ANNE HUNT, RJ HARBER, SHAWN SALTA, LORENA GUILLEN, HOWDY’S RESTAURANT BAR AND CHILL, TEXAS GAME WARDENS)

Prayers for Texas — From the Statehouse to the Vatican

As recovery efforts continued in flood-ravaged Texas, Governor Greg Abbott declared Sunday a statewide day of prayer, urging residents to unite in reflection and hope amid the unfolding tragedy.

“I urge every Texan to join me in prayer this Sunday — for the lives lost, for those still missing, for the recovery of our communities, and for the safety of those on the front lines,” the governor said in a statement.

In Rome, the message of solidarity extended across the ocean. Pope Leo XIV, the first American pontiff in history, offered a heartfelt prayer during his Sunday noon blessing at the Vatican.

“I would like to express sincere condolences to all the families who have lost loved ones, in particular their daughters who were in summer camp, in the disaster caused by the flooding of the Guadalupe River in Texas in the United States. We pray for them,” the pope said in English.

A Region of Camps and Heartbreak

The Guadalupe River Valley, known for its rolling hills and historic youth camps, is a cherished summer retreat for families across the South—especially during the Independence Day holiday. But the holiday crowds added to the confusion over how many people were present—and how many remain unaccounted for.

Harrowing Escapes

Survivors have shared chilling accounts of their narrow escapes from the floodwaters.

Some were swept away by the current, clinging to tree branches for survival as trees and vehicles raced by. Others sheltered in attics, praying the rising water wouldn’t reach them. At Camp Mystic, a group of girls linked arms and held tight to a rope set up by rescuers as they crossed a flooded bridge, water surging around their legs.

Among the victims was an 8-year-old girl from Mountain Brook, Alabama, and the director of another nearby camp. Two sisters from Dallas remain missing after their cabin was washed away. Their parents, staying in a separate cabin, survived—but the girls’ grandparents are also unaccounted for.

Although the Texas Hill Country is known as “flash flood alley,” the nighttime deluge caught many off guard despite warnings.

Warnings Were Issued

The National Weather Service had issued flood advisories on Thursday, followed by multiple flash flood warnings early Friday morning. As conditions worsened, officials declared a rare flash flood emergency—the highest alert level, signaling imminent and life-threatening danger.

At Mo-Ranch Camp in the town of Hunt, staff had been tracking the storm and evacuated hundreds of campers and conference attendees to higher ground. Similarly, Camps Rio Vista and Sierra Vista had posted on social media that they were monitoring the weather closely in the days before the flood.

Still, the intensity of the rainfall, which dropped months’ worth of water in a matter of hours, overwhelmed even the best-laid precautions.

Looking Ahead

Kerrville City Manager Dalton Rice said the city will conduct a full review of the emergency response, including how residents were alerted.

Meanwhile, President Donald Trump, speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, confirmed plans to visit Texas on Friday.

“I would have gone today, but we’d just be in their way,” he said. “It’s a horrible thing that took place, absolutely horrible.”

Pressed on whether he still planned to phase out FEMA, a goal he had previously announced, Trump replied:

“That’s something we can talk about later. Right now, we’re busy working.”

He also declined to say whether he would rehire any federal meteorologists laid off earlier this year due to budget cuts.

“I would think not. This was a thing that happened in seconds. Nobody expected it. Nobody saw it. Very talented people there, and they didn’t see it,” the president said.

Reporting by Seewer in Toledo, Ohio. Additional contributions by Christopher Weber (Los Angeles), Adrian Sainz (Memphis), Cedar Attanasio (New York), Sophia Tareen (Chicago), Michelle Price (Morristown, N.J.), and Nicole Winfield (Rome).