The frantic search for 27 missing girls entered its third day on Sunday after flash floods swept through a Christian summer camp in Texas. Raging waters tore through Camp Mystic along the Guadalupe River in Kerr County, where most of the victims were found.
At least 59 people, including 21 children, have died in the disaster. Kerr County alone reported 43 fatalities, while Travis, Burnet and Kendall counties confirmed eight more. Rescue teams, facing treacherous terrain littered with debris, broken trees and overturned vehicles, are navigating through difficult conditions in hopes of finding survivors.
Authorities have not confirmed the total number of people missing beyond the children at the camp. As the hours pass, hopes fade. Texas officials have urged people to pray for the missing and for the safety of those still searching.
US President Donald Trump said that his administration is providing all possible help on the ground. “I just signed a Major Disaster Declaration for Kerr County, Texas, to ensure that our Brave First Responders immediately have the resources they need. These families are enduring an unimaginable tragedy, with many lives lost, and many still missing. The Trump Administration continues to work closely with State and Local Leaders,” he posted on Truth Social.
Officials said more than 850 people had been rescued, including some who were clinging to trees, after a sudden storm dumped up to 15 inches of rain in an area around the Guadalupe River, about 85 miles (137 km) northwest of San Antonio.
The disaster unfolded rapidly on Friday morning as heavier-than-forecast rain drove river waters rapidly to as high as 29 feet. “We know that the rivers rise, but nobody saw this coming,” said Kerr County Judge Rob Kelly, the top local official in the region. Kerr County Sheriff Larry Leitha said eight of the confirmed dead, including three children, had yet to be identified.
PM Modi condoles loss of life in Texas flood
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed deep sorrow over the loss of lives, particularly of children, in the devastating floods in Texas and extended his condolences to the US government.
In a post on X on Saturday evening, PM Modi said:“Deeply saddened to learn about the loss of lives, especially children, in the devastating floods in Texas. Our condolences to the US Government and the bereaved families.”
Trees fall amid torrential rain
Tonia Fucci, a Pennsylvania resident visiting her grandmother for Independence Day weekend, woke to torrential rain and unsettling cracking sounds on Friday morning. “It was coming down in buckets,” she said. The loud, startling noises turned out to be massive cypress trees collapsing along the river. Speaking to Reuters, Fucci described the experience as “indescribable,” highlighting the power of the storm that hit the area unexpectedly and intensely.
The US National Weather Service said the flash flood emergency has largely ended for Kerr County, following thunderstorms that dumped more than a foot of rain. That is half of the total the region sees in a typical year. A flood watch remained in effect until 7 p.m. for the broader region. Kerr County sits in the Texas Hill Country, a rural area known for rugged terrain, historic towns and tourist attractions.
Earlier on Saturday, Trump said he and his wife Melania were praying for the victims. “Our Brave First Responders are on site doing what they do best,” he said on social media. Trump has previously outlined plans to scale back the federal government’s role in responding to natural disasters, leaving states to shoulder more of the burden themselves. Videos posted online showed bare concrete platforms where homes used to stand and piles of rubble along the banks of the river. Rescuers plucked residents from rooftops and trees, sometimes forming human chains to fetch people from the floodwater, local media reported. Local officials said the extreme flooding struck before dawn on Friday with little or no warning, precluding authorities from issuing advance evacuation orders as the Guadalupe River swiftly rose above major flood stage in less than two hours.
Noem said a “moderate” flood watch issued the previous day by the National Weather Service did not accurately predict the extreme rainfall and said the Trump administration was working to upgrade the system. The administration has cut thousands of jobs from the National Weather Service’s parent agency, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, leaving many weather offices understaffed, said former NOAA director Rick Spinrad.
He said he did not know if those staff cuts factored into the lack of advance warning for the extreme Texas flooding, but said they would inevitably degrade the agency’s ability to deliver accurate and timely forecasts. “People’s ability to prepare for these storms will be compromised. It undoubtedly means that additional lives will be lost and probably more property damage,” he said.
