As the nation celebrated Independence Day, a catastrophic flood swept through the Texas Hill Country, leaving at least 24 people dead and dozens more unaccounted for — including as many as 25 girls from Camp Mystic, a private Christian summer camp near the Guadalupe River.
Officials described the event as a “mass casualty incident,” with rescues continuing Friday night across Kerr County. Flash floods escalated rapidly before dawn, and the Guadalupe River surged more than 25 feet in under an hour, according to emergency officials.
“Between 23 and 25 campers are still missing,” said Sheriff Larry Leitha at a press conference alongside Gov. Greg Abbott, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, and other state leaders.
Patrick, acting as governor while Abbott was away, said there had not been “a drop of rain until the tragedy struck” and noted the river rose about 26 feet in 45 minutes.
“If they are alive and safe, we will find them and bring them home to you,” Patrick told parents of campers during a midday news conference.
Flash Flood Warnings Escalated Hour by Hour
The National Weather Service began issuing alerts in the early morning hours as the situation worsened rapidly across the Hill Country.
At 2:37 a.m., the agency posted that a Flood Watch had been extended through the morning due to ongoing rainfall.
By 3:06 a.m., they confirmed a “very dangerous flash flooding event” in south-central Kerr County and northwest Bandera County, with 3–7 inches of rain already fallen and more expected. “Turn Around, Don’t Drown,” the agency warned.
At 6:32 a.m., the situation escalated further as the NWS issued a Flash Flood Emergency for Kerr County, including Hunt and Ingram — the area where Camp Mystic is located — stating that “extremely dangerous flooding is occurring.”
Rescue and Reunification
More than 237 people were evacuated, including 167 by helicopter, according to Maj. Gen. Thomas Suelzer, adjutant general for the state of Texas. Col. Freeman Martin of the Department of Public Safety said over 100 troopers were deployed alongside rescue divers, high-water vehicles, and seven helicopters.
In Ingram, yellow school buses and military trucks brought children to a reunification center. One father, Nicholas Miller, shared his relief in a post on X:
The camp, which had roughly 750 children onsite, was reportedly left without power, water, or Wi-Fi. A statement read aloud by Patrick during a briefing said, “The highway has washed away, so we are struggling to get more help.”
State and Federal Response
Gov. Greg Abbott signed a disaster declaration Friday night covering 15 counties, including Kerr, Bandera, Comal, and Kendall.
“We will stop at nothing to ensure that every asset and person and plane, whatever is needed, is going to be involved in the process of rescuing every last person,” Abbott said at the news conference.
Speaking later from Air Force One, President Donald Trump called the disaster a “terrible thing.”
“It looks like some young people have died,” Trump said. “We’ll take care of them. We’re working with the governor.”
The Texas Division of Emergency Management (TDEM) confirmed that it had activated the State Emergency Operations Center and deployed additional support personnel to Hill Country communities. Officials urged residents to report damage using the iSTAT tool, check road conditions via DriveTexas.org, and call 2-1-1 if shelter is needed.
Roads remained unstable late Friday, and search crews continued working through the night with support from state and federal agencies already on the ground. Hundreds of personnel from state and federal agencies remain on the ground.
This is a developing story. The Dallas Express will continue to provide verified updates as new information is released.