KERR COUNTY, Texas – At least 43 people have died and 27 girls from Camp Mystic are still missing due to flooding along the Guadalupe River in the Texas Hill Country on the Fourth of July.
In a Saturday evening news conference, Kerr County Sheriff Larry Leitha said that those who died, 15 are children. Twelve adults and five children have not been identified.
It’s unclear where all the deaths occurred. During a Friday night update, Leitha had said one person died in Kendall County. Travis County officials on Saturday said two people died in flash flooding there.
READ ALSO: Flash flooding and torrential rain in Seguin, New Braunfels, northeast Bexar County
On Saturday evening, Kerr County officials said they will provide additional updates at 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. on Sunday.
KSAT will livestream Sunday’s conferences on KSAT+.
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The City of Kerrville is conducting aerial and ground operations about a 100-meter distance on both sides of the Guadalupe River from one mile north of Camp Mystic through Hunt and Ingram,” Kerrville City Manager Dalton Rice said Saturday evening.
“We’re in a marathon and we got to make sure we always think about that and look after each other,” Rice said.
Rice said the city will likely operate from well water for approximately four weeks. Efforts are underway to address leaks and water quality with state agencies.
Residents are urged to avoid flooding areas.
Gov. Greg Abbott said Saturday, “We will be relentless in going after and being sure we locate every single person who’s been a victim of this flooding event.”
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On Saturday morning, Rice said scores of rescuers are searching for 27 campers from the girls-only Camp Mystic, located west of Kerrville in Kerr County.
As for the full scope of missing people throughout the area, Rice said, “We do not have an accurate count, and we don’t even want to begin to estimate at this time.”
Rice said they will not release the names of the missing to protect the privacy of their families.
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He said searchers have been using helicopters, boats and drones to look for victims. The majority of rescues include stranded people in trees and victims from camps, which were isolated by washed-out roads.
Rice said there are a lot of camps that have been accounted for but are isolated due to road damage.
More than 850 people have been rescued so far, Leitha said Saturday morning.
“These numbers are changing rapidly,” Leitha said. “We’re working hard to locate anyone who is still missing and to ensure they’re safe.”
Texas Division of Emergency Management Chief Nim Kidd said Saturday that 1,331 additional state personnel are responding along with local responders and more than 900 state assets, including:
- 125 personnel from TDEM
- 172 from Urban Search and Rescue Team at Texas Task Force 1
- 160 from Texas Department of Public Safety
- More than 250 from the Texas Department of Transportation
- 170 from Texas Parks and Wildlife Department
- Military Department 136
- 115 from Texas A&M Forest Service
- Nearly 190 for health and medical purposes
Leitha stressed that anyone who wants to report a missing person can either call a call center at 830-258-1111 or email floodrecovery@co.Kerr.tx.us.
“The number one priority now is people,” Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem said Saturday. “Making sure we’re finding people as fast as possible and returning them to their families.”
Bexar, Guadalupe counties included in expanded disaster declaration
On Saturday afternoon, Abbott expanded his disaster declaration to include the following counties:
- Burnet
- Guadalupe
- Travis
- Caldwell
- Williamson
Abbott had previously signed a disaster declaration for the following counties during Friday’s news conference: Bandera, Coke, Comal, Concho, Gillespie, Kendall, Kerr, Kimble, Llano, Mason, McCulloch, Menard, Reeves, San Saba and Tom Green.
What we know
Video captured by KSAT cameras, residents and campers showed a swollen Guadalupe River carrying debris, cars and even houses and cabins downstream, as the area received more than 10 inches of rain.
Radar estimates show that more rural places may have received up to 13 inches of rain, according to KSAT meteorologists.
The flooding event has drawn comparisons to the July 1987 flood on the Guadalupe River in Comfort, which, to date, resulted in one of the Hill Country’s worst tragedies.
During Friday’s news conference, Abbott said, “This is a time when we as a state, we as a community, need God more than ever.”
The governor said he had a meeting with authorities at the state and local levels. He said there’s an “extraordinary” level of collaboration to address everybody’s concerns as quickly as possible.
The coordinated efforts of state and local agencies continue as officials work to bring relief and support to those affected by the disaster.
‘Horrible tragedy’: Trump releases statement
President Donald Trump said Saturday that Noem was traveling to Texas and his administration was working with officials on the ground.
“Melania and I are praying for all of the families impacted by this horrible tragedy,” Trump said in a statement on his social media network, Truth Social.
“Our Brave First Responders are on site doing what they do best. GOD BLESS THE FAMILIES, AND GOD BLESS TEXAS!”
— Karoline Leavitt (@PressSec)
Campers reported missing
KSAT reported Friday morning that campers at the girls-only Camp Mystic in Kerr County had to be evacuated as the river rose.
An email from Camp Mystic to parents, which was obtained by KSAT, states that parents of campers who have not been accounted for have been notified.
The email states that campers at Cypress Lake and Senior Hill have been accounted for.
“If your daughter is not accounted for you have been notified,” the email states. “If you have not been personally contacted, then your daughter is accounted for.”
The highway was washed away, the email states.
Kelly said he didn’t have information on specific camps. Parents with questions should contact their camp directly, he said.
“We have a lot of camps,” Kelly said. ”What I do know is that everybody is doing their very best and trying to identify as much as we can.”
County judge: Warning system not in place
In a news conference Friday, Kerr County Judge Rob Kelly said Kerr County does not have a warning system on the river.
When pressed by a reporter on why evacuations didn’t take place Thursday evening, Kelly said, “We didn’t know this flood was coming.”
“Rest assured, no one knew this kind of flood was coming,” he said. “We have floods all the time. This is the most dangerous river valley in the United States, and we deal with floods on a regular basis. When it rains, we get water. We had no reason to believe that this was going to be anything like what’s happened here, none whatsoever.”
The flash flood watch was issued for Kerr County at 1:45 p.m. Thursday. The first flood warning was issued at 1 a.m. Friday.
In a Friday news conference, Patrick said Jay Hall, an assistant chief with the Texas Department of Emergency Management, “personally contacted the judges and the mayors in that area and notified them all of potential flooding.”
“It is up to the local counties and mayors under the law to evacuate if they feel a need, but that information was passed along,” he added.
WATCH: KSAT’s Sarah Spivey explains the Guadalupe River’s crest over Friday and Saturday
10+ inches of rain
Between 10 and 12 inches of rain fell in the Kerr County area overnight, resulting in major flooding along the Guadalupe River. Click here for the latest forecast.
Rain gauges have recorded over 10 inches of rain in Ingram, but radar estimates suggest up to 13 inches in more rural areas.
Local authorities are working with other county and state agencies to respond to rescues.
“The entire county is an extremely active scene,” the sheriff’s office wrote on Facebook.
Residents in the area are urged to shelter in place and not travel. People living near creeks, streams and the Guadalupe River should move to higher ground.
KCSO spokesperson Clint Morris told KSAT it is “an extremely active scene, countywide.”
“This may be a once-in-a-lifetime flood” for the county, he said, adding that they’ve responded to multiple calls for high-water rescues. People should avoid traveling west of Ingram near the Guadalupe River.
Comparisons to the 1987 flood
On the night of July 16, 1987, just outside Comfort, the kids at Pot O’ Gold Christian Camp were settling in for their final night of the retreat, while 30 miles up the Guadalupe River, at the other end of Kerr County, heavy rainfall would turn what had been a sleepy river into a wall of water.
While trying to evacuate the camp, a bus carrying 43 campers never made it across. Sadly, 10 of those on the bus drowned.
In Friday’s news conference, Kelly said the Friday flood “far surpasses the ‘87 flood.”
Gov. Greg Abbott issues statement
Abbott issued the following statement on Friday in response to the deadly flooding.
“Texas is providing all necessary resources to Kerrville, Ingram, Hunt and the entire Texas Hill Country dealing with these devastating floods,” Abbott said in an email. “The State of Texas today has mobilized additional resources in addition to the resources sent in preparation for the storms. I urge Texans to heed guidance from state and local officials and monitor local forecasts to avoid driving into flooded areas.”
His office said the following state emergency response resources are available to support the local flood response:
- Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service (Texas A&M Task Force 1 and Texas A&M Task Force 3): Swiftwater Rescue Boat Squads to assist with flood rescues
- Texas Parks and Wildlife Department: Game Wardens, rescue boat teams, and helicopters with hoist capability to assist with flood rescues
- Texas Department of Public Safety: Helicopters with hoist capabilities, Texas Highway Patrol Troopers, and the Tactical Marine Unit
- Texas National Guard: High profile vehicles to aid stranded motorists, Blackhawk helicopters with hoist capability to assist with flood rescues
- Texas Department of Transportation: Personnel monitoring road conditions
- Texas A&M Forest Service: Saw Crews to assist with clearing of roadways
- Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service: Disaster Assessment and Recovery Agents as well as County Extension Agents to support agricultural and livestock needs
- Public Utility Commission of Texas: Power outage monitoring and coordination with utility providers
- Railroad Commission of Texas: Monitoring of the state’s natural gas supply and communication with the oil and gas industry
- Texas Commission on Environmental Quality: Air/water/wastewater monitoring
- Texas Department of State Health Services (Texas Emergency Medical Task Force): Severe Weather Support Packages consisting of medics, ambulances, and all-terrain vehicles
The San Antonio Fire Department and Bexar County Emergency Services Districts have also deployed personnel and equipment to help with the response.
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