The Guadalupe River flooded early on Friday, July 4, as heavy rains prompted evacuations in the area. Emergency responders are frantically searching for several residents, and children from nearby summer camps are missing.
Here is to know about the floods sweeping through the Guadalupe River:
Several fatalities
Kerr County officials confirmed Friday afternoon that they found 24 bodies through their search and rescue efforts. The bodies have not yet been identified, and authorities stated further details will not be disclosed until the family members of the victims have been notified.
Officials said they expect more fatalities as search and rescue operations are still ongoing.
Missing campers
Acting Gov. Dan Patrick said more than 20 girls attending a summer camp, Camp Mystic, were unaccounted for Friday afternoon.
Camp Mystic is an all-girls summer camp located in Hunt, which had to be evacuated, along with several other nearby camps, overnight due to the flooding.
One camper reported missing is 8-year-old Hadley Hanna, her mother told The Dallas Morning News. At least two other children from Dallas-Fort Worth are also reported missing, though The News couldn’t immediately reach parents for confirmation.
Photos of the missing children are currently being shared on Facebook, with families asking for prayers and sharing numbers of those who are still looking for their child.
Patrick said officials would “do everything humanly possible” to find the missing campers.
Emergency response
State and local officials are currently coordinating search and rescue efforts. According to Patrick, 500 people were on the ground Friday afternoon from various units, with 14 helicopters and 12 drones supporting the efforts.
Freeman Martin, director of the Texas Department of Public Safety, emphasized that residents don’t need to show up at the affected zones to help or deploy drones or private helicopters. “Stay away from the area. If you can, stay home with your families,” Martin said.
At about 3 p.m., Kristi Noem, the Homeland Security Secretary, activated the U.S Coast Guard and the Federal Emergency Management Agency to help search for missing people, according to Tricia McLaughlin, assistant secretary of the Department of Homeland Security. “Pray for Texas and these beautiful young girls,” McLaughlin wrote in a post on X.
Kerr County continues to face many unknowns
Residents were urged to shelter in place as search and recovery efforts continued to ramp up as the water receded.
Additionally, some counties are receiving nearly 15 inches of rain, according to the National Weather Service. The weather service warned civilians on Friday morning that the floods were “dangerous and life-threatening” and urged people to move to higher ground.
According to the Kerrville Public Utility Board, widespread power outages affected over 2,600 customers as of 9:30 a.m.. Affected areas include Kerrville, Center Point and Hunt.
Texas is deploying all available emergency resources, including water rescue teams and sheltering centers, according to a post made by Gov. Greg Abbott on X.
“The immediate priority is saving lives,” Abbott said.
The flooding pushed the Guadalupe River to its second-highest height on record, even higher than the 1987 flood. In 1987, Kerrville received about 11 inches of rain, and 10 teenagers were killed and 33 people were injured while attempting to help churchgoers escape the river’s high waters.
