Kerrville: Texas floods have killed at least 24 people over the July 4 weekend in the Hill Country region, sweeping away cabins and vehicles and leaving many missing, including dozens of children from a Christian summer camp.
The disaster unfolded with shocking speed as the Guadalupe River surged by 26 feet (7.9 metre) in under an hour, catching local communities off guard. The flash floods washed away mobile homes, cabins and vehicles, cutting off roads and knocking out communication lines across several counties now under a state of emergency.
Among the worst-hit areas is Camp Mystic, near Kerrville, where around 750 girls were staying when the Texas floods struck. Rescue teams are urgently searching for up to 25 children still unaccounted for.
Acting Governor Dan Patrick Statement on Hill Country and Concho Valley Flooding:#txlege pic.twitter.com/3lxF93juvB
— Office of the Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick (@LtGovTX) July 4, 2025
Texas Lieutenant Governor, Dan Patrick noted that, “Within 45 minutes, the Guadalupe River rose 26 feet and it was a destructive flood, taking property and sadly lives.”
The camp remains without power, water or Wi-Fi as officials work to clear blocked highways and deliver additional assistance. Helicopters, drones and boats are sweeping the flooded zones, while the White House has pledged federal support to aid state and local rescue teams. President Donald Trump called the Texas floods ‘shocking’ and ‘terrible’.
Judge Rob Kelly, Kerr County’s top official, explained that the region does not have a flood warning system in place and stressed that there was no advance indication of such a sudden disaster. The floods have drawn comparisons with the 1987 tragedy when 10 teenagers died during a church camp bus accident near Comfort, south of the current impact zone.
Parents are being reassured that missing children may simply be out of contact due to downed phone lines and washed-out roads. Officials have declared disaster zones in both the Hill Country and Concho Valley regions as the search continues overnight. Communities are bracing for further risks as rain and unstable river levels pose additional threats.
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