On a celebratory holiday like Independence Day, there’s an awful tragedy unfolding in the Hill Country of Texas, in the center of the state, according to multiple sources, with flooding forcing citizens to higher ground amid reports of up to 13 dead. There is also a girls’ summer camp in peril, in Hunt, a suburb of San Antonio, as 23 girls are reportedly missing in the deluge.
via the Texas Tribune:
Officials said as many as 13 bodies have been found and 23 girls from Camp Mystic, a private Christian girls’ camp, have not been accounted for after a catastrophic flood that swept through Kerr County overnight Friday morning.
…
As much as 10 inches of heavy rain fell in just a few hours overnight in central Kerr County, causing flash flooding of the Guadalupe River. [Texas Lt. Gov. Dan] Patrick said the river, which winds through Kerr County in Central Texas, rose 26 feet in 45 minutes during torrential rains overnight.
“It’s going to be a mass casualty event,” said Freeman Martin, the director of the Texas Department of Public Safety.
The report continued with remarks from a Friday press conference with state officials, including Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who confirmed that of the 13 known dead, up to 10 of their bodies have been recovered:
Patrick said the dead include adults and children, and some were found in cars “that were washed out upstream.” He said officials aren’t sure whether any of the bodies were children from Camp Mystic, and stressed that the campers are only considered missing at this point.
“We will do anything humanly possible to find your daughter,” Patrick said, adding that search and rescue teams are looking for survivors, along with 14 state helicopters, 12 drones and 400 to 500 people on the ground helping with the search. He added that if parents haven’t been personally contacted by the camp, they can assume their daughters have been accounted for.
Rain is still coming down over the Hill Country while our first responders continue to rescue folks in Kerr County.
We are so appreciative of the men and women who risk their lives to help others. pic.twitter.com/9InWAgETvt
— Texas General Land Office (@TXGLO) July 5, 2025
A separate presser held at the same time as Patrick’s included Kerr County Sheriff Larry Leitha; he is the authority who reported that 13 are dead. Judge Rob Kelly, the chief elected official in Kerr County, also spoke:
When asked about the suddenness of the flash flooding overnight, Kelly said “we do not have a warning system” and that “we didn’t know this flood was coming,” even as local reporters pointed to the warnings and pushed him for answers about why more precautions weren’t taken.
“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.”
Kelly asserted that identifying those recovered from the floods is proving to be a challenge:
“Most of them, we don’t know who they are,” Kelly said during a news conference. “One of them was completely naked, he didn’t have any ID on him at all. We’re trying to get the identity of these folks, but we don’t have it yet.”
Officials conducted dozens of rescues, and the emergency response continued as an unknown number or people remained unaccounted for, Kelly said.
The state’s governor, Greg Abbott, released a statement, assuring Texans that all state resources are available to come to the aid of Hill Country citizens right now. He continued:
I urge Texans to heed guidance from state and local officials and monitor local forecasts to avoid driving into flooded areas.
Journalist Lara Logan is on the ground reporting:
Devastating floods here in the Texas Hill Country where it poured w rain all night & still no let up. At least six officially confirmed dead w law enforcement indicating number expected to rise. Rescue ops ongoing.We’re safe for now in Fredericksburg – thank you for your prayers. pic.twitter.com/OhJTAt7CiE
— Lara Logan (@laralogan) July 4, 2025
This is gut-wrenching stuff:
Texas Hill Country Flooding.
Missing.
Please share. pic.twitter.com/IwuadjvszR— Kelly (@kellytx2) July 4, 2025
This mom is sharing her family’s phone number, too:
The mother of Eloise Peck confirms to @NBCDFW that her daughter and other camper Lila Bonner are missing from Camp Mystic after deadly flooding hit Kerrville overnight.
The families’ numbers are below for anyone with information.https://t.co/GaxtDt4KVA pic.twitter.com/iw2NtWzuj1
— Keenan Willard (@KeenanNBC5) July 4, 2025
Prayers at this hour for everyone involved in the search-and-rescue efforts, and for the families of those either missing or lost in the tragedy. This is a developing story. RedState will provide updates as more information becomes available.
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