27 Girls Missing After Texas Camp Flood, 43 Dead in Kerr County

Kerrville, Texas: What began as a cherished summer tradition has turned into a nightmare for dozens of families. At least 27 young girls remain missing after flash floods devastated Camp Mystic, a historic riverside Christian camp in Hunt, Texas.

The flood, triggered by nearly a foot of rain that fell rapidly on Friday, claimed at least 43 lives in Kerr County, including 15 children. Eight additional deaths were reported in nearby counties. The Guadalupe River, usually a serene backdrop to summer camp memories, rose to 26 feet in under an hour, submerging flood gauges and sweeping away everything in its path.

State officials confirmed that 741 people had been rescued so far, but many remain unaccounted for. Among the confirmed dead are an 8- year-old girl from Alabama attending the camp, and the director of another camp nearby. Texas Governor Greg Abbott visited the scene with rescue teams on Saturday, assuring families that authorities will continue searching tirelessly for the missing. The National Weather Service warned that flood conditions could persist through Saturday night.

Camp Mystic, founded in 1926, is woven into the fabric of countless families, with some enrolling their daughters years in advance. Photos from before the flood show smiling girls riding horses, dancing, fishing, and playing games under the shade of towering oak and cypress trees. But those joyful scenes have been replaced by devastation, cabins ripped apart, a pickup truck lodged high in a tree, belongings scattered among twisted metal and broken limbs. One cabin stands with a wall missing, exposing an empty room except for a Texas flag and a few pictures still clinging to the far wall.

Survivors described terrifying scenes. Elinor Lester, 13, was housed on Senior Hill, an elevated part of the camp. She woke around 1:30 am to pounding rain and thunder. By afternoon, she and her cabinmates were evacuated by helicopter after wading through knee-high floodwaters. Her mother, Elizabeth Lester, said her son, at a nearby boys’ camp, also narrowly escaped. A counsellor there helped the boys swim to safety after water flooded their cabin. Elizabeth wept as she reunited with her daughter, who was clutching a small teddy bear and a book. "My kids are safe," she said, "but knowing others are still missing is just eating me alive."

The lower cabins along the river, where younger girls slept, were the first to flood. Emergency responders used ropes to guide girls across submerged bridges as they evacuated the site. Former Camp Mystic counselor Chloe Crane broke down in tears upon hearing the news. “Mystic is such a special place,” she said. “I just couldn't imagine the terror. And it’s just heartbreaking, the camp has been there forever, and now parts of it are gone.”

Dozens of families reported in local Facebook groups that they received devastating calls from officials confirming their daughters were still unaccounted for. Camp Mystic emailed parents of its roughly 750 campers to say that if they had not been contacted directly, their children were safe. Still, the silence for many has been unbearable.

State and county officials have faced growing questions about the lack of emergency alerts. The National Weather Service had issued a flood warning on Thursday, followed by several flash flood alerts early Friday. The agency expected 3 to 6 inches of rain, but instead, 10 inches fell in the area northwest of San Antonio. Kerr County officials admitted they have no formal warning system, and it remains unclear what evacuation procedures Camp Mystic had in place.

This tragedy echoes a similar flood in 1987, when 10 teenage campers from the Pot O’ Gold Christian camp drowned after their bus was trapped near Comfort, Texas, just 33 miles east of Hunt. The memory of that event has resurfaced with painful relevance.

Pope Leo XIV, history’s first American pope, offered prayers and condolences during his Sunday blessing, speaking in English: “I extend my deepest condolences to all the families who have lost loved ones, especially their daughters at summer camp.”

As the water recedes, what remains is a landscape of destruction and grief. Camp Mystic, once a place of joy, growth, and belonging, now stands as the scene of an unspeakable tragedy.