The death toll from catastrophic flash flooding in Central Texas has climbed to 24, with up to 25 girls still missing from Camp Mystic, a summer holiday camp in Kerr County.
Authorities provided the latest update during a press briefing late Friday, describing the event as an “extraordinary catastrophe.” Over 237 people have been rescued or evacuated, and operations are continuing non-stop through the night as rainfall persists across the region.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott signed an emergency declaration to mobilize rescue resources statewide. “Every available asset is being deployed. The mission is to save lives,” he said.
U.S. President Donald Trump described the floods as “shocking” and “terrible”, expressing condolences and offering federal support.
The most alarming development centers around Camp Mystic, where authorities say between 23 and 25 girls remain unaccounted for. The camp, located near the fast-rising Guadalupe River, was caught off guard as floodwaters surged suddenly.
A separate fatality in nearby Kendall County is under investigation but has not yet been linked to the floods.
Officials addressed growing questions about the lack of evacuation orders. “The forecasts didn’t predict the volume of rain we received,” one emergency spokesperson explained, while another warned that ordering evacuations prematurely might have caused “chaos” and worsened the situation.
The tragedy unfolded during the Fourth of July holiday, forcing the cancellation of public events across Central Texas. Even where celebrations continued, they were muted by grief and anxiety as search teams fanned out across riverside areas.
Meteorologists have warned that more rain is expected through Sunday, further complicating search operations.
The full scale of the disaster remains uncertain, but as night falls, the focus remains on locating the missing and preventing further loss of life in what has become one of Texas’s most harrowing weather disasters in recent memory.
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