At least 43 people, including 15 children, have died in catastrophic flash floods that ravaged central Texas, officials confirmed Saturday, as rescue teams combed debris-choked rivers and devastated communities for dozens still missing. The toll is expected to climb as authorities expand searches beyond the hardest-hit Kerr County region.
The disaster struck Friday when a sudden storm deluged the Texas Hill Country with up to 15 inches (38 cm) of rainโhalf the areaโs annual averageโsending the Guadalupe River surging to 29 feet (9 meters). Over 850 people were rescued from rooftops and trees, some by helicopter, while emergency crews formed human chains to pull survivors from raging waters.
Summer Camp Tragedy
Among the missing are 27 girls from Camp Mystic, a historic Christian summer camp that housed 700 children when floodwaters tore through its riverside grounds. A Reuters team documented cabins gutted by mudlines six feet high, with mattresses and personal belongings scattered in the sludge. Nearby, Heart Oโ the Hills camp reported its co-owner Jane Ragsdale perished in the flood.
โWe know the rivers rise, but nobody saw this coming,โ said Kerr County Judge Rob Kelly, noting 17 victimsโincluding five childrenโremain unidentified. Sheriff Larry Leitha described scenes of โcomplete devastation,โ with 60-foot trees uprooted and cars with shattered windshields abandoned along riverbanks.
Systemic Failures Under Scrutiny
Criticism mounted over disaster preparedness after a National Weather Service โmoderateโ flood watch issued Thursday failed to predict the historic rainfall. Former NOAA director Rick Spinrad linked staffing cuts under the Trump administration to degraded forecasting capacity, warning: โUndoubtedly, additional lives will be lost.โ
President Trump pledged federal aid after Texas Governor Greg Abbott requested a disaster declaration, though his administrationโs policies have shifted more disaster response burdens to states. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem acknowledged forecasting gaps but defended the federal response.
Community in Shock
โIโm still in shock today,โ said Tonia Fucci, 52, visiting family in Comfort, where floodwaters swept away homesโleaving only concrete slabs. Online videos showed rescuers plucking
