At least 51 people, including 15 children, have been confirmed dead after catastrophic flash floods swept through central Texas, authorities reported on Saturday. Emergency crews are still scouring the wreckage for dozens of missing individuals, including campers, tourists, and local residents.
The disaster has left a trail of devastation across the region, with rescuers navigating a chaotic scene of shattered trees, upturned vehicles, and debris-clogged floodplains. Among the missing are 27 girls from Camp Mystic, a Christian summer camp along the Guadalupe River in Kerr County, where the majority of fatalities occurred.
Officials say the river surged by 26 feet (8 metres) in under an hour early Friday morning, submerging homes and sweeping away vehicles as floodwaters tore through the area. While 43 deaths have been reported in Kerr County alone, at least eight more fatalities were recorded in neighbouring counties.
Efforts to locate survivors have continued non-stop, with teams deploying helicopters, boats, and drones to reach stranded victims and access isolated camps cut off by destroyed infrastructure. As of Saturday, torrential rains were still pounding the region outside San Antonio, prompting further flash flood warnings.
Authorities have yet to provide a full accounting of the missing, especially from Camp Mystic, as the search continues under difficult and dangerous conditions.
