Horrific flash flood in the Central Texas near the Kerr County claimed at least 24 lives leaving hundreds of people displaced. Around 25 children on summer holiday Camp Mystic went missing on Friday night. Sudden heavy rainfall caused Guadalupe river rise to 20-26 feet in just 45 minutes.
A massive rescue operation has been launched by the Homeland Security. 237 people have been rescued by the search teams. 14 helicopters, 12 drones and multiple boats have been deployed for the emergency operation.
Texas governor, Greg Abbott, called the floods “extraordinary catastrophe” and declared emergency which will enable the rescue mission to use all important resources.
Air rescue missions like this are being done around the clock.
— Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) July 4, 2025
We will not stop until everyone is accounted for. pic.twitter.com/tqwTr1RkEi
Abbott posted a video of the air rescue operations being conducted. He said, “Air rescue missions like this are being done around the clock. We will not stop until everyone is accounted for.”
Secretary Kristi Noem said that government is taking all the measures to secure the safety of Americans affected by the floods.
I have been working throughout the day with Kerr County leaders, state emergency management and @GregAbbott_TX to get every resource possible to those affected by the flooding. I have activated @USCG @fema resources to help those affected and bring Americans in crisis to safety.…
— Secretary Kristi Noem (@Sec_Noem) July 4, 2025
She said, “I have been working throughout the day with Kerr County leaders, state emergency management and to get every resource possible to those affected by the flooding. I have activated @USCG @fema resources to help those affected and bring Americans in crisis to safety. Pray for Texas.”
Independent journalist Nick Sortor has been covering the Texas flash floods posting important updates and videos.
🚨 BREAKING: HUNDREDS of National Guard troops are being deployed to assist with Search and Rescue operations in Central Texas amid catastrophic flooding
— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) July 5, 2025
MANY roads are impassable.
Rescue helicopters are having a tough time flying due to continued inclement weather.
PRAY.… pic.twitter.com/66fSGgNnTw
Sortor said that hundreds of National Guard troops were deployed in the search and rescue operations in Central Texas in the midst of ‘catastrophic flooding’.
According to Sortor, roads have become impossible to travel and the rescue helicopters were having a difficult time because of the bad weather.
As per reports, 10-15 inches of heavy rainfall caused the floods which was more than the original estimation of 8 inches (20cm) of rain. It was unprecedented and not predicted before. Months of rainfall fell at once.
Chief of the Texas Division of Emergency Management , Nim Kidd , said that the National Weather Service (NWS) forecast “did not predict the amount of rain that we saw.”
Kerr County judge Rob Kelly also pointed out the same thing, “We have floods all the time… We had no reason to believe that this was going to be anything like what’s happened here. None whatsoever.”
Dan Patrick, Lieutenant Governor of Texas said, “Within 45 minutes, the Guadalupe River rose 26 feet and it was a destructive flood, taking property and sadly lives.”
🚨 HORRIFYING: The number of missing in the Texas floods is currently UNKNOWN, and could dramatically increase
— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) July 5, 2025
This is an RV park near Kerrville that was filled to the brim with campers for July 4th weekend, and it’s all been swept away.
RVs are caught up in trees way down the… pic.twitter.com/oUe5ow5Mgw
As per recent reports, the exact number people of missing cannot be predicted and the numbers are predicted to increase.
Camp Mystic Tragedy
Around 700 children were camping on Friday night at the Camp Mystic when the devastating floods from the Guadalupe river hit the place. The summer camp is a a riverside Christian camp in Hunt, Texas where hundreds of children come every summer for recreational activities.
Austin Dickson, CEO of the Community Foundation of the Texas Hill Country said the the Camp Mystic is located on a strip of land known as “flash flood alley,”.
Chloe Crane, a teacher and former Camp Mystic counselor said, “To be quite honest, I cried because Mystic is such a special place, and I just couldn’t imagine the terror that I would feel as a counselor to experience that for myself and for 15 little girls that I’m taking care of,”. She received an email from a fellow teacher from the camp about the missing children.
Crane further added , “And it’s also just sadness, like the camp has been there forever and cabins literally got washed away.”
A survivor Elinor Lester, 13 who was rescued with her friends by a helicopter recalled how the storm started late night at 1.30 AM.
According to reports, Lester and her friends were at higher ground known as Senior Hill. But the cabins where the younger children aged 8 stayed were situated just alongside the riverbank.
Lester said “The camp was completely destroyed,”. She added, “It was really scary. Everyone I know personally is accounted for, but there are people missing that I know of and we don’t know where they are.”
