As Americans celebrated Independence Day, tragedy struck South-Central Texas as severe flash flooding devastated the Hill Country region. The flood left at least 24 dead and many more missing, including at least 23 young girls from Camp Mystic, a Christian summer camp along the Guadalupe River in Hunt, Texas.
Overnight storms ushered nearly a foot of rain, far surpassing forecasts. In just 45 minutes, the Guadalupe River surged to 26 feet, overwhelming its flood gauge and sweeping through low-lying areas.
Camp Mystic, which houses about 750 campers aged 8 and up, was hit especially hard. Older girls on Senior Hill were evacuated first, while younger campers in riverside cabins were directly in the flood’s path. Thirteen-year-old Elinor Lester described waking up to thunder at 1:30 a.m., later walking through calf-deep floodwaters holding onto a rope to cross a bridge.
“The camp was completely destroyed,” Lester said. “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.”
Rescue teams have saved 237 people so far. Parents flooded social media and local Facebook groups, desperately searching for updates. “My kids are safe, but knowing others are still missing is just eating me alive,” said Elizabeth Lester, Eleanor's mother.
Unfortunately, at least 23 t0 25 girls from the camp are unaccounted for. Officials have not commented on how many people are missing across the region, but they did confirm that a massive search is underway.
The National Weather Service had warned of 3 to 6 inches of rain. Instead, parts of the region saw up to 10 inches. In the flood-prone “flash flood alley,” history tragically repeated itself, echoing the 1987 drowning of 10 campers nearby.
“I’m asking the people of Texas, do some serious praying,” Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick (R) commented. “On-your-knees kind of praying that we find these young girls.”
