Officials: At least 27 people are dead in Texas floods as search continues for missing

KERRVILLE, Texas (AP) — Scores of rescuers were searching Saturday for children from a girls’ camp and many others who were still missing after a wall of water rushed down a river in the Texas Hill Country during a powerful storm that killed at least 27 people, officials said.

Among the dead were nine children.

The destructive fast-moving waters along the Guadalupe River rose 26 feet (8 meters) in just 45 minutes before dawn Friday, washing away homes and vehicles.

The danger was not over as more heavy rains were expected Saturday and flash flood warnings and watches remained in effect for parts of central Texas.

Some 27 people were missing from Camp Mystic, Dalton Rice, city manager, said at a press conference Saturday.

An unknown number of people at other locations were still unaccounted for.

“People need to know today will be a hard day,” said Kerrville Mayor Joe Herring, Jr.

Searchers used helicopters, boats and drones to look for victims and to rescue stranded people.

The total number of missing was not known but one sheriff said about 24 of them were girls who had been attending Camp Mystic, a Christian summer camp along the river.

Frantic parents and families posted photos of missing loved ones and pleas for information.

“The camp was completely destroyed,” said Elinor Lester, 13, one of hundreds of campers at Camp Mystic. “A helicopter landed and started taking people away. It was really scary.”

A raging storm woke up her cabin just after midnight Friday, and when rescuers arrived, they tied a rope for the girls to hold as they walked across a bridge with floodwaters whipping around their legs, she said.

Kerr County Sheriff Larry Leitha said 27 were confirmed dead, including nine children. Authorities said about 850 people had been rescued.

The flooding in the middle of the night on the Fourth of July holiday caught many residents, campers and officials by surprise.

The Texas Hill Country, which sits northwest of San Antonio, is a popular destination for camping and swimming, especially around the summertime holiday.

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