Texas Floods Kill 43; Dozens Still Missing After Storms

A search dog looks through a dumpster at Camp Mystic after deadly flooding in Kerr County, Texas, US, July 5, 2025.

At least 43 people, including 15 children, have died following devastating flash floods in central Texas, as emergency teams continue searching for dozens more who remain missing. The floods were triggered by a sudden storm that dumped up to 15 inches of rain around the Guadalupe River, northwest of San Antonio.

Rescue operations are ongoing, with over 850 people already saved—some found clinging to trees. Officials warn that the death toll is expected to rise as flooding impacted multiple counties. Four deaths were reported in Travis County, with 13 people still unaccounted for there, and another fatality was confirmed in Kendall County.

Kerrville City Manager Dalton Rice confirmed that 27 individuals remain officially missing, including 27 girls from Camp Mystic, a well-known Christian summer camp for girls. "We will not put a number on the other side because we just don’t know," Rice said.

The disaster unfolded rapidly on Friday as river levels surged to 29 feet—well above forecast levels. "We know the rivers rise, but nobody saw this coming," said Kerr County Judge Rob Kelly.

Seventeen of the confirmed dead, including five children, have not yet been identified, according to Kerr County Sheriff Larry Leitha.

The National Weather Service stated that the flash flood emergency has ended, though a flood watch remains in place for the broader region. The storm dumped more than half the region’s annual rainfall in just one day.

Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick noted that many people were in the area for Independence Day celebrations, staying in tents, trailers, or rental homes near the river. Officials have struggled to determine the exact number of visitors caught in the disaster.

At Camp Mystic, which had 700 girls in residence during the flood, buildings were left damaged and caked in mud. Inside one cabin, mud lines reached six feet high, and belongings lay scattered. Another nearby camp, Heart O' the Hills, confirmed that co-owner Jane Ragsdale died in the flood, though no campers were present.

In the nearby town of Comfort, floodwaters uprooted massive trees and swept away vehicles. Roads and bridges were left impassable or damaged. A witness described seeing cars with shattered windows abandoned near the river.

“The devastation was such that I’m still in shock,” said Tonia Fucci, a visitor from Pennsylvania. “You just know there are so many missing children and missing people. It’s not going to be a good ending.”

Online videos showed destroyed homes, concrete foundations stripped bare, and rubble along riverbanks. Rescuers retrieved people from rooftops and trees, sometimes forming human chains to pull them to safety.

President Donald Trump offered prayers for the victims and praised first responders. Texas Governor Greg Abbott has requested a federal disaster declaration to unlock emergency aid, which the federal government has pledged to approve.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said the rainfall had far exceeded forecasts and that improvements were needed in the national weather system. Experts have linked weakened forecasting capacity to recent budget and staffing cuts at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

Former NOAA director Rick Spinrad warned that such cuts would impact the agency’s ability to provide accurate and timely forecasts. “It undoubtedly means that additional lives will be lost and probably more property damage,” he said.