Up to 10in of rain fell overnight, and fears mount for children at summer camps cut off by flood waters
At least six are dead in Texas after heavy rains produced a “catastrophic flooding event” that swept through three counties in Texas west of of the state capital, Austin, amid fears that the flood waters have inundated an area filled with children’s summer camps.
Kerr county judge Rob Kelly confirmed the fatalities on Friday, but the ages and identities of those who died are unknown at this time.
“The state of Texas is surging all available resources to respond to the devastating flooding around the Kerr county area,” said Texas’s governor, Greg Abbott, in statement on X.
“That includes water rescue teams, sheltering centers, the National Guard, the Texas Department of Public Safety. The immediate priority is saving lives,” he added.
Five to 10 inches of rain fell overnight as part of an intense, slow-moving storm across Kerr and Kendall counties. The runoff from parched land caused the Guadalupe River to crest at one of its highest ever peaks, with water levels in Kerrville rising more than 22ft in just a few hours overnight.
Of concern are more than a dozen summer camps dotted in the rural region that would now be filled with kids.
“We have a lot of camps,” Kelly told the local news outlet Kenns5. “I don’t know any specifics about any individual camps. I do know everybody is doing their very best.”
Staff at Camp Mystic, an all-girls summer camp, notified parents that all campers at Cypress Lake and Senior Hill are accounted for, adding that those whose daughters are “not accounted for” have been notified, according to the outlet.
“We are working with search and rescue currently,” the camp said in its communication. “The highway has washed away so we are struggling to get more help. Please continue to pray and send any help if you have contacts to do so.”
Two Camp Mystic directors, Britt and Catie Eastland, told the Austin Statesman that some children are not accounted for and that some cabins appear to have been flooded and possibly washed away. They also said the roads have been washed out and that they need urgent air assistance.
Authorities have urged people to exercise caution and avoid driving on water-covered roads as the extreme conditions continue. “Conditions are life-threatening! DO NOT go out onto the roads,” the National Weather Service in San Angelo urged on Friday morning. “Expect roads washed out and rapid rises on rivers and creeks.”
The sheriff’s office added that “the entire county is an extremely active scene. Residents are encouraged to shelter in place and not attempt travel. Those near creeks, streams, and the Guadalupe River should immediately move to higher ground.”
In Kerrville – the seat of Kerr county – the mayor, Joe Herring Jr, issued a disaster declaration for the city on Friday morning due to the dangerous flooding.
The rains come after a long drought in the region that has left the soil bone-dry, increasing the chances of runoff leading to flash flooding.
“Automated rain gauges indicate a large and deadly flood wave is moving down the Guadalupe River,” the National Weather Service warned.
“Flash flooding is already occurring. This is a flash flood emergency for the Guadalupe River from Center Point to Sisterdale. This is a particularly dangerous situation. Seek higher ground now!”
The rains in central Texas are expected to continue until later Friday.
Strong storms are also being blamed for at least three deaths in central New Jersey, including two men in Plainfield who died after a tree fell on to a vehicle they were traveling in during the height of the storm, according to a city Facebook post. The men were ages 79 and 25, officials said. They were not immediately publicly identified. Fourth of July celebrations were cancelled, the city said, “out of good conscience”.