Kerrville, July 07, 2025 – The Europe Today: At least 82 people have lost their lives and dozens remain missing following catastrophic flash floods that devastated central Texas, including a tragic sweep through Camp Mystic, a historic all-girls summer camp near Kerrville. Families, first responders, and volunteers continue to search the waterlogged wreckage for survivors amid ongoing weather threats and rising questions over preparedness.
The floods, triggered by torrential rains early Friday, rapidly overwhelmed rivers and low-lying areas, washing away homes, vehicles, and entire buildings. In Kerr County alone, 68 bodies have been recovered, including 28 children, according to Sheriff Larry Leitha. Ten additional fatalities were confirmed in Travis, Burnet, Kendall, Tom Green, and Williamson counties.
Camp Mystic, located along the Guadalupe River in the Texas Hill Country, bore the brunt of the destruction. Ten young campers and a counselor remain unaccounted for. Families were allowed to return to the site on Sunday to identify belongings and search the grounds. Scenes of grief and devastation played out as parents, many in rubber waders, sifted through soaked debris, storage trunks, and splintered cabins.
Governor Greg Abbott, speaking in Austin, confirmed that 41 individuals were still officially unaccounted for statewide, and warned the figure could rise. He also declared Sunday a statewide day of prayer, urging Texans to unite in remembrance and support.
“This is a tragedy beyond words. I urge every Texan to join me in prayer this Sunday — for the lives lost, for those still missing, and for the safety of those on the front lines,” the governor said in a statement.
The rapid surge of the Guadalupe River — which rose 26 feet in just 45 minutes — caught many off-guard despite warnings. Survivors recounted harrowing stories of clinging to trees, rushing to attics, and forming human chains as waters engulfed camps and homes in the dead of night.
Across the region, more than 850 people have been rescued by air and boat in the first 36 hours, using helicopters, drones, and specialized teams. Crews continue combing riverbanks and ravines clogged with fallen trees, debris, and dangerous wildlife including water moccasins.
Federal assistance has been activated after President Donald Trump signed a major disaster declaration for Kerr County on Sunday, authorizing support from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Trump, speaking from Air Force One en route to Washington, said he plans to visit the region on Friday.
“It’s a horrible thing that took place — absolutely horrible,” the president said. “I would have gone today, but we’d just be in their way.”
At the Vatican, Pope Leo XIV offered condolences during his Sunday address in Rome. “I express sincere condolences to all the families who have lost loved ones, in particular their daughters who were in summer camp, in the disaster caused by the flooding of the Guadalupe River in Texas,” said the pontiff, delivering a rare English-language blessing.
The disaster struck an area known locally as “flash flood alley,” where the landscape and seasonal storms can combine to deadly effect. Authorities had issued weather advisories and flash flood warnings as early as Thursday, but officials admitted they did not anticipate the scale or speed of the deluge.
City Manager Dalton Rice said the entire emergency response will be reviewed, including the effectiveness of warning systems and evacuation measures. Some camps, including Mo-Ranch and Camps Rio Vista and Sierra Vista, had relocated campers to higher ground before the storm’s full force.
Among the confirmed dead are an 8-year-old girl from Alabama, the director of a nearby youth camp, and two school-age sisters from Dallas who were swept away when their cabin was destroyed. Their parents survived in a separate structure, while the girls’ grandparents remain missing.
As heavy rain continues and flash flood watches remain in effect through Tuesday, officials are bracing for further challenges. Despite the danger, some families and volunteers continue searching independently — a move discouraged by authorities due to safety concerns.
President Trump, when asked about plans to overhaul or dismantle FEMA — a position he had previously voiced — deferred the issue. “We can talk about that later. Right now we are busy working,” he said. He also declined to commit to rehiring federal meteorologists who were laid off earlier this year, remarking, “Nobody expected this. Nobody saw it.”
As the waters recede, Texas faces the grim task of accounting for the missing, recovering the lost, and rebuilding devastated communities — all under the threat of more storms in the days ahead.
