Death toll in central Texas flash floods rises to 82 as sheriff says 10 campers remain missing

KERRVILLE, Texas (AP) — Families sifted through waterlogged debris Sunday and stepped inside empty cabins at Camp Mystic, an all-girls summer camp ripped apart by flash floods that washed homes off their foundations and killed at least 82 people in central Texas.

Rescuers maneuvering through challenging terrain, high waters, and snakes — including water moccasins — continued their desperate search for the missing, including 10 girls and a counselor from the camp.

For the first time since the storms began pounding Texas, Gov. Greg Abbott said there were 41 people confirmed to be unaccounted for across the state — and more could be missing.

In Kerr County, home to Camp Mystic and other youth camps in the Texas Hill Country, searchers have found the bodies of 68 people, including 28 children, Sheriff Larry Leitha said in the afternoon.

He pledged to keep searching until “everybody is found” from Friday’s flash floods.

Ten other deaths were reported in Travis, Burnet, Kendall, Tom Green, and Williamson counties, according to local officials.

The death toll is certain to rise over the next few days, said Col. Freeman Martin of the Texas Department of Public Safety.

Rescuers Battle Conditions as Danger Persists

The governor warned that additional rounds of heavy rains lasting into Tuesday could produce more life-threatening flooding, especially in areas already saturated.

As he spoke at a news conference in Austin, emergency alerts lit up mobile phones in Kerr County warning of “High confidence of river flooding,” and a loudspeaker near Camp Mystic urged people to evacuate.

Minutes later, however, authorities on the scene said there was no risk.

Families were allowed to look around the camp beginning Sunday morning.

One girl walked out of a building carrying a large bell.

A man, whose daughter was rescued from a cabin on the highest point in the camp, walked the riverbank searching clumps of trees and big rocks.

A woman and a teenage girl in rubber waders entered a cabin briefly, broke down crying, and embraced.

One family left with a blue footlocker. A teenage girl with tears running down her face looked out an open car window at the wreckage as they slowly drove away.

Search Operations Intensify

Nearby, crews operating heavy equipment pulled tree trunks and debris from the river as they searched for bodies.

With each passing hour, the chances of finding more survivors grew slimmer.

Volunteers and some families of the missing searched the riverbanks despite being asked not to.

Authorities now face growing questions about whether sufficient warnings were issued in a region known to be vulnerable to flooding and whether enough preparations were made.

Presidential Response

President Donald Trump signed a major disaster declaration Sunday for Kerr County, activating FEMA resources for Texas.

He said he would likely visit Friday:

“I would have done it today, but we’d just be in their way… It’s a horrible thing that took place, absolutely horrible.”

Trump made the remarks before boarding Air Force One after spending the weekend at his golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey.

Flood Waters Rose Rapidly

The flash floods struck before daybreak Friday, with water levels in the Guadalupe River rising 26 feet (8 meters) in just 45 minutes, washing away homes and vehicles.

Flash flood watches remained in effect on Sunday, as more rain fell in central Texas.

Search crews used helicopters, boats, and drones to search for victims and rescue people stranded in trees and isolated by washed-out roads.

Officials said more than 850 people were rescued in the first 36 hours.

Community and Global Prayers

Gov. Greg Abbott declared Sunday a day of prayer, saying:

“I urge every Texan to join me in prayer this Sunday — for the lives lost, for those still missing, for the recovery of our communities, and for the safety of those on the front lines.”

In Rome, Pope Leo XIV offered prayers and condolences, speaking in English:

“I would like to 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 in the United States. We pray for them.”

History and Horror Collide in the Hill Country

The Guadalupe River region is lined with century-old youth camps, especially popular during the Independence Day holiday, making it harder to determine how many people may be missing.

Survivors described harrowing escapes:

Some were swept away and clung to trees.

Others fled to attics, praying the water wouldn’t reach them.

At Camp Mystic, girls crossed a bridge holding onto a rope strung by rescuers as water surged around their legs.

Victims Identified and Missing

Among those confirmed dead:

An 8-year-old girl from Mountain Brook, Alabama

The director of another nearby camp

Two school-age sisters from Dallas remain missing after their cabin was swept away. Their parents survived, but their grandparents are still unaccounted for.

Were Warnings Enough?

The National Weather Service had issued flood warnings Thursday and then multiple flash flood warnings and emergencies before Friday’s devastation.

Some camps — like Mo-Ranch and Camps Rio Vista and Sierra Vista — were monitoring the weather and had begun moving campers to higher ground.

Officials admitted they did not anticipate the intensity of the rainfall, which amounted to months’ worth in hours.

Kerrville City Manager Dalton Rice said a full review of emergency responses and warning systems would be conducted.

FEMA and Federal Staffing Concerns

Asked about his earlier plans to phase out FEMA, Trump replied:

“We can talk about that later, but right now we are busy working.”

He also addressed questions about rehiring fired federal meteorologists:

“I would think not. This was a thing that happened in seconds. Nobody expected it. Nobody saw it. Very talented people there, and they didn’t see it.”

Reported by: Seewer in Toledo, Ohio.
Contributing AP writers: Christopher Weber, Adrian Sainz, Cedar Attanasio, Sophia Tareen, Michelle Price, Nicole Winfield.

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