Authorities confirmed on Saturday that flash floods in central Texas have killed at least 43 people, including 15 children. Rescue teams continued a frantic search for dozens of missing campers, vacationers, and residents.
Officials warned that the death toll could rise further, as flooding extended beyond Kerr County into other regions. In Travis County, local sources confirmed four deaths and reported 13 people still missing. One additional fatality was reported in Kendall County.
Meanwhile, some media outlets claimed the total number of deaths across Texas had reached 52, though Reuters could not independently confirm that figure.
Rescue teams saved more than 850 people after a sudden storm dumped up to 15 inches (38 cm) of rain around the Guadalupe River, about 85 miles (140 km) northwest of San Antonio. Some of the rescued individuals had been clinging to trees as floodwaters surged through the area, officials said.
Kerrville City Manager Dalton Rice told a press conference on Saturday evening that 27 girls from the Camp Mystic summer camp were among the missing, and others may still be unaccounted for.
Rice confirmed that 27 people were officially listed as missing but added, “We won’t give a total number beyond that because we simply don’t know.”
The disaster in Texas unfolded swiftly on Friday morning when heavier-than-expected rainfall caused river levels to surge rapidly, reaching up to 29 feet (9 meters).
Kerr County Judge Rob Kelly, the region’s top local official, said, “We know that the rivers rise, but nobody saw this coming.”
Kerr County Sheriff Larry Leitha reported that 17 of the confirmed victims, including five children, had not yet been identified.
The National Weather Service announced that the flash flood emergency had mostly ended for Kerr County after thunderstorms dumped more than a foot of rain, half the region’s typical annual total. A flood watch remained in effect for the broader area until 7 p.m.
Kerr County lies in the Texas Hill Country, a rural region known for its rugged terrain, historic towns, and popular tourist attractions.
Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick said the area had drawn an unknown number of visitors who came to celebrate Independence Day by the river.
“We don’t know how many people were in tents on the side, in small trailers by the side, in rented homes by the side,” he said on a news channel.
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