HUNT, Texas, July 6 – A devastating flash flood in central Texas has left at least 43 people dead, including 15 children, with rescue operations still underway to locate dozens of missing individuals. The catastrophe struck the Texas Hill Country on Friday morning after an unexpected and intense storm dropped as much as 15 inches of rain in the area surrounding the Guadalupe River, about 85 miles northwest of San Antonio.
Rescue teams have so far saved over 850 people, many of whom were stranded in trees or on rooftops, as water levels surged rapidly to record heights. Officials say the final death toll may continue to rise as reports come in from nearby counties also impacted by the flooding, including Travis and Kendall. In Travis County alone, four fatalities were confirmed, and at least 13 individuals remained unaccounted for as of Saturday evening.
No Warning of Severity
Local officials expressed deep concern over the lack of sufficient warning ahead of the disaster. Kerr County Judge Rob Kelly said, “We’re used to seeing rivers rise, but no one expected it to escalate to this degree.” The Guadalupe River swelled to 29 feet in mere hours, catching both residents and emergency responders off guard.
Authorities admitted that they had no advance indication of the sheer intensity of the rainfall. A moderate flood watch had been issued a day earlier, but it failed to convey the potential for such catastrophic impact. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem noted that the federal government is now working to update forecasting systems to better alert communities in the future.
At a Saturday press briefing, Kerrville City Manager Dalton Rice confirmed that 27 people were officially listed as missing, including girls from Camp Mystic, a historic Christian summer camp for girls that housed about 700 residents during the time of the flood. Rice added that the actual number of missing individuals could be higher, stating, “We don’t have a complete count of who was in the area, particularly with so many visitors for the Independence Day holiday.”
Kerr County Sheriff Larry Leitha said 17 of the victims, including five children, have yet to be identified. The rapid flooding caught many by surprise as people camped, rented homes, or celebrated the holiday in the scenic Hill Country, known for its riverside retreats and summer tourism.
Scenes of Destruction
The destruction left behind clearly shows the overwhelming power of the floodwaters. At Camp Mystic, one cabin bore water marks six feet above the floor. Bed frames, muddy mattresses, and personal belongings were strewn across the campgrounds. Some buildings had collapsed walls or shattered windows.
Heart O’ the Hills, another nearby girls’ camp, confirmed on its website that one of its co-owners, Jane Ragsdale, had tragically died during the flooding. Fortunately, no campers were present at the time as the camp was in between sessions.
In the downstream town of Comfort, towering trees—some over 60 feet tall—were uprooted and strewn across roads and riverbanks. Smaller bridges in the area suffered major damage, while some two-lane roads were completely washed out. Near the banks of the Guadalupe River, wrecked cars with broken windshields and bent frames stood as grim reminders of the flood’s intense force and rapid rise.
One visitor, Tonia Fucci, who had traveled from Pennsylvania to visit her grandmother in Comfort, described the experience as “complete shock.” She added, “You just knew there were going to be missing children. The water was so fast. It’s hard to imagine anyone surviving that.”
Footage from the scene showed concrete pads where homes once stood, debris tangled in tree limbs, and residents being rescued from rooftops by helicopter or carried to safety by first responders forming human chains through chest-deep waters.
Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick acknowledged the challenges in tracking the number of affected individuals. “We don’t know how many people were camping along the riverside or staying in trailers or rental homes. A lot of visitors came here for the holiday, and we’re still trying to account for everyone.”
President Donald Trump expressed his condolences, stating that he and First Lady Melania were keeping the victims in their prayers. He praised the dedication of emergency crews, noting on social media that “our brave first responders are on site doing what they do best.” The administration also confirmed it would approve Texas officials’ request for a federal disaster declaration to provide emergency assistance to the affected areas.
While the flash flood emergency in Kerr County has officially ended, the region remains under a broader flood watch. The storm delivered nearly half of the region’s annual rainfall in a single event, highlighting the urgent need for better preparedness and infrastructure resilience.
Former National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Director Rick Spinrad warned that recent staffing cuts at the agency could impair the country’s ability to issue timely and accurate forecasts. Although it is not yet clear whether these reductions played a direct role in the lack of warning before the Texas floods, Spinrad cautioned, “When forecasting systems are weakened, people’s ability to prepare is reduced. That puts more lives at risk.”