KERR COUNTY, Texas — Authorities are reporting 24 fatalities and numerous campers still unaccounted for at a local all-girls camp as of Friday evening after heavy rain caused flash flooding in Kerr County, west of San Antonio. The identities of those fatalities have not yet been released.
As much as 10 inches of heavy rain fell in just a few hours overnight in central Kerr County, causing flash flooding of the Guadalupe River.
A reunification center has been set up at Ingram Elementary School at 125 Brave Run W in Ingram.
“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,” a Facebook post from the Kerr County Sheriff’s Office read.
Search teams used boats to conduct rescues as fast-moving water threatened riverfront communities near wildlife habitats and campgrounds.
At a press briefing earlier Friday, Kerr County Judge Rob Kelly didn’t confirm a specific number but said dozens of water rescues were being conducted because of the flood. Authorities are still working to identify those whose lives were lost.
“Most of them, we don’t know who they are,” Kelly said during a news conference. “One of them was completely naked. He didn’t have any ID on him at all. We’re trying to get the identity of these folks, but we don’t have it yet.”
The emergency response continued as an unknown number or people remained unaccounted for, Kelly said.
When asked about the suddenness of the flash flooding overnight, Kelly said “we do not have a warning system” and that “we didn’t know this flood was coming,” even as local reporters pointed to the warnings and pushed him for answers about why more precautions weren’t taken.
“Rest assured, no one knew this kind of flood was coming,” he said. “We have floods all the time. This is the most dangerous river valley in the United States.”
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott provided an update Friday night, saying that Texas Task Force 1 and Texas Task Force 2 had been deployed, as well as resources from the Texas National Guard and multiple other state agencies.
Abbott pledged all the tools and resources the state can supply until all the missing are accounted for.
“I urge Texans to heed guidance from state and local officials and monitor local forecasts to avoid driving into flooded areas,” Abbott said in a statement earlier Friday.
The Guadalupe’s river gauge at the unincorporated community of Hunt, where the river forks, recorded a 22-foot rise in approximately two hours, according to Bob Fogarty, meteorologist with the National Weather Service’s Austin/San Antonio office. Fogarty said the gauge failed after recording a level of 29-and-a-half feet.
“We think the river’s higher than that,” Fogarty said. “The gauge is completely underwater.”
During the Friday night briefing, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said that the Guadalupe River rose 26 feet in a matter of hours.
The river reached its second-highest height on record, according to the National Weather Service. The service classifies a major flooding event as 22 feet or higher.
The riverfront communities include several camps, wildlife habitats and campgrounds. Texas Game Wardens, part of the state parks and wildlife agency, said on Facebook that search and rescue teams are conducting rescues throughout the region and sending more boats to help.
“This is the kind of thing that will catch you unaware,” Fogarty said. “The water’s moving so fast, you’re not going to recognize how bad it is until it’s on top of you.”
The Texas Hill Country, a scenic and rocky gateway to booming vineyards and vacation rentals, begins west of the state capital and is a popular outdoor summer getaway. Parts of the region are prone to flash flooding.
Dozens of people posted on Facebook requesting any information on their children, nieces and nephews attending one of the numerous camps in the area, or family members that went camping during the holiday weekend.
Ingram Fire Department posted a photo of a statement from Camp Mystic, saying the private Christian summer camp for girls experienced “catastrophic level floods.” Parents with a daughter not accounted for were directly contacted, the camp said.
Another camp on the river located east of Hunt, Camp Waldemar, said in an Instagram post that “we are all safe and sound.”
Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, said in a post on X that he’s spoken with Abbott, Patrick, the head of the Texas Division of Emergency Management and President Donald Trump.
Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller said in a statement:
“My prayers go out to the families in Kerrville and across the Hill Country who are dealing with the devastation from these deadly floods. We’ve already seen tragic loss of life, and it’s a heartbreaking reminder that catastrophic flash floods can strike fast and without much warning...Farmers and ranchers should take steps now to protect livestock and property. Move animals to higher ground, secure your equipment, and be ready. Preparation saves lives, both human and animal.”
One family survives a terrifying ordeal
Erin Burgess’ home sits directly across from the river in the Bumble Bee Hills neighborhood, west of Ingram. When she woke up to thunder at 3:30 a.m. Friday, she said it "was raining pretty heavy, but no big deal."
Just 20 minutes later, Burgess said water was coming in through the walls and rushing through the front and back doors. She described an agonizing hour clinging to a tree and waiting for the water to recede enough that they were able to walk up the hill to a neighbor’s.
“My son and I floated to a tree where we hung onto it, and my boyfriend and my dog floated away. He was lost for a while, but we found them,” she said, becoming emotional.
Of her 19-year-old son, Burgess said, “Thankfully he’s over 6 feet tall. That’s the only thing that saved me, was hanging on to him.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.