Devastation at Texas summer camp after flash flood

A pre-dawn flash flood caused the Guadalupe River to surge, overwhelming Camp Mystic, an all-girls summer camp, leaving 27 girls missing.

On 4/7, flooding began in Texas when a month's worth of rain fell in just a few hours. This caused the Guadalupe River to rise 8 meters in 45 minutes. The floodwaters swept through summer camps along the river, including Camp Mystic in Kerr County.

Camp Mystic is a private Christian summer camp for girls, located in Hunt, a community in western Kerr County. The camp offers activities such as archery, canoeing, dance, and fishing.

The flood left cabins coated in mud and debris, with mattresses scattered across the floors. Approximately 750 girls were attending the camp, and 27 are currently missing.

Officials described the speed and extent of the flooding as devastating. They contacted all summer camps in the area, and Camp Mystic was the only one with unaccounted-for people.

Jenny MacLennan's 10-year-old daughter was among the hundreds of children rescued on 4/7. Her cabin was on higher ground, so camp administrators decided to keep the girls inside as the rain continued through the night. The next day, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department personnel rescued them and transported them by bus to a reunification center.

The flash flood tore through the walls of a building. One of those who died was Dick Eastland, the owner and director of Camp Mystic.

Jane Ragsdale, the director of Heart O' The Hills Summer Camp, located about 1.6 km from Camp Mystic, was also confirmed dead.

Stuffed animals and a muddy towel lay outside one of the Camp Mystic cabins.

Scene of devastation at the Texas summer camp hit by flash floods. Video: AFP

"The water reached the treetops, about 10 meters high. Cars and houses were all swept away by the river current," said Kerrville resident Gerardo Martinez, 61.

Law enforcement and volunteers search for missing people.

People cried and comforted each other outside the Butt-Holdsworth Memorial Library in Kerrville, Kerr County.

Kerr County suffered the most damage, with at least 43 people dead and hundreds evacuated.

Rescue and recovery teams search for bodies and missing persons near Camp Mystic.

Local officials reported rescue and recovery efforts are facing "very difficult" conditions due to the extensive damage and continuing heavy rain.

Campers hug for comfort and support after being reunited. The death toll across Texas has reached at least 51.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott expanded the disaster declaration to more counties across the state and requested additional federal resources from President Donald Trump.