On the morning of 4/7, approximately 750 girls at Camp Mystic in Kerr County, central Texas, slept soundly, anticipating a day of exciting activities, culminating in a fireworks display and riverside party for the Fourth of July.

But their slumber was abruptly shattered by thunder and lightning. Huddled together on narrow beds, the campers sought comfort from one another.

Minutes later, floodwaters from the nearby Guadalupe River surged with astonishing speed. Counselors smashed cabin windows with rocks, pulling terrified campers out to escape the rising tide.

People clean up along the Guadalupe River as they survey an area at Camp Mystic after flash flooding in Texas on 6/7. Photo: AP

People clean up along the Guadalupe River as they survey an area at Camp Mystic after flash flooding in Texas on 6/7. Photo: AP

As older girls climbed trees and cabin roofs for safety, camp officials realized the dire situation unfolding at the Twins and Bubble Inn cabins, housing the youngest campers. Floodwaters were converging from two directions: the south fork of the Guadalupe and a nearby creek.

"It created this powerful whirlpool effect around those cabins," recounted Craig Althaus, a 25-year Camp Mystic veteran.

By the next morning, the devastation’s scale became chillingly clear. As of 6/7, Texas officials confirmed at least 82 fatalities, with dozens still missing.

Camp Mystic, a riverside Christian camp offering girls a century-long respite from summer heat with activities like singing, fishing, and horseback riding, suffered heavily. Ten campers and one counselor remain unaccounted for.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott confirmed ongoing search and rescue operations despite challenging conditions. After visiting the camp on 6/7, he described a scene of "sheer horror."

Officials received minimal warning of the impending disaster. The National Weather Service (NWS) issued its first flood advisory for the area at 1:18 PM on 3/7.

At that time, conditions remained sunny, and Kerr County's riverside areas bustled with approximately 18 summer camps and thousands of holiday revelers preparing Fourth of July celebrations in tents and cabins.

Later that afternoon, the NWS warned of 1 to 2 inches of rainfall, with a "low probability of a high-impact flash flood event overnight."

However, meteorologists explained that unusual weather patterns thwarted their predictions. Tropical Storm Barry pushed Gulf of Mexico moisture deep into Texas, a flood-prone area known as "Flash Flood Alley." This resulted in torrential downpours concentrated over the same area for hours.

The rapid rise of floodwaters in Texas on 4/7. Video: X/StormHQ

The NWS maintains it provided adequate warning time for local authorities, but the most severe warnings came in the early hours of 4/7, with flash flood warnings hitting phones at 1:14 AM.

Kerrville City Manager Dalton Rice said he walked along the river between 3:30 and 4:00 AM on 4/7, observing only light rain. He returned home to shower before heading back to the park to reassess.

Around 4:30 AM, 65-year-old Thomas Rux awoke to thunder and a firefighter's loudspeaker urging evacuation to higher ground. He grabbed his keys and wallet, fleeing his riverside trailer to a nearby business.

From there, he witnessed the terrifying speed of the rising river. By 5:20 AM, the river had surged from 7 feet to 29 feet in just a few hours. Rux's 44-foot mobile home was swept away, lodging between two trees.

His security company called, inquiring about a possible break-in due to unusual activity. "No," he replied, "the river just took my house."

At Camp Mystic, San Antonio attorney Serena Aldrich’s two daughters, aged 12 and 9, were asleep when the downpour began. The older daughter, sleeping on higher ground known as "Senior Hill," awoke to loud thunder. Her younger sister, in a different cabin, was alerted by a friend as water rushed in.

The girls, clad in pajamas, some without shoes, waded through neck-deep water, reaching a camp area called "Sky High." They were later evacuated by helicopter.

Areas impacted by flash flooding in Texas on 4/7. Video: Reuters

Amid the chaos, camp director Richard "Dick" Eastland also aided in evacuating the youngest campers from the Bubble Inn, according to witnesses. He and his wife, Tweety, had run the camp since 1974.

Authorities found him trapped in a black SUV with three girls he had tried to save. He died en route to the hospital.

Around 5:00 AM, 62-year-old Collene Lucas finished her shift at a convenience store, unconcerned about the rain and the rushing river less than 100 meters from her home.

"We were used to that sound," she said.

Alerted to the flash flood, she tried to reach her husband but her car stalled in the rising water. Only when their dogs barked frantically and rescuers arrived did her husband, David, emerge from bed, stepping directly into two feet of water.

A local resident whose niece and nephew are missing after the flash floods in Kerr County, Texas. Photo: AP

A local resident whose niece and nephew are missing after the flash floods in Kerr County, Texas. Photo: AP

"I’ve been here almost 40 years, and I’ve never seen anything like it," said a weary David, 73, with a silver beard. He explained that the water had never come close to their home until it nearly engulfed it.

The flood damaged kilometers of roads, uprooted trees, and dislodged houses from their foundations. At Camp Mystic, overturned beds, mud-caked towels hanging on lines, and abandoned stuffed animals littered the ground.

Over 850 people were rescued within 36 hours of the flood. Texas Representative Chip Roy recounted a young girl surviving by clinging to a mattress for hours as it floated downstream.

On the morning of 6/7, rescue efforts continued with helicopters overhead, authorities vowing to persist until all the missing were found. With the rain still falling, local officials issued ominous warnings of another potential "wall of water."

Inside Kerrville First United Methodist Church, morning light filtered through stained-glass windows, illuminating approximately 200 parishioners grappling with the events of the past few days and the uncertain future.

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

The church mourned the loss of a beloved member, Jane Ragsdale, director and co-owner of a nearby campground, who perished in the flood. Her camp, situated along the Guadalupe, was not operating at the time of the disaster.

The church service began with hymns and a prolonged moment of silence. Pastor Jasiel Hernandez Garcia offered a message of comfort: "It's okay to be angry about what happened. It's okay to be afraid. It's okay to be incredibly sad."

The pastor admitted his own struggle to find words for the horrific event.

"This is not how our weekend was supposed to be," he said. "This was supposed to be a time for celebrations and fireworks, for family time and making friends."

"But in an instant, everything changed. The water came so fast, so fiercely. Homes were flooded, roads disappeared, and people were swept away," he said. "What seemed solid became more fragile than ever. What seemed safe was gone in a moment."

People walk along the Guadalupe River at Louise Hays Park in Kerrville, Kerr County, Texas, on 5/7. Photo: AP

People walk along the Guadalupe River at Louise Hays Park in Kerrville, Kerr County, Texas, on 5/7. Photo: AP

Vu Hoang (After Washington Post, AFP, Reuters)