At least 24 people have died and over 20 others remain missing after severe flooding struck central Texas in the United States, submerging riverside areas and prompting large-scale rescue operations.
Among those unaccounted for are at least 23 girls from a Christian all-girls summer camp in Kerr County.
According to Kerr County Sheriff Larry Leitha, nearly a foot of rain fell before dawn on Friday, causing the Guadalupe River to overflow and sweep through the region.
He described the event as one of the worst floods in recent memory.
Authorities said 23 to 25 girls from Camp Mystic, located along the river in Hunt, Texas, are still missing.
The camp was among the worst-hit areas. State officials confirmed that at least 237 people have been rescued so far across the flood-affected zone.
Texas Game Wardens reached Camp Mystic on Friday afternoon and began evacuating campers who had taken shelter on higher ground.
Thirteen-year-old Elinor Lester, one of those rescued, described being woken up by heavy rain and thunder in the early hours of the morning.
She and her cabinmates, who were housed on an elevated area known as Senior Hill, were later airlifted to safety.
“The camp was completely destroyed,” Lester said.
“Everyone I know personally is accounted for, but there are people missing that I know of, and we don’t know where they are.”
Lester noted that the younger girls, whose cabins were located closer to the river, were at higher risk as floodwaters rose rapidly. Many of them fled to higher ground during the night. Rescue crews later guided the campers across a bridge using a rope as floodwaters surged around them.
Her mother, Elizabeth Lester, said she was relieved to be reunited with her daughter but expressed deep concern for those still missing.
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“My kids are safe, but knowing others are still missing is just eating me alive,” she said.
She added that a friend’s daughter, a counsellor for younger campers, was among the missing.
Nearby camps were also impacted. At Camp La Junta, a counsellor reportedly helped boys escape through a window as water rose inside their cabin.
Both Camp La Junta and Camp Waldemar have stated that all their campers and staff are safe.
Search and rescue operations are ongoing, with officials urging the public to stay hopeful.
