Texas Floods Kill at Least 68; Rescuers Hunt for Missing Camp Girls

Flash floods triggered by as much as 15 inches (38 cm) of rain in Texas Hill Country have killed at least 68 people, state officials said on Sunday. The Guadalupe River surged nearly 29 feet, sweeping away homes, vehicles and campers along its banks. Twenty-one of the confirmed dead are children, and authorities warn the toll could climb as searches continue.

Rescuers are concentrating on locating around 11 girls still unaccounted for from Camp Mystic, a nearly century-old Christian summer camp near Kerrville that housed roughly 700 campers when the river burst its banks early Friday. Crews using helicopters, boats, drones and more than a dozen canine units have saved over 850 people, but persistent rain and debris-strewn terrain are complicating operations.

Governor Greg Abbott has expanded a state disaster declaration to 21 counties and said more than 1,300 state personnel plus 900 vehicles and aircraft are involved in the response. President Donald Trump approved a federal major-disaster declaration, unlocking additional funding and Coast Guard resources.

The National Weather Service had issued only a moderate flood watch before the storm, prompting criticism that staffing cuts at its parent agency hindered forecasting. A fresh flood watch remains in effect for Kerr County through Sunday afternoon as meteorologists predict further downpours.