Historic rainfall on the Fourth of July triggered catastrophic flash flooding across Central Texas, with Kerr County suffering the brunt of the devastation. The Guadalupe River rose at an alarming rate, causing widespread damage, multiple fatalities, and prompting disaster declarations.
According to the National Weather Service, the Guadalupe River surged from approximately 7.5 feet at 1 AM Friday to nearly 30 feet by 4:30 AM in the town of Hunt, a 22-foot rise in just three hours.
Officials believe the river may have risen even higher, but the floodwaters submerged monitoring gauges, halting data transmission. Kerr County Sheriff’s Office confirmed fatalities related to the flooding but did not release numbers, stating, “The entire county is an extremely active scene.” However, according to WOAI-TV, County Judge Kelly confirmed that at least six people have died. Officials are working to identify the victims and notify the next of kin.
A particularly alarming development involves multiple summer camps held along the Guadalupe River, including Camp Mystic, a well-known girls’ camp. Judge Kelly confirmed that an unknown number of children are currently missing from the camps. Camp Mystic issued a statement Friday morning assuring families that parents of missing children had been contacted. “If a parent has not been contacted, their child is accounted for,” the statement said.
