Thirteen dead, at least 20 children missing from summer camp in Texas flash floods

Thirteen people have died and more than 20 children are unaccounted for after heavy rains triggered deadly flash flooding on Friday in south-central Texas.

A number of people are missing and among those are children caught in floodwaters that swept through campgrounds, local authorities said.

A man surveys damage left by a raging Guadalupe River on Friday in Kerrville, Texas. Credit: AP

Thunderstorms and torrential rain triggered the flash flooding on Friday along the Guadalupe River in south-central Texas.

“Everybody is doing everything in their power to get these kids out,” Kerr County Judge Rob Kelly said at a news briefing on the disaster.

The US National Weather Service declared a flash flood emergency for parts of Kerr County, located in south-central Texas Hill Country, about 65 miles (105 kilometres) northwest of San Antonio, following heavy downpours measuring up to a foot of rain.

The Kerr County Sheriff’s Office reported “catastrophic flooding” in the area, resulting in several people missing and “confirmed loss of life”.

Water rises from severe flooding along the Guadalupe River in Kerr County, Texas on Friday.Credit: AP

Dalton Rice, city manager for Kerville, the county seat, told reporters the extreme flooding struck with little or no advance warning, precluding authorities from issuing any evacuation orders.

“This happened very quickly, over a very short period of time that could not be predicted, even with the radar,” Rice said. “This happened within less than a two-hour span.”

He said scattered residential subdivisions, recreational vehicle parks and campgrounds were the hardest hit.

Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick said he was co-ordinating with the state’s emergency response team on the flooding.

A flood gauge marks the height of water flowing over a farm-to-market road near Kerrville, Texas, on Friday.Credit: AP

“Additional rain is forecast in those areas. Even if the rain is light, more flooding can occur in those areas. There is an ongoing threat for possible flash flooding from San Antonio to Waco for the next 24 to 48 hours in addition to the continued risks in west and central Texas,” Patrick said in a post on social media platform X.

Personnel from the US Coast Guard and the Federal Emergency Management Agency were activated to assist local authorities in confronting the crisis, officials said.

Most Viewed in World

Loading