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'Catastrophic' Texas floods leave 32 dead, many missing

Heavy rainfall early Friday caused widespread flash flooding across Kerr County and nearby areas in Central Texas, leaving at least 32 dead and many missing.

Published July 5, 2025 at 7:58pm by Brandi D. Addison

A day after flooding rains rapidly overwhelmed the Guadalupe River and sent deadly floodwaters through a swath of central Texas, authorities said hundreds of people had been saved from the danger but many remained missing – and the death toll continued to rise, USA TODAY reported.

At least 32 people were killed – 18 adults and 14 children, Sheriff Larry Leitha said. The count was up from 18 adults and nine children earlier in the day Saturday.

An additional 20 children who were at Camp Mystic in western Kerr County are still missing, Kerrville City Manager Dalton Rice said at a Saturday morning news briefing, adding that there is an unknown number of total people missing from the area.

Kerrville City Manager Dalton Rice told USA TODAY he had been jogging along the Guadalupe River trail at 3:30 a.m. and saw only light rain with no signs of trouble. But by 5 a.m., emergency calls started coming in as the river began rising. Rice and the local fire chief rushed to a nearby park to survey the scene.

“Within an hour and a half, [the river] had already risen over 25 feet,” Rice said. “Within a matter of minutes, it was up to 29 feet.”

In a nearby area near Bergheim, Texas, the Guadalupe River climbed even more dramatically, rising 40 feet in just three hours.

20 girls still missing from Camp Mystic after floods

The floodwaters swept through Camp Mystic, a private Christian camp along the river where more than 750 girls were gathered. The camp’s dormitories were left covered in mud, debris and water damage, with bunk beds caked in dirt and blankets soaked and tossed about. The aftermath shows the sudden force of the flood, which swept through sleeping quarters and scattered belongings.

Twenty campers remain missing on Saturday evening as rescue teams move through debris-filled floodwaters, searching the area.

Officials have evacuated more than 850 people from the Guadalupe River corridor and surrounding communities, according to USA TODAY.

Scenes of the devastation capture the swollen river overflowing its banks, with trees and infrastructure submerged beneath murky, rushing floodwaters.

Kerr County is one of 15 counties included in a disaster declaration issued by Texas Governor Greg Abbott as rescue response continues.

Gallery: 'Catastrophic flooding' kills at least 27 in Texas Hill Country

Watch: Video captures raging floodwaters on Guadalupe River

Watch: Search operations underway in Kerrville after Fourth of July flooding

Gallery: 3 dead in Travis county floods

Austin-Travis County EMS has responded to about two dozen water rescues as a flooding emergency is unfolding in western Travis County.

At least three deaths have been reported in Travis County after torrential downpours caused widespread flooding in Central Texas on Friday night into Saturday morning.