Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram
© IE Online Media Services Pvt Ltd
Journalism of Courage
Premium
Texas flash floods: What happened at a girls’ summer camp where 11 are still missing
There were around 750 campers at Camp Mystic when the floods struck. The long-time director, Richard Eastland, was among the ones who died.
Officials search on the grounds of Camp Mystic along the banks of the Guadalupe River after a flash flood swept through the area, in Hunt, Texas. (AP Photo)
“It didn’t look like Camp Mystic anymore,” 13‑year‑old Stella Thompson told Dallas NBC. She is one of hundreds of girls jolted awake at the Christian summer camp by the sound of downpour and helicopters overhead. Within just 45 minutes before dawn on the Fourth of July weekend, the Guadalupe River surged more than 26 feet, reported BBC, tearing through central Texas in US — and with it, much of Camp Mystic. The beloved girls’ camp was left in ruins, its cabins mangled and bunk beds buried in mud.
The flash floods, caused by a particularly intense storm that dropped up to 12 inches of rain in the starting hours of Friday—turned the normally scenic Guadalupe River into a deadly torrent. As of Sunday evening, at least 82 people including many children have died across central Texas due to the flooding, reported AP.
Many of the victims were affiliated with youth summer camps. Camp Mystic has suffered some of the deepest losses.
Military personnel return a camp trunk salvaged from down river to Camp Mystic. (AP Photo)
Deaths at Camp Mystic
The long-time director, Richard Eastland, was among the dead during the flash floods, as were multiple young campers. Ten girls and one counselor remain unaccounted for, reported BBC.
Nearby, the all-girls Camp Heart O’ the Hills was also affected. Its co-owner and director, Jane Ragsdale, was confirmed dead. Fortunately, the camp was not in session at the time.
Stella Thompson, whose cabin was on higher ground, described the fear as chaos unfolded: “When we got that news, we were all hysterical and praying a lot… worried for those on the other side,” she told NBC Dallas. “You’d see kayaks in trees… then there was first responders in the water pulling out girls.”
“And there were huge trees ripped out of the ground and their roots,” she added.
Story continues below this ad
People look through belongings on a camp trunk at Camp Mystic. (AP Photo)
There were around 750 campers at Camp Mystic when the floods struck. the camp informed parents via email that unless they had been contacted individually, their child was safe and had been accounted for.
Camp Mystic, founded in 1926 has been operated by the same family for generations. On its website, the camp describes itself as a space for girls to grow spiritually and to “develop outstanding personal qualities and self-esteem.” It has two locations along the Guadalupe River in Hunt, Texas.
A Camp Mystic sign is seen near the entrance to the establishment. (AP Photo)
Talking about the floods, Kerrville City Manager Dalton Rice explained: “This happened very quickly, over a very short period of time, that could not be predicted, even with the radar.”
Search crews continue using boats, drones, and helicopters to comb through debris. More rain is forecast is complicating the ongoing efforts. President Donald Trump said he is likely to visit the affected area on Friday.
(With inputs from BBC, NBC, AP)
Advertisement
Loading Recommendations...
Live Blog