A beloved girls summer camp in Texas Hill Country is reeling after a deadly flash flood swept down the Guadalupe River on Friday, leaving families in anguish and a community clinging to hope.
Camp Mystic, a Christian summer camp that has welcomed generations of girls to its riverfront grounds for 99 years, was hosting 750 children when the floodwaters struck.
Thirty-six hours later, the scale of the disaster is still unfolding: 27 girls from the camp remain unaccounted for. Some families have confirmed the deaths of their daughters to the media, but it is not clear if those confirmations are part of the official toll released by authorities.
As rescue teams are working around the clock to find those still missing, as families face a wrenching uncertainty about the fate of their daughters, who were meant to be spending an idyllic summer rowing, riding horses and playing tennis at the camp.
Founded in 1926, Camp Mystic operates two sites along the river in Hunt, Texas. It has long billed itself as a place for girls to grow spiritually and “develop outstanding personal qualities and self-esteem,” according to its website.
Each summer, Mystic challenges its campers to “be a better person for being at Mystic,” and to “let Mystic bring out the best in them.” The camp’s website emphasizes lifelong friendships and a “wholesome Christian atmosphere.”
A video on the website shows girls fishing, playing in the water, and performing dances in matching T-shirts.
The families of a handful children have told local media their daughters were among those who did not survive the floods, including the mothers of Lila Bonner and Janie Hunt of Dallas, who said their daughters were among the victims.
“We are just devastated,” Janie’s mother told NBC 5.
In total, the flash floods that wreaked havoc across the state have killed at least 51 people, including 15 children. A director of another camp was also confirmed dead on Saturday.
The identities of the deceased and missing have not yet been officially released, but dozens of families shared in local Facebook groups that they have received phone calls from safety officials saying their daughters had not yet been located.
Camp Mystic said in an email to parents of the roughly 750 campers that if they have not been contacted directly, their child is accounted for.
A reunification center has been opened in the city of Kerrville specifically for people looking for information on missing loved ones unrelated to those who were at Camp Mystic.
Dana Bashara, superintendent of the Alamo Heights Independent School District, said “the ripple effects of this loss will be felt across our entire community.” Alamo Heights is a suburb of San Antonio, located in nearby Bexar County.
“We also want to acknowledge that many of our students were campers at other locations along the river and experienced the fear and trauma of yesterday’s events first hand,” Bashara wrote.
The district is offering counseling through both the Children’s Bereavement Center of South Texas and Alamo Heights Baptist Church, the superintendent’s statement said.
The flash flooding began around 4 a.m. Friday after heavy overnight rain swelled the Guadalupe River, causing it to surge by more than 20-26 feet within 90 minutes.
Water swept into Kerr County and surrounding areas with such speed that officials say they were unable to issue evacuation orders in time.
“This happened very quickly, over a very short period of time, that could not be predicted, even with the radar,” said Dalton Rice, city manager for Kerrville, the county seat.
Bodies were reported to have been found in vehicles swept away from upstream areas.
The river had crested in Kerrville and Comfort by Friday evening, but downstream sections — including near Spring Branch — weren’t expected to peak until early Saturday. The National Weather Service projected a crest of 37.2 feet there, considered a moderate flood stage.
