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How many are missing in Texas Flood? All we know as death toll reportedly reaches 51

Rescue teams race to find 27 missing campers as catastrophic floods devastate Texas Hill Country
  • An image of a destroyed house in the Texas floods (Image via Insatgram/@unitedcajunnavy)
    An image of a destroyed house in the Texas floods (Image via Insatgram/@unitedcajunnavy)

    Swiftly rising floodwaters in Texas have killed at least four people and left communities reeling as the search continues for dozens of missing residents, including children from a summer camp. At least 51 people are dead statewide as of July 6, 2025, with Kerr County witnessing the most deaths.

    The recent Texas flood, which officials said was among the worst in the region’s history, was set off by torrential rains that led to the Guadalupe River rising quickly, reportedly by more than 26 feet in just 45 minutes.

    According to a report by AL Jazeera, the rush of water destroyed homes, vehicles, and campsites, surprising several residents in the early morning hours of the July 4 holiday weekend. 27 Camp Mystic campers, an all-girls Christian summer camp situated on the river in Kerr County, are on the missing list.


    Officials have not yet reported how many campers have been rescued, but Texas Governor Greg Abbott described the incident as “horrifically devastating” and vowed that the search and rescue teams are at full throttle.


    "Today I visited Camp Mystic. The height the rushing water reached to the top of cabins was shocking. We won’t stop until we find every girl who was in those cabins." He wrote on X.


    More than 850 people have been rescued from the Texas flood in Kerr County alone in the past two days. They have ranged from airlifts to off-road vehicles to boats, as part of the evacuation.

    Local government officials confirmed that at least 28 adults and 15 children are dead in Kerr County. The rapidly moving floodwaters made escape almost impossible for some, particularly in the middle of the night.



    US Federal response as more rain threatens rescue efforts in the Texas flood

    The area, nicknamed “flash flood alley,” is prone to dangerous flash flooding because of its rocky cliffs and the limestone base of the Guadalupe River, which makes it difficult for water to permeate the ground.


    "This is a historically flood-prone region … this is ‘flash flood alley,’ and in the National Weather Service has appropriately so named this region as a flood-prone area for many, many years," Meteorologist Cary Burgess told CNN.


    Criticism has been raised over the extent to which authorities gave warnings ahead of the disaster. Climate experts are also citing warming oceans and climate change as culprits in the severity of the storm.


    "As our climate warms, the atmosphere can hold more moisture, which makes it more likely to experience extreme rains like this that are occurring in these short periods of time." Kristina Dahl, vice president for science at Climate Central told CNN.



    As of now, a federal disaster declaration has been granted by President Donald Trump for the impacted counties. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem underlined the importance of resources and coordination as more rain is forecast in central Texas, which could further complicate search and rescue.

    As the search reaches its third day, the priority remains recovering every last missing person, alive or dead. For now, families and communities are left to wait, anxiously hoping for aid amidst the disaster.

     

    TOPICS: Human Interest, Cary Burgess, Donald Trump, Greg Abbott, Camp Mystic, floods, Guadalupe River, Kerr County, Texas, Texas Flood