The death toll from catastrophic flooding in Kerr County has risen to 59, including 21 children, Sheriff Larry Leitha announced Sunday morning, making it one of the deadliest natural disasters in recent Texas history.
The victims include 38 adults and 21 children, with 22 still unidentified, Leitha said at a press conference. Among the missing are 11 campers and one counselor from Camp Mystic, a summer camp on the banks of the Guadalupe River that was inundated early Friday morning when flash floods struck the region.
“Search and rescue efforts are ongoing,” Leitha said, describing the scope of the disaster as overwhelming. “This is the first confirmed number we’ve had. We had estimated as many as 27 missing, but this is what we’ve verified.”
President Donald Trump announced Sunday morning he had signed a Major Disaster Declaration for Kerr County to speed up federal aid.
“These families are enduring an unimaginable tragedy, with many lives lost, and many still missing,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “The Trump Administration continues to work closely with State and Local Leaders. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem was on the ground yesterday with Governor Greg Abbott, who is working hard to help the people of his Great State.”
Gov. Abbott visited Camp Mystic on Sunday and described the damage as “horrendously ravaged.”
“The river running beside it was ravaged in ways unlike I’ve seen in any natural disaster,” Abbott posted. “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.”
The flooding, which began early Friday, caused the Guadalupe River to rise more than 26 feet in just 45 minutes, according to Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick. Rescuers found some survivors clinging to trees, and aerial teams have conducted more than 160 rescues statewide, Leitha said.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem confirmed that U.S. Coast Guard units had saved 223 people, as videos circulated of airlifts conducted near Kerrville. TDEM official Craig Rice said hundreds were rescued from camps alone, while others were safely sheltering in place and receiving supplies.
Though Kerr County has been the hardest hit, other areas have also reported fatalities. Travis County confirmed four deaths, Burnet County reported two with six missing, and in Tom Green County, a woman died after her vehicle was swept away by floodwaters.
Pope Leo offered prayers Sunday for Texas families grieving lost loved ones, especially those with daughters missing from the summer camp. “I express my sincere condolences to all the families who have lost loved ones,” he said during Mass at the Vatican.
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