50+ Dead in Texas Floods; Desperate Search Ongoing for Dozens of Missing Campers
"We won't stop until we find every girl who was in those cabins."
This article originally appeared on ZeroHedge and was republished with permission.
Guest post by Tyler Durden
Update (Sunday Morning):
Search and rescue operations continued into the early hours of Sunday morning as officials in Central Texas confirmed the death toll has now exceeded 50. The urgent search remains focused on 27 missing children from Camp Mystic, a Christian all-girls summer camp in Kerr County, after flash floods from the Guadalupe River tore through the area days ago.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott described the devastation at Camp Mystic as "horrendously ravaged in ways unlike I've seen in any natural disaster." Among the confirmed deaths are at least 15 children.
Gov. Abbott vowed to continue the rescue efforts, stating, "We won't stop until we find every girl who was in those cabins."
So far, more than 850 people have been rescued across Kerr County in a massive, coordinated operation involving a fleet of helicopters, 37 boats, 158 off-road vehicles, 10 search and rescue teams, 16 drones, and specialized rescue swimmers.
President Donald Trump has agreed to honor a federal disaster declaration requested by Gov. Abbott—despite having denied similar requests earlier this year.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem emphasized the urgent need for federal support in Kerr County and defended the government's response, including the role played by the National Weather Service.
Separately, online speculation about possible weather modification programs operating in the region has continued to spread (see early update).
. . .
Update (1926ET)
At least 43 people, including 15 children, have died after devastating flash floods ripped through a Christian camp along the banks of the Guadalupe River in Central Texas, according to Sheriff Larry Leitha.
Search and rescue operations intensified Saturday afternoon, as 27 girls remain missing after floodwaters devastated Camp Mystic in Kerr County. Officials earlier acknowledged the diminishing likelihood of finding the missing alive.
"The process is going to keep going," W. Nim Kidd, the chief of the Texas Division of Emergency Management, told reporters earlier, adding, "We're not going to stop until we find everyone that's missing."
Texas Governor Greg Abbott told reporters that more than 850 people were rescued in the first 36 hours of the search operation.
The three-day rainfall totals in the region are equivalent to those typically seen in a once-in-a-century.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said earlier that President Trump is "devastated" by the flash floods, adding that the federal government is shifting air assets to the region to help with rescue operations.
Before this tragic extreme event, the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation displayed a "Map of Rain-Enhancement Projects in Texas" that shows multiple projects near Kerr County.
A theory suggesting cloud seeding may have played a role in the Texas storm has gone viral on X.
Meanwhile, critics dismiss the claim, calling it "absolutely preposterous."
. . .
At least 24 people have died, and dozens remain missing after 1.8 trillion gallons of rain fell across Central Texas, unleashing catastrophic flooding in the Texas Hill Country and the Edwards Plateau early Friday.
Among the missing are between 23 and 25 girls from an all-girls summer camp along the Guadalupe River, officials told reporters late Friday.
Earlier, officials reported that 23 girls were unaccounted for from Camp Mystic, which had more than 750 children at the time.
"The flooding damage is catastrophic," Kerrville Police Officer Jonathan Lamb told The Washington Post, adding, "It's the worst flood that we've ever seen."
The Guadalupe River surged 26 feet in 45 minutes, according to Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick. The National Weather Service had forecasted 3 to 6 inches in the region in just a few short hours, but totals exceeded that, especially in Hunt, a town near Kerrville, which received about 6.5 inches.
This event is being considered a one-in-100-years rainfall event.
"We remain in a search-and-rescue posture right now," Governor Greg Abbott told reporters overnight. He signed a disaster declaration for several counties that paved the way for better access to aid and resources amid a massive search and rescue operation underway.
Patrick said 400 to 500 personnel were on the ground involved in search and rescue efforts. He added that helicopters and drones have been deployed to the area.
"Multiple helicopters are performing search & rescue. President Trump committed ANYTHING Texas needs," Sen. Ted Cruz wrote on X.
Late Friday, President Trump told reporters on Air Force One that his administration is working with Abbott on the response effort. "We'll take care of them," the president said, calling the catastrophic flooding event terrible and shocking.
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