Taxes Flood Leaves 27 Dead as Rescue Efforts Continue in Texas
Taxes flood in central Texas has resulted in the deaths of 27 individuals, among them nine children, local authorities confirmed on Saturday. The sudden floods swept through the region, prompting a large-scale search and rescue mission, with dozens still reported missing from a girls’ summer camp.
Officials in Kerr County stated that over 800 residents had to be evacuated as floodwaters from the Guadalupe River began to recede. The river, located about 85 miles northwest of San Antonio, had rapidly surged by nearly 29 feet, catching many off-guard.
“We won’t stop searching until every missing person is accounted for,” declared Kerr County Sheriff Larry Leitha during a press briefing.
Rescuers are particularly focused on locating between 23 and 25 young girls who vanished from Camp Mystic, where the river’s unexpected rise led to chaos. Emergency warnings had been issued, but the water rose too quickly for effective evacuation orders.
Although the U.S. National Weather Service announced that the flash taxes flood threat in Kerr County had mostly ended after severe thunderstorms dropped nearly a foot of rain, a flood watch remained active for neighboring areas until evening hours.
Kerr County is part of the Texas Hill Country, famed for its scenic landscapes and tourist spots. This taxes flood struck as people gathered for Independence Day festivities, leaving officials uncertain of the total number of visitors in tents, trailers, or rented homes near the riverbanks.
Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick estimated that up to 500 rescuers were scouring the region for those unaccounted for. “Many were here for the Fourth of July holiday,” he told Fox News Live.
President Donald Trump expressed his support via social media, stating that federal agencies were working alongside state and local responders. “Melania and I are keeping the families impacted by this tragedy in our prayers,” he added.
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Dalton Rice, Kerrville’s city manager, explained that the river’s dramatic overnight rise left little room for preemptive action. Within just two hours, flood levels had soared above the major flood stage before dawn.
State emergency services had warned of heavy rain risks in west and central Texas ahead of the weekend. However, W. Nim Kidd, Director of the Texas Division of Emergency Management, admitted that the rainfall far exceeded predictions.
The current incident recalls the notorious 1987 flood along the Guadalupe River, where 10 teenagers drowned while trying to flee a church camp, a tragedy still remembered in local history .
