At least 20 girls are missing from an all-girls Christian summer camp in south Texas after catastrophic floods struck the area in the wake of severe overnight storms.
In a press conference Friday afternoon, Dan Patrick, the lieutenant governor of Texas, said “20-some” girls attending Camp Mystic in Hunt, Texas, remained unaccounted for, later estimating the figure was “about 23.”
At a separate press conference in Kerr County on Friday afternoon, County Sheriff Larry L. Leitha Jr. said there had been 13 fatalities, without offering additional information, and warned there could be more.
Patrick said victims, including children, had already been located, “some in cars washed out upstream.”
“We don’t know where those bodies came from,” he said, without ruling out that some may have come from the camp.
“This is a mass casualty event,” said Freeman Martin, Texas’ director of public safety.
Patrick said 18 helicopters and 400 to 500 rescue workers are taking part in the search-and-rescue mission, and that some individuals had already been rescued from trees.
Patrick said he has been in touch with President Donald Trump, who said the White House would send any federal resources officials needed.
Earlier in the day, the camp, where roughly 750 children were staying, issued a statement telling parents: “If your daughter is not accounted for, you have been notified,” while indicating girls located in other parts of the camp had been found safe.
The officials said the nearby highway was washed away and that the area remained without power, water or internet and was “struggling” to get more help.
“Please continue to pray and send any help if you have contacts to do so,” the officials wrote.
The camp, for girls between the ages of 7 and 17, was due to celebrate its 100th anniversary next year. It’s located near the Guadalupe River, which authorities said surged as much as 22 feet in just half an hour Friday morning to a height of 30 feet in the nearby town of Comfort in Kerr County, breaking a record that had stood for decades.
The Department of Homeland Security said Friday afternoon that Secretary Kristi Noem had activated the U.S. Coast Guard and the Federal Emergency Management Agency “to try to get these girls to safety” and was coordinating with state and local leaders.
Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, also issued a statement on X shortly after 4 p.m. ET.
“Please pray right now for everyone in the Hill Country, especially Camp Mystic,” he wrote. “Today, I’ve spoken with Gov Abbott, Lt. Gov Patrick, the head of TDEM & President Trump. Multiple helicopters are performing search & rescue. President Trump committed ANYTHING Texas needs.”
In a press conference earlier Friday, Kerr County Judge Rob Kelly confirmed six deaths from the catastrophic flooding, with the toll expected to rise, according to the Austin American-Statesman.
Asked about the missing girls, Kelly confirmed some remained unaccounted for.
“We know that there are some missing,” he said. “We know where some of them are; they’re stranded, and we’re working to confirm that with people out at Camp Mystic. But in terms of how many, exactly how many are missing and unaccounted for, we’re not sure about that number, but we have a bunch of them we’re trying to get back.”
Flood warnings throughout the state remain in place through the weekend.
“There is an ongoing threat for possible flash flooding from San Antonio to Waco for the next 24 to 48 hours, in addition to the continued risks in west and central Texas,” Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said in a statement.
