KERRVILLE, Texas — Rescuers scoured flooded riverbanks littered with mangled trees Saturday and turned over rocks in the search for more than two dozen children from a girls’ camp and many others missing after a wall of water blasted down a river in the Texas Hill Country.
The storm killed at least 37 people across the state, including 14 children.
About 36 hours after the floods, authorities didn't give a number of how many people in total are still missing beyond the 27 children from Camp Mystic, a Christian summer camp along the river.
The destructive fast-moving waters rose 26 feet in just 45 minutes before daybreak Friday, washing away homes and vehicles. The danger wasn't over as torrential rains continued pounding communities outside San Antonio on Saturday and flash flood warnings and watches remained in effect.
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People look at debris on the banks of the Guadalupe River on Saturday after a flash flood swept through the area in Hunt, Texas.Â
Searchers used helicopters, boats and drones to look for victims and to rescue stranded people in trees and from camps isolated by washed-out roads.
"We will not stop until we find everyone who is missing," said Nim Kidd, chief of Texas Department of Emergency Management, at a news conference Saturday afternoon.
The number of victims climbed as more rain continued around Austin and a massive search continued in the nearby Hill Country. At least three people died and 10 others were missing in Travis County, home to the state's capital.
Two people died in Burnet County, where a firefighter was among the missing after he was swept away by floodwaters while responding to a rescue, the county Emergency Management Coordinator Derek Marchio said.
Kerr County Sheriff Larry Leitha said the bodies of 32 people were recovered so far in the devastated Hill Country: 18 adults and 14 children.
Authorities came under growing scrutiny Saturday over whether the camps and residents in places long vulnerable to flooding received proper warning and whether enough preparations were made.
The hills along the Guadalupe River in central Texas are dotted with century-old youth camps and campgrounds where generations of families have come to swim and enjoy the outdoors. The area is especially popular around the July Fourth holiday, making it more difficult to know how many are missing.
"We don't even want to begin to estimate at this time," said City Manager Dalton Rice said on Saturday morning.
A wall is missing on a building Saturday at Camp Mystic along the banks of the Guadalupe River after a flash flood swept through the area in Hunt, Texas.Â
Raging storm hit camp
"The camp was completely destroyed," said Elinor Lester, 13, one of hundreds of campers. "A helicopter landed and started taking people away. It was really scary."
A raging storm fueled by incredible amounts of moisture woke up her cabin just after midnight Friday, and when rescuers arrived, they tied a rope for the girls to hold as they walked across a bridge with water whipping around their legs, she said.
Frantic parents and families posted photos on social media of missing loved ones and pleas for information.
On Saturday, the camp was mostly deserted. Helicopters roared above as a few people looked at the damage, including a pickup truck tossed onto its side and a building missing its front wall.
The flooding in the middle of the night caught many residents, campers and officials by surprise in the Hill Country, which sits northwest of San Antonio.
Officials comb the banks of the Guadalupe River on Saturday after a flash flood swept through the area in Hunt, Texas.Â
AccuWeather said the private forecasting company and the National Weather Service sent warnings about potential flash flooding hours before the devastation.
"These warnings should have provided officials with ample time to evacuate camps such as Camp Mystic and get people to safety," AccuWeather said in a statement that called the Hill Country one of the most flash-flood-prone areas of the U.S. because of its terrain and many water crossings.
Officials defended their actions while saying they didn't expect such an intense downpour.
One National Weather Service forecast earlier in the week "did not predict the amount of rain that we saw," said Kidd.
People are reunited after flash flooding hit the area Friday in Ingram, Texas.Â
Search by air
Search crews faced harsh conditions while "looking in every possible location," Rice said.
Authorities said about 850 people were rescued. U.S. Coast Guard helicopters flew in to assist.
One reunification center at an elementary school was mostly quiet Saturday after taking in hundreds of evacuees the day before.
"We still have people coming here looking for their loved ones. We've had a little success, but not much," said Bobby Templeton, superintendent of Ingram Independent School District.
President Donald Trump said Saturday that Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem will travel to Texas and his administration was working with officials on the ground.
A truck rests on a tree outside sleeping quarters Saturday at Camp Mystic along the banks of the Guadalupe River after a flash flood swept through the area in Hunt, Texas.Â
'No one knew'
The forecast for the weekend had called for rain, with a flood watch upgraded to a warning overnight Friday for at least 30,000 people. Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said the potential for heavy rain and flooding covered a large area.
"Everything was done to give them a heads up that you could have heavy rain, and we're not exactly sure where it's going to land," Patrick said. "Obviously as it got dark last night, we got into the wee morning of the hours, that's when the storm started to zero in."
Kerr County Judge Rob Kelly, the county's chief elected official, said: "We do not have a warning system."
When pushed on why more precautions weren't taken, Kelly said no one knew this kind of flood was coming.
The slow-moving storm brought more rain Saturday, with the potential for pockets of heavy downpours and more flooding, said Jason Runyen, of the National Weather Service.
The threat could linger overnight and into Sunday morning, he said.
Is the US becoming uninsurable? How climate change affects insurance costs
Is the US becoming uninsurable? How climate change affects insurance costs
As Southern California still reels from January's catastrophic wildfires, the economic damage has surged to $250 billion, far exceeding initial estimates. But that figure doesn't account for damage incurred by residents whose homes and businesses were reduced to rubble and ash.
The Palisades and Eaton fires alone will result in up to to homeowners and businesses, according to data analytics firm CoreLogic. Of course, that only applies to residents who had insurance in the first place.
In the wake of an extreme weather event, residents typically can rely on insurance claims to repair damaged property —but the increasing frequency and severity of fires, storms, floods, and other occurrences complicate coverage.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in 2023 documented across the U.S., a number that outpaced any prior year on record. Climate change is the main culprit fueling these disasters' increasing frequency and intensity. By September 2023, NOAA reported that the U.S. had already racked up a staggering for that year.
Insurance companies have responded with higher rates to cover costs, culminating in overall higher insurance fees for customers. In June, the Bipartisan Policy Center reported that every quarter since the end of 2017. And car insurance isn't faring any better, either: According to the Washington Post, blizzards, tornadoes, and hailstorms led to a from 2013 to 2023, and hurricanes are responsible for an 88% jump in Florida over the same period.
 used data from to analyze the rising number of billion-dollar disasters and their implications for the insurance marketplace in the U.S.
Some insurers have begun leaving states altogether to ensure profit margins, particularly in coastal areas. Notably, Allstate and State Farm halted new policy sales in 2023 for property and casualty coverage in California due to wildfire costs. Many insurers have abandoned Louisiana and Florida residents as hurricane risk intensifies.
Annual home insurance rates average $2,258 as of February 2025—a slight dip from last year. Costs vary widely based on a home's size, age, and location. Nebraska, Florida, and Oklahoma have the highest rates in the nation.
Severe storms cause the most damage nationally each year
Droughts, storms, and floods were nearly unrelenting throughout 2023. In August, Hurricane Idalia brought storm surge, heavy rains, and flooding to Florida, Georgia, and the Carolinas, causing $3.5 billion in damages. 2024 didn't offer much of a break, either. The year began with tornadoes and high winds across the entire East Coast, racking up $1.8 billion in damages, and ended with back-to-back catastrophic hurricanes, Helene and Milton. Together, they caused an estimated $300 billion in damages and killed 250 people in Florida and other southeastern states.
With severe weather disasters becoming more common, the market for insurance has become more limited—especially in disaster-prone states. In Florida and California, for instance, some big-name insurers have stopped providing services altogether. To counter this, Florida implemented the Hurricane Catastrophe Fund and Citizens Property Insurance Corporation, both of which subsidize home insurance.
California, on the other hand, regulates insurer rates by only allowing them to evaluate based on the past 20 years, not just the current conditions. Both methods are imperfect: Florida's subsidy funds are draining quickly, and many insurers refuse to operate in California.
It's important to note that insurance alone is just treating the symptom of a larger issue: In addition to reevaluating home and auto insurance policies, states need to examine how they brace for—and recover from—natural disasters overall. As storms grow and insurance vanishes, they can't afford not to.
A mutually beneficial option might be for insurers and clients to engage in more transparent negotiations. In wildfire-riddled Oregon, for example, new legislation is attempting to encourage insurers to work with citizens to identify and increase coverage for mitigation measures.
Story editing by Nicole Caldwell and Alizah Salario. Additional editing by Kelly Glass and Elisa Huang. Copy editing by Tim Bruns and Kristen Wegrzyn.
originally appeared on and was produced and distributed in partnership with Stacker Studio.
