Central Texas Flash Floods Devastate Hill Country — At Least 43 Dead, Dozens Missing

Lead: Catastrophic Flash Flooding Along the Guadalupe River

In the early hours of July 4–5, 2025, torrential rains unleashed flash flooding across Central Texas’ Hill Country. Within just a few hours, the Guadalupe River surged by over 25 feet, sweeping away homes, vehicles, and campers. Officials confirm at least 43 people killed, including 15 children, with dozens—particularly from a girls’ camp—still unaccounted for (reuters.com).

What Happened?

A mesoscale system fed by remnants of Tropical Storm Barry unleashed 5–11 inches of rain in under 12 hours (en.wikipedia.org).
The result: flash floods declared emergencies in Kerr, Travis, Burnet, and Williamson counties (es.wikipedia.org).
The hardest-hit location was Kerr County, near Kerrville and Hunt—home to Camp Mystic, a Christian girls’ camp—where floodwaters surged before dawn with little warning (reuters.com).

Rescue & Recovery Efforts

More than 850 people have been rescued via helicopters, boats, and ground teams (reuters.com).
Approximately 27 girls from Camp Mystic remained missing as of Saturday night (apnews.com).
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has activated state and federal disaster relief protocols and pledged that the search will continue “until every missing person is found” (people.com).

Why It Was So Deadly

The Guadalupe River rose ~26–29 ft in just 45 minutes, overtopping banks and swinging into nearby infrastructure without warning (theguardian.com).
Though the National Weather Service (NWS) had issued flash-flood watches, officials and visitors described the rain’s volume as far exceeding expectations (apnews.com).
Critics point to recent staff cuts at NWS, arguing that reduced forecasting capacity may have contributed to the lack of timely evacuation alerts (thedailybeast.com).

Ripple Effects Across Central Texas

The Austin metro area saw at least 5 deaths and over a dozen missing amid swollen rivers and damaged roads—some roads lost entire sections of asphalt (kut.org).
A boil-water alert was issued in Georgetown as water systems were compromised (kut.org).
Additional flash flood warnings remain active across the region through the weekend (mysanantonio.com).

Voices from the Scene

Tonia Fucci, visiting Comfort, described the scene from her balcony: “I saw furniture, trees, RVs swept downriver—it was overwhelming.” (reuters.com)
Elinor Lester, a 13-year-old camper at Camp Mystic, recalled fleeing as water surged: “The camp was completely destroyed… a helicopter landed and started taking people away.” (aljazeera.com)

What’s Next & Safety Measures

Action	Details
Search continues	Authorities vow to work “around the clock” until all missing persons are found (vanityfair.com).
Federal aid	President Trump approved federal assistance. Gov. Abbott declared a state of emergency .
Stay alert	Avoid traveling through flooded roads, heed flash flood warnings, and prepare for additional storms over the weekend .

Bottom Line

This July’s flash floods in Texas underscore the growing severity of climate-driven extreme weather. With dozens dead, infrastructure devastated, and families in anguish, authorities emphasize resilience and better early-warning systems to prevent future tragedies.