At least 43 dead as flood waters recede in central Texas

At least 43 people, including 15 children, have been confirmed dead following flash floods in central Texas, authorities said on Saturday, as rescuers continued a frantic search for campers, holidaymakers and residents still missing.

Officials said the death toll was likely to rise, as other counties in the area were also affected by the flooding. Travis County Public Information Officer Hector Nieto confirmed four deaths from the flooding there, with 13 others reported missing.

Authorities said more than 850 people had been rescued — including some found clinging to trees — after a sudden storm dropped up to 15 inches of rain around the Guadalupe River, about 85 miles (137 km) northwest of San Antonio.

Among the missing were 27 girls from the Camp Mystic summer camp, Kerrville city manager Dalton Rice said at a press conference on Saturday evening, adding that others might also be unaccounted for.

“We are kind of looking at this in two ways — the known missing, which is the 27 … We will not put a number on the other side because we just don’t know,” Rice said.

The disaster unfolded rapidly on Friday morning as heavier-than-forecast rainfall drove river levels up to 29 feet.

“We know that the rivers rise, but nobody saw this coming,” said Kerr County Judge Rob Kelly, the region’s top elected official.

Kerr County Sheriff Larry Leitha said 17 of the confirmed dead — including five children — had yet to be identified.

The US National Weather Service said that the flash flood emergency has largely ended for Kerr County, the epicenter of the flooding, following thunderstorms that dumped as much as a foot of rain early on Friday.

A flood watch, however, remains in effect until 7pm on Saturday from the San Antonio-Austin, Texas, region, with scattered showers expected throughout the day, said Allison Santorelli, a meteorologist with the NWS Weather Prediction Center in College Park, Maryland.

US President Donald Trump said the federal government is working with state and local officials to respond to the flooding. “Melania and I are praying for all of the families impacted by this horrible tragedy. Our Brave First Responders are on site doing what they do best,” he said on social media.

Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also expressed grief over the loss of lives in the tragic flash floods on his X account, saying, “Having suffered a similar incident in north west Pakistan just a few days ago, we can fully understand the pain and suffering of the bereaved families.”