Need the latest on the tragic Camp Mystic flooding? On July 4, 2025 a historic deluge overwhelmed the century-old Christian girls summer camp in Hunt, Texas leaving 23 girls missing and at least 24 dead across Kerr County.
Discover the details of this catastrophe, ongoing rescue efforts and what it means for the beloved camps future.
The Nightmare at Camp Mystic
Just after midnight on July 4, 2025 a monstrous storm dumped 10 to 12 inches of rain on Texas Hill Country, turning the Guadalupe River into a deadly force. Camp Mystic, a Christian summer camp for girls aged 7 to 17 sat right in its path along the river in Hunt, Texas.
The river surged 26 feet in under an hour—its second-highest level ever flooding cabins and sweeping some away entirely, according to the National Weather Service.
One of our Team member driven those quiet Hill Country roads, and it’s hard to imagine the peaceful Guadalupe becoming a wall of water that fast. As of July 5, 23 girls remain unaccounted for with parents like Carrie Hanna of Dallas posting desperate pleas for their daughters including 8-year-old Hadley Hanna and 9-year-old Greta Toranzo.
Chaos in the Dark
The flood hit around 4 am catching campers and staff asleep. Elinor Lester, a 13-year-old camper told reporters she woke to thunder and rain hammering her cabin on Senior Hill a higher spot that spared older girls.
Younger campers in riverside cabins faced horror—some waded through waist-deep water clinging to ropes tied by counselors to reach safety.
Our team member told that he has been in storms that shake you to your core but this was biblical: no power, no Wi-Fi, no roads.
By Friday night 237 people were rescued and 167 by helicopter, but washed-out highways like Texas 27 made ground access a nightmare. The camps owners, Dick and Tweety Eastland emailed parents saying “We have sustained catastrophic level floods”, and begged for air support.
A Legacy Under Water
Camp Mystic, founded in 1926 by University of Texas coach EJ Doc Stewart, has been a Hill Country staple for nearly a century. Run by the Eastland family since the 1930s it’s hosted daughters of Texas legends like governors Dan Moody and John Connally.
Its 1920s cypress-wood recreation hall and sprawling campus along the Guadalupe offered girls archery, kayaking, and faith-based community to build confidence.
I have heard friends rave about their camp summers passing down traditions like group dances seen on Mystic’s Instagram. With 750 girls this session it’s a second home for many—now devastated by floodwaters that wrecked cabins and upended lives.
Rescue Efforts in Full Swing
Texas is throwing everything at this crisis. Over 500 responders, 14 helicopters, 12 drones, and boats are searching the Guadalupe’s banks as per Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick. The Texas National Guard, Game Wardens, and US Coast Guard are airlifting survivors some found clinging to trees.
Governor Greg Abbott calling it an extraordinary catastrophe vowed non-stop searches with President Trump pledging federal aid. At a reunification center in Kerrville’s Walmart families wait anxiously—some reuniting with tearful kids others like Janie Hunts mom praying for miracles.
I saw footage of helicopters buzzing over muddy waters and it’s gut-wrenching to think of girls still out there. The death toll stands at 24 in Kerr County, one in Kendall County and could climb.
Why the Flood Was So Deadly
The Hill Countrys nicknamed Flash Flood Alley for good reason. Its rocky soil can’t soak up heavy rain so water rushes into rivers like the Guadalupe. The National Weather Service issued a flood watch Thursday but no one expected a 1-in-100-year storm with 12 inches of rain overnight.
Kerr County Judge Rob Kelly admitted theres no warning system saying “No one knew this kind of flood was coming”. A 1987 flood killed 10 teens at a nearby camp but this one’s worse with the river hitting 30 feet near Comfort. I have seen Texas storms turn streets into rivers but this speed 26 feet in 45 minutes—is unreal.