Death toll from Texas floods rises to 79, 10 campers missing

The number of people killed in flash floods across central Texas has climbed to 78, with 10 campers missing, authorities confirmed on Sunday.

Most of the deaths were in Kerr County, where the Guadalupe River burst its banks after nearly a foot of rain fell on Friday. 

The disaster struck the Texas Hill Country, an area dotted with summer camps, during the busy Independence Day weekend. Camp Mystic, an all-girls camp near Hunt, was hit hard.

Survivors described terrifying scenes as water surged through cabins and homes in the early hours. Some clung to trees. Others fled to attics. More than 850 people were rescued in the first 36 hours.

President Donald Trump signed a major disaster declaration for Kerr County on Sunday, allowing federal assistance. “These families are enduring an unimaginable tragedy,” he wrote on social media.

Governor Greg Abbott declared Sunday a day of prayer, and said search teams would work around the clock. “We will not stop until everyone is found,” Sheriff Leitha added.

Families were allowed to return to the camp on Sunday to recover belongings and search for their loved ones. Some broke down in tears as they walked through wreckage and empty cabins. One girl was seen holding a camp bell. Another family drove away in silence with a teenage girl crying by the window.

In Rome, Pope Leo XIV offered condolences during his Sunday prayer, saying: “We pray for all the families, especially those who lost daughters at summer camp.”

Known as ‘flash flood alley’, the region is prone to such disasters. But even locals say they weren’t prepared for the speed and scale of this storm.

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