The US state of Texas has experienced devastating flash flooding due to heavy rainfall, resulting in at least 24 fatalities and numerous missing persons, including 23 children from a girls' summer camp. Central Kerr County was particularly hard hit, with as much as 10 inches (25 centimeters) of rain falling in just a few hours overnight, causing the Guadalupe River to swell and overflow its banks. Local officials described the flooding as striking before dawn over a very short period, making it impossible to predict even with radar.

Judge Rob Kelly, the chief elected official in Kerr County, confirmed the deaths and highlighted that most of the bodies were yet to be identified as authorities worked to establish their identities. By Friday night, emergency personnel had rescued or evacuated 237 people, with 167 airlifted by helicopter, according to Major General Thomas Suelzer, the adjutant general for Texas. Search and rescue operations are ongoing, with a frantic effort to locate those still missing.

The plight of the missing children is a significant concern. Twenty-three girls were among more than 700 attendees at a summer camp when floodwaters surged through the area around 4 AM local time. Elinor Lester, a 13-year-old camper, recounted being awakened by a raging storm at 1:30 AM and subsequently being helicoptered to safety, describing the experience as "really scary" and noting that the camp was "completely destroyed." While most campers are safe, their immediate evacuation was hampered by high waters rendering local roads unusable.

Judge Kelly emphasized that "Everybody is doing everything in their power to get these kids out," acknowledging the difficulty in locating them, as they "could be in a tree. They could be out of communication." Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick also expressed prayers for all those missing to be found alive. Despite forecasts for stormy weather, Judge Kelly insisted that a disaster of this magnitude was unforeseen, stating, "We have floods all the time. This is the most dangerous river valley in the United States," but adding, "We had no reason to believe this was going to be anything like what's happened here. None whatsoever."

US President Donald Trump acknowledged the situation as "terrible" and affirmed that his administration was "working with the governor [Greg Abbott]." Search efforts are extensive, involving 14 helicopters and a dozen drones, alongside hundreds of emergency personnel on the ground. The Kerr County sheriff's office has seen desperate pleas on social media from individuals searching for loved ones, including one woman unable to reach her daughter and family who had rented a cabin, and a man whose brother's house, brother, wife, and two children were all missing after the flood. Officials have cautioned that the death toll remains fluid, as rescue operations continue for an unspecified number of missing individuals, and the process of identifying the deceased is still underway.