Search For Missing Texas Flood Victims Intensifies As Death Toll Rises

At least 82 people have been found dead from the catastrophic flooding that hit Central Texas over the July Fourth holiday, and the search continues for missing victims.

Among the missing are 10 girls who were attending Camp Mystic, a Christian girls’ camp in Kerrville, the small town that took the brunt of the record-breaking flash flooding, FOX 26 Houston reported. Rescuers intensified their search efforts on Monday as the region faced more rain and possible flooding into the early morning hours.

Most of the deaths reported have come from Kerr County, where at least 68 people have died after the Guadalupe River rose more than 30 feet in an hour in some areas. Of the 68 deaths there, 28 were children, including two sisters whose bodies were found 15 miles from where the flood waters washed them away from a cabin near the river, according to the Houston Chronicle. Blair and Brooke Harber, ages 11 and 13, were found clinging to each other while holding rosaries, their aunt said. The aunt, Jennifer Harber, said that Brooke sent a final text to her family at 3:30 a.m., saying, “I love you.”

“Blair and Brooke Harber clung to each other as they were swept away by ravaging floods in Kerr County early Friday with rescuers discovering the bodies of the 11- and 13-year-old sisters from Dallas with rosaries and hands locked together” https://t.co/afEj0trvvc

— Mary Margaret Olohan (@MaryMargOlohan) July 7, 2025

The girls’ parents, RJ and Annie, were staying in a different cabin slightly farther from the river, the WSJ reported. When RJ woke up to pounding rain and flood waters pouring into the cabin, he borrowed a kayak, a life vest, and a flashlight to help alert other sleeping families to the flooding and attempt to reach his daughters. But the water was moving too rapidly, and debris, including floating vehicles and other cabins, was piling up.

“There were cars floating at me and trees floating at me. I knew if I took even one stroke further, it was gonna be a death sentence,” RJ said.

Authorities also confirmed on Sunday that the dead body of a Camp Mystic counselor who had just graduated from high school was found. Chloe Childress “lost her life upholding this selfless and fierce commitment to others,” according to the Kinkaid School, where Childress had attended.

Chloe Childress, a counselor at Camp Mystic, was killed during the devastating flooding in Hunt, Texas, over the holiday weekend, according to a representative of her high school.

Read more: https://t.co/tW5rujrFKn pic.twitter.com/WKNUjMkxs6

— ABC News (@ABC) July 7, 2025

“Chloe Childress lived a beautiful life that saturated those around her with contagious joy, unending grace, and abiding faith. Returning as a counselor to the place she loved so dearly, Chloe was looking forward to dedicating her summer days to loving and mentoring young girls at Camp Mystic,” the Childress family said in a statement. “Our family was shocked to hear of the horrific tragic flooding in the hill country, and we were devastated to learn that our precious Chloe was among the victims. While we know that her joy is now eternal and her faith has become sight, our hearts are shattered by this loss and the similar heartbreak of other families like ours.”

The flooding has also devastated other counties in Central Texas. In Travis County, five deaths have been reported, three people have died in Burnet County, two more deaths were confirmed in Williamson County, and Kendall and Tom Green Counties each reported one death due to the flooding.

Authorities have rescued more than 850 people trapped by floodwaters. One U.S. Coast Guard rescue swimmer, Petty Officer Scott Ruskin, was credited with saving the lives of 165 flood victims.

“This was the first rescue mission of his career and he was the only triage coordinator at the scene,” said Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. “Scott Ruskin is an American hero. His selfless courage embodies the spirit and mission of the @USCG.”

President Donald Trump signed a disaster declaration for Kerr County on Sunday, directing federal resources to support the area’s recovery. Trump also said that he expects to visit the devastated region on Friday.

“We wanted to leave a little time. I would’ve done it today, but we’d just be in their way,” the president said.