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First responders scan the banks of the Guadalupe River for individuals swept away by flooding in Ingram, Texas, Friday, July 4, 2025. Michel Fortier/AP/The San Antonio Express-News hide caption
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Michel Fortier/AP/The San Antonio Express-News
At least 24 people are dead following extreme flooding that slammed Texas Hill Country early Friday morning, according to state officials.
At least 20 girls from a Christian summer camp next to the Guadalupe River remain missing.
Officials said some of those campers may be stranded and unable to call for help.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott said during a news conference Friday night that the state is committing all the necessary resources to continue with a search and rescue mission.
The governor issued a disaster declaration for several counties in the state's area known as the Hill Country, about 70 miles from San Antonio.
Gov. Abbott said search and rescue missions will continue "in the darkness of the night…seeking for anybody who is not accounted for."
He added: "This is a 24/7 effort."
Damaged vehicles and debris are seen roped off near the banks of the Guadalupe River after flooding in Ingram, Texas, Friday, July 4, 2025. Michel Fortier/AP/The San Antonio Express-News hide caption
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Michel Fortier/AP/The San Antonio Express-News
At an earlier briefing, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said more than 500 responders and 14 helicopters were deployed to find anyone who is trapped in the inundated area.
"We have deployed a number of personnel to multiple locations throughout the Texas Hill Country to assist with search and rescue efforts," Patrick said, noting that the region is popular for summer camps, including one for hundreds of girls.
He said state efforts' emphasis Friday is to locate unaccounted teenagers.
"Within 45 minutes, the Guadalupe River rose 26 feet and it was a destructive flood — taking property and sadly lives," Patrick said. He added that the region got 12 inches or more of rain per hour.
Patrick said that communities in the affected areas are without electricity or internet coverage.
The situation may still get worse. Sheriff Larry Leitha said authorities believe the number of fatalities could grow.
"This is probably going to be a couple of days' process," Leitha said during a press conference.
First responders deploy boats along the Guadalupe River after deadly flooding on Friday, July 4, 2025, in Kerrville, Texas. Christopher Lee/AP/The San Antonio Express-News hide caption
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Christopher Lee/AP/The San Antonio Express-News
On Friday, the National Weather Service issued a hazard weather warning. In a statement, the NWS warned, "Flooding caused by excessive rainfall continues to be possible." The agency said an additional 1 to 3 inches of rain could fall across the region, but that "isolated spots in the Hill Country could see up to 5 inches."
The NWS explained the extreme rainfall is being caused by a moist tropical airmass combined with a slow moving storm system in counties across south central Texas.
Kerr County officials said the Guadalupe River, which runs through the region, is currently cresting at 39 feet or more — up from about 3 feet before the rainfall.
Judge Rob Kelly signed a declaration of disaster, following the devastation to property and loss of life left behind by the severe weather storm.
"Suffice it today this has been a very devastating and deadly flood," Kelly said during a Friday morning press conference.
Kelly's office said damages will be monumental to both public infrastructure and private properties, with estimates impossible to determine until floodwaters recede.
