Texas Flood Disaster: 27 Dead, Dozens Missing After Flash Flood Obliterates Girls’ Camp and More in Kerr County [Video]

A quiet summer night turned catastrophic when flash floods ripped through Kerr County, which is in the heart of Texas Hill Country, before dawn Friday. The terrifying event killed at least 27 people, including nine children, and sweeping away dozens more, many from Camp Mystic, a Christian girls’ camp near the Guadalupe River.

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In just 45 minutes, the river surged 26 feet, overwhelming campers, homes, and vehicles.

“The camp was completely destroyed,” said 13-year-old camper Elinor Lester. “A helicopter landed and started taking people away. It was really scary.”

Lester recalled waking after midnight to the sound of raging water. Rescuers tied a rope across a bridge so the girls could walk through floodwaters lashing at their legs.

Officials said 27 people from Camp Mystic are still missing.

“People need to know today will be a hard day,” said Kerrville Mayor Joe Herring, Jr.

The terrifying storm, described by survivors as a “pitch black wall of death,” caught many off guard despite earlier weather alerts. Erin Burgess and her son clung to a tree for over an hour as water filled their home.

“Thankfully he’s over 6 feet tall. That’s the only thing that saved me,” she said.

Matthew Stone of Kerrville said he got no emergency alert.

“There was nothing,” he said.

More than 1,000 rescuers using helicopters, boats, and drones have rescued 850 people so far. U.S. Coast Guard teams joined in, pulling stranded residents from trees.

Officials acknowledged the flood’s force was unprecedented. “It did not predict the amount of rain that we saw,” said Texas Emergency Management Chief Nim Kidd.

At reunification centers, families cried and cheered as survivors arrived. But for many, especially those connected to Camp Mystic, the nightmare is far from over.