Carr County, July 8 (V7N) — A catastrophic flash flood swept through a children's summer camp and vacation destinations in Texas' scenic Hill Country, killing more than 100 people, including at least 27 children and staff members at Camp Mystic. The disaster, triggered by days of torrential rain, is being called "one of the worst in a century" by U.S. weather officials.

In the early hours of Friday, July 4, the Guadalupe River burst its levees and surged into low-lying areas with terrifying speed. As children and counselors slept in stone cabins near the riverbank, floodwaters rose rapidly—submerging structures halfway up the windows and sweeping away everything in their path.

Photos and footage shared by BBC News show the scale of the devastation: destroyed cabins, uprooted trees, and kayaks lodged in treetops. Some survivors were rescued by military trucks; others are still missing.

Unfolding Tragedy

The flooding caught many off guard. While the National Weather Service had issued a flood watch Thursday afternoon, it wasn’t upgraded to a flash flood emergency until just after 3:00 a.m. Friday—by which time much of the damage had already occurred.

Carr County—particularly the Carville area, where 84 deaths have been confirmed—was among the hardest hit. The region is part of Texas' notorious “flash flood alley,” where geography and meteorological conditions often combine to produce dangerous flood events.

According to meteorologists, 5 to 10 inches (125–250 mm) of rain fell in just three to six hours—with some parts of the region recording as much as 21 inches between July 3 and July 7. For comparison, the area's average July rainfall is just 2 inches.

Factors Behind the Disaster

Experts point to a combination of factors:

  • Excess Moisture: A tropical storm that had already caused flooding in Mexico pushed north into Texas, carrying high levels of atmospheric moisture.

  • Geography: The Texas Hill Country's mountainous terrain facilitated rapid rainfall accumulation and runoff into the Guadalupe River.

  • Slow-moving Storm: The storm system stalled, releasing concentrated rainfall over a short period.

Location and Timing

The timing proved fatal. Many residents and vacationers went to bed unaware of the severity of the threat. Camp Mystic, located just 500 feet from the river, received some of the heaviest rainfall. By the time emergency warnings reached mobile phones, the river had already risen to dangerous levels.

City Manager Dalton Rice reported light rain around 3:30 a.m., but within 30 minutes, water levels rose dramatically. By dawn, much of Camp Mystic was underwater.

Climate Change Link

Scientists have pointed to climate change as a key contributing factor. Warmer sea surface temperatures in the Gulf of Mexico—from where the storm pulled moisture—likely intensified rainfall. As the planet warms, extreme weather events such as flash floods are expected to become more frequent and severe.

Unanswered Questions

With the death toll still rising and several children missing, questions remain about whether more could have been done to prevent such a massive loss of life. As investigations continue, authorities are under pressure to reevaluate flood preparedness and early warning systems—especially for vulnerable locations like summer camps in flood-prone areas.

END/RH/AJ