The flash flood on July 4 in Central Texas resulted in at least 136 deaths, including children and counselors from Camp Mystic. Reports indicate a chaotic rescue effort, with confusion over emergency communications as the floodwaters rapidly rose. The National Weather Service initially reported little rain, yet two weather cells combined to induce a flash flood warning at 1:14 a.m. Evacuations at Camp Mystic began around 2:30 a.m., but communication failures hampered timely rescues. Emergency dispatchers started requesting water rescues shortly after the first distress calls began to flood in.
The flooding killed at least 136 people - including more than two dozen children and counselors at Camp Mystic, a century-old summer camp for girls that was among the first areas inundated.
A sheriff's deputy pauses while combing through debris on the banks of the Guadalupe River near Camp Mystic in Hunt, Texas, on July 5, 2025.
Emergency calls come in for homes flooding along Highway 39, and dispatchers request the first water rescue at 3:35 a.m.
A National Weather Service forecaster tells emergency managers, there has been little rain, but within 40 minutes, two weather cells combine, creating a more dangerous situation.
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