Situated on the banks of the Guadalupe River, Camp Mystic, an all-girls Christian summer camp reported at least 23 missing girls after sudden, torrential rainfall unleashed flash floods across Texas Hill Country early Friday. Over 10 inches of rain in central Kerr County overnight caused the Guadalupe River to surge by 22 feet in just two hours. A river gauge in the nearby town of Hunt recorded a nearly 30-foot rise before it stopped functioning, according to the Associated Press. The deluge cut off access routes, washed away a nearby highway, and left the area with no power, water, or Wi-Fi.Camp Mystic was founded in 1926, has long been a cherished summer destination for the daughters of Texas’s political elite and other families from across the state. The camp’s website described its mission as fostering “a wholesome Christian atmosphere in which young girls can develop outstanding personal qualities and self-esteem.” Its youngest campers typically enter the third grade in the fall.In a brief email to parents on Friday morning, Camp Mystic acknowledged that it had suffered “catastrophic level floods.” It confirmed that it was cooperating with ongoing search-and-rescue operations but highlighted the severe logistical challenges due to washed-out roads and communication breakdowns.Rescue efforts continued through the day, with helicopters, boats, and drones deployed across the region. Camp Mystic’s facilities include a recreation hall built in the 1920s using local cypress trees. Camp activities range from archery and fishing to cooking, cheerleading, and various sports.Owned by Dick and Tweety Eastland since 1974, the camp has been operated by generations of the same family since the 1930s. The Eastlands, both University of Texas at Austin graduates, worked closely with the previous camp owners before taking over its management.As the search for survivors continued, the full scale of the disaster remained unclear. Emergency crews warned that the rising water levels and washed-out infrastructure posed ongoing risks across the flood-affected region.
