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- Torrential rain and flash floods hit parts of central Texas early Friday morning.
- Officials said that at least 43 people have died, but that they expect that number to rise.
- Some two dozen children are missing from Camp Mystic, a local summer camp.
At least 43 people have died after heavy rainfall caused flash flooding in parts of central Texas on Friday.
About two dozen kids are also missing from Camp Mystic, a Christian girls’ camp along the Guadalupe River, which Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said rose 26 feet in 45 minutes as torrential rain battered the region.
The Heart O’ the Hills, another girls’ camp based along the river, said its director, Jane Ragsdale, had died in the floods.
“We have received word that Jane Ragsdale did not make it,” the camp said in a statement posted to its website. “We are mourning the loss of a woman who influenced countless lives and was the definition of strong and powerful.”
It added that the camp was not in session as the flooding hit, and that “most of those who were on camp at the time have been accounted for and are on high ground.”
The National Weather Service said the Guadalupe River reached the second-highest height on record on Friday. The agency said it was also monitoring potential flooding around Lake Travis and warned of “dangerous and life-threatening flooding and heavy rain” across multiple counties.
Here are some images showing the impact of the flooding and ongoing search and rescue efforts.
