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Officials on Saturday confirmed at least 32 people are dead and more than 27 young girls remain missing after a devastating flood swept through Kerr County, Texas.
Three young girls who were staying at Camp Mystic, an all-girls private Christian retreat in Hunt, Texas, have been confirmed dead.
Anne Hunt confirmed to Fox News Digital that her daughter, Janie, was one of the campers killed in the flood. Additionally, A Voice for the Voiceless, a nonprofit that advocates for “the missing, voiceless and crime victims,” identified Renee Smajstrla as the other deceased camper.
A third camper has been confirmed to be deceased. However, her family has asked that her name not be released.
Of the 32 people killed, officials said, 18 were adults and 14 were children.
Five of the adults remain unidentified, and three of the children remain unidentified, authorities said.
Kerr County officials confirmed on Saturday 27 campers were missing. There were 750 attendees at the camp when the flood hit.
Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, shared photos Saturday of the damage to Camp Mystic, taken during a helicopter tour following the flood.
Buildings appeared to be either completely washed away, or reduced to rubble.
Kerr County Judge Rob Kelly said “nobody saw this coming,” and it broke his heart seeing “many of the body bags” at local funeral homes.
One of the deaths has been confirmed as Heart O’ the Hills camp director and co-owner Jane Ragsdale.
No children were staying at the nearby camp during the flood, as it was between sessions, according to a statement posted on the Heart O’ the Hills website.
“We at the camp are stunned and deeply saddened by Jane’s death,” the camp wrote. “She embodied the spirit of Heart O’ the Hills and was exactly the type of strong, joyful woman that the camp aimed to develop with the girls entrusted to us each summer.”
President Donald Trump posted about the tragedy on Truth Social on Saturday, confirming that the administration was working with state and local officials to respond to the tragedy.
“Melania and I are praying for all of the families impacted by this horrible tragedy. Our Brave First Responders are on site doing what they do best. GOD BLESS THE FAMILIES, AND GOD BLESS TEXAS!”
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Families have lined up at reunification centers hoping to see their loved ones. According to the Kerr County Sheriff’s Office, Ingram Elementary School in Ingram, Texas, and The Arcadia Live Theater in Kerrville, Texas, are being used as reunification centers.
Camp Mystic, which had about 750 attendees, reportedly told parents that if they had not been contacted directly it meant that their child was accounted for.
Ellen Toranzo told Fox News Digital that her daughter, Greta Toranzo, is one of the campers who went missing during the flood. Carrie Hanna also confirmed to Fox News Digital that her daughter, Hadley, is unaccounted for.
Both girls remain missing, as of Saturday afternoon.
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Elinor Lester, 13, told the Associated Press she was evacuated with her cabinmates by helicopter after wading through floodwaters. Lester also said that the “camp was completely destroyed” in the disastrous flood. The outlet noted that Lester was housed on higher ground at the camp, known as Senior Hill. Younger campers, who can begin attending at age 8, are housed along the riverbanks and were the first to flood, according to the Associated Press.
The National Guard was deployed in Texas to respond after heavy rain on Friday morning caused the Guadalupe River to rise nearly 30 feet in 45 minutes.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem later said that members of the U.S. Coast Guard deployed to assist in evacuations saved or assisted in saving 223 lives.
As of Saturday morning, more than 850 uninjured people and eight injured people had been evacuated, including 167 by helicopter, according to the Kerr County Sheriff’s Office.
Additional fixed-wing aircraft from the Coast Guard have been requested, Noem said during a news conference Saturday afternoon.
Texas deployed more than 1,300 state responders and over 800 vehicles and equipment assets, according to Gov. Greg Abbott’s office.
The governor also signed a federal disaster declaration and declared an emergency for 15 counties.
“This is a time when we, as a state, need God more than ever,” Abbott wrote in a statement. “The one thing I hear the most are the prayers that are being sent for those who are in harm’s way.”
Authorities pledged to search until every single missing person is found.
“Our nation’s heart breaks for the victims in Texas and their families. Just an incomprehensible tragedy,” Vice President JD Vance wrote on X. “I hope everyone affected knows they’re in the prayers of my family, and of millions of Americans.”
The vice president, a devout Catholic, also included the Eternal Rest Prayer in his post.
The Kerr County Sheriff’s Office is encouraging those with missing loved ones to call the Red Cross at 1-800-733-2767 for information.
Fox News Digital’s Landon Mion contributed to this report.
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