Camp Hit by Devastating Texas Floods Shares Tragic Update: ‘Our Hearts Are Broken’
Camp Mystic says it is mourning the devastating loss of almost 30 campers and counselors.
Ronaldo Schemidt/AFP via Getty Images
A summer camp ravaged by the deadly floods sweeping across central Texas has shared a heartbreaking update on its death toll after the disaster.
“Camp Mystic is grieving the loss of 27 campers and counselors following the catastrophic flooding on the Guadalupe river,” the camp posted to its website Monday. “Our hearts are broken alongside our families that are enduring this unimaginable tragedy. We are praying for them constantly.”
The organization said a number of its staff are among the dead, although the exact figure has not yet been disclosed. They added they remain in communication with state and local emergency responders as they continue “deploying extensive resources to search for our missing girls.”
Camp Mystic, a beloved 100-year-old Christian camp for girls, was devastated by the flooding.
Sergio Flores/REUTERS
“We are deeply grateful for the outpouring of support from community, first responders, and officials at every level,” it added. “We ask for your continued prayers, respect and privacy for each of our families affected. May the Lord continue to wrap His presence around all of us.”
A more than 100-year-old private Christian summer camp for girls, Camp Mystic found itself suddenly deluged by powerful floodwaters late last week after the nearby river surged following a spate of severe thunderstorms. As of early afternoon Monday, the death toll in the region stands at 82 and rising.
Camp Mystic, where former first lady Laura Bush was once a counselor, said it had lost 27 campers and counselors in the flooding.
Ronaldo Schemidt/AFP via Getty Images
Three of the deceased campers have already been identified: Janie Hunt, 9; Renee Smajstrla, 8; and Sarah Marsh, 8. Hunt was a cousin of Kansas City Chiefs owner Clark Hunt, and great-granddaughter of oil billionaire William Herbert Hunt.
Chloe Childress, an 18-year-old counselor, is among the staff known to have died when the waters swept through the site, along with camp director Dick Eastland as he attempted to save a number of the girls from going under.
Nine-year-old Janie Hunt, a cousin of Kansas City Chiefs owner Clark Hunt, was among the Camp Mystic campers who died in the floods.
Getty Images/X
Both President Donald Trump and his former cost-cutting chief Elon Musk have faced increasing public criticism as the disaster has unfolded for their deep cuts to public weather services under DOGE, not least after Texas officials said forecasting failures had left residents wholly unprepared for the deluge.
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The president has said he will “probably” visit the scene of the deadly flash floods on Friday.
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