US: Texas river flooding claims 24 lives, dozens missing Video

At least 24 people have died and numerous others remain missing, including girls from a Christian summer camp, following severe river flooding in central Texas on July 3 to 4.

Kerr County Sheriff Larry Leitha confirmed that by July 4 evening, 24 fatalities had been recorded, Caliber.Az reports per foreign media. 

Earlier in the day, Texas officials reported approximately 20 girls missing from a nearby camp, although the exact number of missing persons remains unclear as of July 4 night.

❗️ Fast-moving Texas floodwaters SWALLOW cars

MULTIPLE deaths confirmed —Kerr County Sheriff

‘More than an ENTIRE summer’s worth of rain fell in just a few hours’ — CNN pic.twitter.com/Xi5D9SMimg

— RT (@RT_com) July 4, 2025

In response to the disaster, Governor Greg Abbott signed an emergency disaster declaration to accelerate state funding for the hardest-hit areas. Speaking at a news conference, Abbott said that emergency teams were still engaged in search and rescue operations. 

Earlier, he urged residents to follow guidance from local authorities and avoid driving into flooded areas as additional resources were deployed across Central Texas ahead of expected heavy rainfall and flash flooding.

Camp Mystic, where the missing girls were staying, has informed the parents of those unaccounted for, according to local reports. An image shared with KSAT showed camp attendees wading through floodwaters overnight.

Emergency services have been overwhelmed with calls, with one local man reporting that his brother, sister-in-law, and their two children were missing along with their home. In nearby Ingram, an RV park was destroyed by floodwaters.

Clint Morris, spokesperson for the Kerr County Sheriff’s Office, described the situation as “an extremely active scene, countywide” and warned this could be “a once-in-a-lifetime flood” for the area. The National Guard has been deployed to assist with rescue efforts. Judge Kelly also noted the county lacks an effective warning system.

The floods struck while many were asleep, after up to 10 inches of rain fell, causing the Guadalupe River to surge to nearly 35 feet on Friday — its second-highest recorded level. A further 1 to 3 inches of rain were expected before conditions eased later on July 4 night.

Meanwhile, residents across the Northeast have been dealing with the aftermath of violent thunderstorms on the Fourth of July, which brought heavy rain, strong winds, and hail.

In central New Jersey, the storms have been linked to at least three fatalities, including two men in Plainfield who died when a tree fell onto their vehicle during the height of the storm. The victims, aged 79 and 25, have not been publicly identified.

Plainfield’s Mayor, Adrian O. Mapp, described the tragedy as “a sobering reminder of the power of nature and the fragility of life.” The city cancelled its planned Independence Day parade, concert, and fireworks, with Mapp stating the community now needed time to “regroup and focus all of our energy on recovery” following “devastating” damage affecting more than 54,000 residents.

Power outages and fallen trees continued to affect southern New England, with some areas reporting large hail and hazardous driving conditions, including cars sliding off roads in northeastern Connecticut.

By Aghakazim Guliyev