The July 2025 Central Texas floods were the deadliest flood event the state had seen in decades. On the morning of July 4, 2025, catastrophic flash flooding struck the Hill Country, with the Guadalupe River rising at a rate and to a height that overwhelmed communities, campgrounds, and emergency response systems along its banks. At least 139 people died. Among the most tragic sites was Camp Mystic — a girls’ summer camp along the Guadalupe River in Kerr County — where 28 people lost their lives, including 25 campers as young as 8 years old.
Texas Flood Death Toll – By the Numbers
| County | Deaths | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Kerr County | 119 | Hardest hit; includes 28 from Camp Mystic |
| Travis County | 9 | Austin area; multiple flooding sites |
| Burnet County | 5 | Colorado River watershed flooding |
| Williamson County | 3 | North of Austin |
| Tom Green County | 1 | West-central Texas |
| Total confirmed | 139 | Final confirmed count as of late 2025 |
The death toll makes the July 2025 event the deadliest Texas flood since at least 1998. In addition to the confirmed dead, over 160 people were reported missing in the days immediately following the flooding, with search and recovery operations extending weeks along the Guadalupe River and its tributaries.
What Happened – The July 4, 2025 Texas Floods
The flooding began in the early morning hours of July 4, 2025, while most residents were still asleep. A mesoscale convective vortex carrying enhanced tropical moisture — remnants of Tropical Storm Barry and Hurricane Flossie — released more than 20 inches of rainfall across parts of the Guadalupe River watershed between July 3 and July 6. The region’s steep hill country terrain channeled water rapidly into low-lying areas. Furthermore, an extended drought had hardened the soil, significantly reducing its ability to absorb water and increasing runoff.
In Kerrville, the Guadalupe River rose approximately 26 feet in just 45 minutes — a rate that gave residents and campers almost no time to evacuate. The river crested at 34.3 feet in Kerrville, the third-highest on record there, and at 37.5 feet in Hunt — a record surpassing even the catastrophic 1987 flood that killed 10 teenagers at a nearby camp. The river’s flow rate peaked at an estimated 120,000 cubic feet per second, compared to a normal rate of 8–10 cubic feet per second.
Camp Mystic – What Happened
Camp Mystic is a private non-denominational Christian girls’ summer camp on a 725-acre campus along the banks of the Guadalupe River in unincorporated Kerr County, approximately 6 miles southwest of Hunt. The camp was founded in 1926 and has operated continuously except for three years during World War II. In early July 2025, Camp Mystic was hosting 750 campers — girls aged 8 to 17.
At approximately 1:15 AM on July 4, the National Weather Service issued a flash flood emergency. Camp director Dick Eastland, 75, did not begin evacuation procedures for more than an hour. By 2:55 AM, the situation became critical. Eastland drove to the Bubble Inn cabin to personally lead an evacuation — but by then, floodwaters had already reached catastrophic levels. His body was later found in an SUV along with three of the Bubble Inn campers. He died attempting to rescue the girls in his care.
In total, 28 people at Camp Mystic died — 25 campers between the ages of 8 and 10, two counselors aged 18 and 19, and Eastland. Among the deceased were 8-year-old twins Hanna and Rebecca Lawrence from Dallas, and 8-year-old Linnie McCown from Austin. Some campers survived extraordinary circumstances — one girl was swept six and a half miles downriver and survived.
Investigation Findings – Were the Deaths Preventable?
In April 2026, a Texas legislative investigation concluded that the Camp Mystic deaths were preventable. Lead investigator Casey Garrett told lawmakers that the failures began long before the river flooded. Key findings from the investigation included:
- No proper written evacuation plan was in place — only verbal procedures
- Counselors had no radios, walkie-talkies, or personal phones — campers were not allowed to bring cellphones, leaving staff without communication equipment in an emergency
- Staff were not adequately trained for flood evacuations
- A culture at the camp discouraged counselors from questioning leadership decisions
- The camp had been identified in FEMA flood maps as sitting in a high-risk floodway since at least 2011
- Kerr County had no dedicated flood warning system despite a long history of deadly Guadalupe River flooding
By February 2026, five lawsuits representing 15 families had been filed against Camp Mystic. The camp announced in April 2026 that it would not reopen for the summer, following a court order blocking renovations to the Guadalupe campus pending completion of the investigation.
Broader Failures – Warning Systems and NWS Staffing
The flooding also drew attention to broader warning system failures. Kerr County had no dedicated automated flood warning system — it relied on cellphone emergency alerts, which are ineffective when phones are off, in poor signal areas, or when recipients (such as campers) do not have phones. By contrast, the neighboring community of Comfort had a $60,000 computer-backed siren system tied to the National Weather Service. Comfort had no casualties.
Critics also pointed to National Weather Service staffing cuts in the months before the disaster. By early June 2025, the NWS had lost nearly 600 employees through layoffs and retirements following DOGE-directed reductions at NOAA. Whether reduced NWS staffing contributed to the warning timeline is a point of ongoing congressional debate.
Recovery and Response
President Trump signed a major disaster declaration for Kerr County at Governor Greg Abbott’s request. The U.S. Coast Guard conducted 223 aerial rescues. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis deployed three swift-water rescue teams to Texas. Over 2,000 volunteers arrived in Kerr County to assist with search and recovery. FEMA provided disaster assistance to affected counties, though the agency’s future role was debated in the aftermath as President Trump had publicly discussed restructuring it.
For current Texas weather alerts and flood information, visit the National Weather Service Austin/San Antonio office. For more Texas news, read our coverage of the Texas flooding map and our overview of Texas senators involved in the legislative response.
Frequently Asked Questions – Texas Flood Death Toll
How many people died in the Texas floods of 2025?
At least 139 people died in the July 2025 Central Texas floods — 119 in Kerr County, 9 in Travis County, 5 in Burnet County, 3 in Williamson County, and 1 in Tom Green County. The death toll was the deadliest Texas flood event in decades.
How many people died at Camp Mystic in the Texas floods?
28 people at Camp Mystic died in the July 2025 floods — 25 campers aged 8 to 10, two counselors aged 18 and 19, and camp director Dick Eastland, who died while attempting to rescue campers.
What caused the Texas floods in July 2025?
The July 4, 2025 floods were caused by extreme rainfall from the remnants of Tropical Storm Barry and Hurricane Flossie, combined with drought-hardened soil that could not absorb water. The Guadalupe River rose 26 feet in 45 minutes in Kerrville and crested at record levels.
What was the Guadalupe River flood level in 2025?
The Guadalupe River crested at 34.3 feet in Kerrville and 37.5 feet in Hunt — the highest level ever recorded in Hunt’s history, surpassing the previous record set in July 1987. The river rose an estimated 26 feet in 45 minutes.
Were the Camp Mystic deaths preventable?
A Texas legislative investigation released in April 2026 found the deaths were preventable. Investigators found there was no proper evacuation plan, counselors lacked radios and communication equipment, and campers were not allowed cellphones. Counselors were not adequately trained for flood emergencies.
