Hill Country Flooding Disaster: Camp Mystic and Kerr County Ravaged by Record-Breaking Deluge
The heart of Texas Hill Country has been left shattered after a historic flash flood surged through the Guadalupe River basin, leaving destruction in its wake. Among the hardest-hit areas is the beloved Camp Mystic, a century-old girls’ summer camp near Hunt, Texas, now unrecognizable from the air.
Drone and helicopter footage released by first responders shows the full scope of the catastrophe—flooded cabins, overturned trees, broken bridges, and debris fields stretching for miles. This once-idyllic riverfront community has become the epicenter of one of Texas’ most devastating natural disasters in decades.
🛩️ Aerial Images Reveal the Scale of the Damage
From above, Camp Mystic looks like it was swallowed by the river. Video and photos show:
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Cabins submerged or swept away, with only rooftops peeking through layers of mud.
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Fields littered with debris, including mattresses, backpacks, and collapsed camp structures.
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Mudlines six feet high on surviving buildings, indicating the height of the flash flood crest.
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Nearby roads cut off by floodwaters, making ground access nearly impossible for hours.
The Guadalupe River, normally a calm and scenic waterway, exploded in volume after a 15-inch overnight downpour, rising over 20 feet in less than 60 minutes. The resulting torrent tore through homes, camps, and communities across Kerr County.
🧭 Search and Rescue From the Sky
Helicopters and drones have played a critical role in rescue and recovery, especially around Camp Mystic where terrain made access difficult. Emergency crews used aerial thermal cameras and loudspeakers to locate survivors stranded on rooftops or clinging to trees.
More than 850 individuals have been rescued statewide, but 27 girls from Camp Mystic remain missing as of this writing. Aerial teams continue to sweep the area systematically, coordinated by Texas Task Force 1 and the Coast Guard.
💔 A Camp Community in Mourning
Camp Mystic, founded in 1926, has hosted generations of Texas girls for spiritual and outdoor growth. Now, its legacy is tied to tragedy. Families are gathering at reunification centers, praying for updates. Counselors, many of them teenagers themselves, have been praised for their heroic actions during the flood.
One mother described the scene from the air as “heartbreaking,” watching footage of her daughter’s cabin—now flattened. Another family recognized a muddy towel hanging from a tree, likely placed by a camper as a signal.
📢 Calls for Better Flood Response
Despite advance warnings, many question why early alert systems failed, and why Camp Mystic—built on a known floodplain—was not evacuated earlier. Officials have vowed to review protocols, but right now, the focus remains on finding the missing and supporting grieving families.
📌 Conclusion
The aerial footage above Camp Mystic paints a stark picture: nature’s power, human vulnerability, and the urgent need for preparedness. As search efforts continue in the skies over Hill Country, Texans are coming together in grief, hope, and determination to rebuild.
