To receive daily emails from Breaking Christian News to your inbox CLICK HERE


SHARE THIS ARTICLE Printer friendly version of this page

Texas Flash Flood Death Toll Rises Past 80 as Stories of Heroism and Heartbreak Emerge

Dale Hurd : Jul 7, 2025  CBN News

Camp Mystic's owner, Dick Eastland, died heroically trying to rescue campers. His grandson wrote, "If he wasn't going to die of natural causes, this was the only other way, saving the girls that he so loved and cared for."

[CBN News] Rescuers are still searching for victims of the flash floods in central Texas after the disaster took the lives of more than 82 people over the weekend. Officials say the overall death toll is sure to rise as the rescue effort is ongoing. (Screengrab image: via CBN News)

Dozens of people are still missing, including 10 girls and a counselor from a Christian summer camp along the Guadalupe River in Texas Hill Country, where the river rose 26 feet in just 45 minutes early Friday morning.

Lorena Guillen, who owns a restaurant in the area, described "hearing people's screams, kids screaming, asking for help, cars were floating away with the lights on. You could see the lights and you can hear honking. And there was like not one or two, but there were dozens of vehicles just floating away."

Christian Fell, 28, says he stood on the electric meter box outside his home for nearly three hours to stay alive.

Friday's flash floods started after a storm dropped almost a foot of rain. The National Weather Service office issued an urgent flash flood warning at 1:14 a.m., but most near the river were asleep.The quickly rising Guadalupe River brought down trees and buildings, tearing through Camp Mystic, where 750 girls were spending the holiday weekend.

"It was an absolute force of nature that I've never witnessed before," said Amanda Sue Jones, who was camping near the river with her husband and four kids and evacuated moments before the worst of the flooding hit.

"From the time we crossed the bridge to when everything's getting swept away was, I mean, probably 10 minutes," Jones said.

At Camp Mystic, where more than two dozen campers and counselors were swept away in the night, 27 are believed dead.

Among those who lost their lives, Janie Hunt, the 9-year-old cousin of Kansas City Chiefs owner Clark Hunt. His wife wrote on social media, "If your heart is broken, I assure you God is near."

Eighteen-year-old Camp Mystic counselor Chloe Childress is being remembered for her work with senior citizens.

Camp Mystic's owner, Dick Eastland, died heroically trying to rescue campers. His grandson wrote, "If he wasn't going to die of natural causes, this was the only other way, saving the girls that he so loved and cared for."

Ryan Robinson, who knew Eastland, said, "He was just an extremely selfless person and he showed that until the very end."

Also dead are Jane Ragsdale, director of Heart O' the Hills camp, and 27-year-old Julian Ryan, who died after placing his two young sons on a floating mattress.

The National Weather Service has extended the flood watch over much of south-central Texas as several inches of rain are expected for the region today.

A team from CBN's Operation Blessing is at the scene of the disaster, serving meals to local families and first responders.

HELP: Send Emergency Relief to Disaster Victims

Operation Blessing's Bob Burke said, "You've got destroyed trailers. You've got the house behind me that's been completely destroyed, and then trees are down everywhere."

President Donald Trump has signed a major disaster declaration for Kerr County, and will visit the area later this week. Subscribe for free to Breaking Christian News here

Click Here to watch the CBN News report on this.

Dale Hurd utilizes his four decades of experience to provide cutting-edge analysis of the most important events affecting our world. 







SHARE THIS ARTICLE Printer friendly version of this page

To receive daily emails from Breaking Christian News to your inbox CLICK HERE

Other Recent Articles from Breaking Christian News

Americans Split On Pastors Using AI, Skeptical It Can Help With Understanding the Bible

Daughters of the American Revolution to Vote on Definition of 'Woman' amid Criticism of Transgender Policy

FYI: These 568 Companies Are Paying to Trans Kids. A Nationwide Campaign Demands They Stop

'They Paid Me to Vote': Homeless Residents Make Explosive Claims after Spencer Pratt's Loss [Video]

America Becomes India's Top Gas Supplier amid Strait of Hormuz Conflict

Netanyahu: 'Iran Will Not Have Nuclear Weapons'

'Fauci, Biden Admin Lied to American People': DNI Gabbard Reveals Evidence of US Taxpayer-Funded Global Biolab Program

Human Trafficking Update: Feds Identify 15,500 Sponsors of Multiple Unaccompanied Kids

Ainsley Earhardt Celebrates America; Reveals Supernatural Experience That Strengthened Her Faith [Video]

Melania Trump Launches First-of-Its-Kind Foster Youth Accounts to Give Children Asset Ownership

Changing Tide: Record-low 38% of Americans Support 'Gender Transitions' - Gallup Poll

4 States Offering Pride Month Alternatives That Celebrate Family

PRO-LIFE WIN: Trump Admin Moves to Remedy Downfall of IVF

Karmelo Anthony Claims He's 'Penniless,' Can't Afford Lawyer for Appeal, Despite Pocketing $625,000, after Murder Conviction

Trump Says US Snuck 22 Oil Ships Past Iran in Covert Op, US Strikes Regime 2 Nights in a Row

Memphis Safe Task Force Surpasses 10,000 Arrests, Locates 154 Missing Children and Removes over 1,700 Firearms from City Streets

President Trump Signs $70 Billion Border Security, ICE Funding Bill that Includes Funding to Combat Child Trafficking

Report: Parents Remain Essential to Instilling Authentic Faith in Next Generation

Who Is Counseling Our Children?

Supreme Court Vacates Biden-Era Decision Outlawing Gas Stoves, Water Heaters



Search the Articles Archives

Keyword:  
Author:  
Words Posted On:  
Day Month Year



Subscribe to
Breaking Christian News


Follow BCN on Twitter
Are You Praying for Our Government Leaders?
BCN Staff

Steve Shultz
Steve Shultz, Managing Editor
Founder and Owner


Aimee Herd
Aimee Herd, Editor


BCN Plus
Are You Praying for President Trump?
 
 

All articles on this site and emails from BCN are copyrighted property of Breaking Christian News. Permission is given to link to, or share a BCN story if proper attribution is given to both the original writer and summarizer of the story. Breaking Christian News 2005-2019. All Rights Reserved.


Breaking Christian News is a division of Elijah List Publications, Inc. All Rights Reserved


Disclaimer: Articles and links, as well as the source articles linked to; do not necessarily reflect the opinion of Breaking Christian News.

editor@breakingchristiannews.com