At least 27 people have lost their lives in catastrophic floods that struck Kerr County, Texas, following days of torrential rain. The victims include 9 children and 18 adults, among them 9-year-old Renee Smeistrala, who was attending a summer camp in the area, RKS News reports.
The disaster has left 20 other girls still missing, all of whom were attending the same Christian girls’ camp, Mystic, located along the Guadalupe River, which swelled by over 8 meters (26 feet) in just a few hours due to the intense rainfall.
Over 700 children were present at the camp at the time of the flood, which completely destroyed the site. Emergency services have launched a massive search and rescue operation, though concerns for the missing girls are mounting by the hour.
Local officials have declared the situation “life-threatening,” as rescue crews and disaster relief teams work around the clock to assist affected residents and camp attendees.
