Texas flooding: At least 24 dead and over 20 girls from Camp Mystic missing, search operation on

Months’ worth of heavy rain fell within just a few hours in the Texas Hill Country, triggering catastrophic flash floods that left at least 24 people dead and many others unaccounted for by Friday.

Among the missing are approximately 20 girls who were attending a summer camp in the area, AP reported.

Desperate pleas peppered social media as loved ones sought any information about people caught in the flood zone. At least 10 inches (25 centimetres) of rain poured down overnight in central Kerr County, causing flash flooding of the Guadalupe River, according to the report.

Flash flood emergency

The US National Weather Service declared a flash flood emergency for parts of Kerr County in Texas Hill Country, about 65 miles (105 kilometers) northwest of San Antonio, after powerful thunderstorms brought torrential rainfall to the region, Reuters reported.

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Some areas experienced as much as a foot of rain in a short period, overwhelming the landscape and leading to dangerous flooding conditions.

Dalton Rice, city manager for Kerville, the county seat, told reporters the extreme flooding struck before dawn with little or no warning, precluding authorities from issuing advance evacuation orders as the Guadalupe swiftly rose above major flood stage.

“This happened very quickly, over a very short period of time that could not be predicted, even with radar,” Rice said, according to Reuters, “This happened within less than a two-hour span,” he added.

July Fourth fireworks displays were cancelled in flood-stricken communities throughout the region, including Kerville, where the rain-swollen river submerged the waterfront site for Friday night's planned U.S. Independence Day celebration.

Kerr County Sheriff Larry Leitha told reporters that 13 people were found dead from flooding in the area, adding, “I think there will be more when this thing is over.”

Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick said at an earlier news briefing that six to 10 bodies of adults and children had been found, some in cars washed downstream.

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The Llano River flowing through adjacent Mason County was also reported running at flood stage, posing “a life-threatening situation,” the weather service reported.

With additional rain forecast in the region, Patrick warned that an ongoing threat for possible flash flooding extended from San Antonio to Waco for the next 24 to 48 hours.

Personnel from the U.S. Coast Guard and the Federal Emergency Management Agency were activated to assist local authorities in confronting the crisis, officials said, Reuters reported.

(With inputs from agencies)