The floodwaters that ravaged Central Texas have finally started to retreat, but the devastation left behind is far more harrowing than the rising water ever was. In towns like Kerrville, families clutch photos and hold onto hope — not for reunions, but for answers.
Texas’s Division of Emergency Management (TDEM) now estimates that the death toll from the catastrophic July 4 flood will surpass 100, marking it as the deadliest natural disaster in recent state history. While officials publicly emphasize ongoing rescue efforts, internal communications obtained by the Daily Mail reveal a grim shift: teams are moving from search and rescue to recovery mode.
“Our hope and prayer remain that survivors are still out there,” TDEM chief W. Nim Kidd said in a recent briefing. “But our teams are preparing for the worst.”
As of Sunday morning, 69 deaths have been confirmed, including 21 children. Eleven girls and a counselor from Camp Mystic, a beloved all-girls Christian camp nestled near the Guadalupe River, remain missing. This camp has become the epicenter of the tragedy’s heartbreak.
DNA Testing: A New and Painful Chapter
The state has begun asking families to provide DNA samples to help identify bodies too damaged to recognize visually. Dental records, blood tests, and personal belongings are also being collected to aid identification.
Grieving relatives from across Texas are arriving in Kerrville and neighboring towns like Hunt and Ingram—not for closure, but for the unbearable task of confirming the identities of loved ones.
Young Lives Shattered
Among the confirmed victims are Lila Bonner and Eloise Peck, inseparable best friends from Dallas and campers at Camp Mystic. “They were full of light,” a family friend said tearfully. “They didn’t deserve this.”
The camp’s longtime director, Richard “Dick” Eastland, also died while trying to evacuate campers as floodwaters engulfed his cabin.
The Heartbreak of Tight-Knit Communities
Many missing children come from Highland Park, an affluent Dallas enclave known as the “Beverly Hills of Texas.” The community has deep ties to Highland Park United Methodist Church, where former President George W. Bush is a member.
In a heartfelt message, the church’s lead pastor Paul Rasmussen said, “This crisis touches many in our HPUMC family… including generations connected to Camp Mystic. Please keep Hadley Hanna and her family in your prayers.” A candlelight vigil at the church drew over 300 mourners Saturday night.
Scenes of Ruin and Courage
At Camp Mystic, cabins lie in ruins—furniture scattered, beds soaked in mud, and roofs torn apart. The flash flood surged more than 30 feet above normal river levels in the early morning, catching most campers asleep.
Rescue teams from as far as College Station continue to search the riverbanks for signs of the missing.
“This is a marathon, not a sprint,” said Kerrville City Manager Dalton Rice. “We won’t stop until everyone is found.”
A State on Edge, A Community in Grief
Calls are growing louder to improve Texas’s emergency warning systems, as many families report never receiving flood sirens or alerts. A hotline has been established to assist in locating missing persons: (830) 258-1111. Families are encouraged to call with any identifying information or last known whereabouts.
One mother, arriving to submit a DNA sample, said through tears, “I prayed she was just scared somewhere, alive. But now I’m here… because I need to know.”
As Texas begins to lay its dead to rest, the nation watches on—grieving, stunned, and united.
In tragedies of this magnitude, no one mourns alone.
