Catastrophic flooding has swept through Texas like a biblical plague, claiming at least 82 lives and leaving dozens missing in a tragedy that has shaken the state to its core.
The torrential rains that began Thursday night into Friday unleashed a deluge along the Guadalupe River, particularly in Kerr County, triggering flash floods that have destroyed communities, claimed young and old alike, and spurred a massive rescue effort, New York Post reported.
It started with a sudden storm dumping over a foot of rain, causing the river to burst its banks and turn peaceful towns into watery graveyards.
Kerr County, the epicenter of this disaster, reports a staggering 68 deaths, including 40 adults and 28 children, with additional casualties in surrounding areas bringing the toll to at least 82.
Among the identified victims are Reece Zunker, a respected high school soccer coach from Tivy, and his wife Paula, vacationing in a river house near Hunt when the flood struck; tragically, their two children remain missing.
The flood also claimed another beloved figure, Jeff Wilson, a teacher with 30 years at Kingswood Park High School, while his wife Amber and son Shiloh remain unaccounted for.
At Camp Mystic, a Christian girls’ summer camp near the Guadalupe River, the flood claimed the lives of five campers aged 8 and 9, along with the camp’s owner.
Eleven girls and a counselor are still missing, with Gov. Greg Abbott describing the camp as “horrendously ravaged” after floodwaters reached the tops of cabins in the lowland area just 225 feet from the river.
“The height the rushing water reached to the top of cabins was shocking,” Abbott declared, promising relentless search efforts—a commitment we can only hope matches the scale of this sorrow.
Rescue operations are in full swing, with over 850 people saved in the first 36 hours, including 366 by air, as 400 first responders from 20 agencies navigate toppled trees, overturned cars, and mud-soaked debris.
“We will continue our search efforts until everyone is found,” vowed Kerr County Sheriff Larry Leitha, a pledge that rings true for a community desperate for answers, not progressive platitudes about climate agendas.
The National Weather Service warns of more rain—2 to 4 inches, with up to 10 in some spots—extending flood watches on Sunday, as if nature itself refuses to grant respite.
Stories of loss cut deep, like that of young Linnie McCown from Camp Mystic, whose father Michael shared, “She filled our hearts with so much joy we cannot begin to explain.”
Across the state, tributes pour in—Gov. Abbott declared Sunday a day of prayer, President Trump issued a disaster declaration for Kerr County, and even Pope Leo XIV offered condolences from the Vatican, reminding us that faith can unite in times of crisis, not divide with woke rhetoric.
