Rescuers were searching for children from a girls’ camp and many others who were still missing after a wall of water rushed down a river in the Texas Hill Country during a powerful storm that killed at least 32 people, officials said.
Among the dead were nine children.
The destructive fast-moving waters along the Guadalupe River rose 26 feet (eight metres) in just 45 minutes before dawn Friday, washing away homes and vehicles.
The danger was not over as more heavy rains were expected Saturday and flash flood warnings and watches remained in effect for parts of central Texas.
Some 27 people were missing from Camp Mystic, Dalton Rice, city manager, said at a press conference on Saturday.
An unknown number of people at other locations were still unaccounted for.
“People need to know today will be a hard day,” said Kerrville Mayor Joe Herring, Jr.
Searchers used helicopters, boats and drones to look for victims and to rescue stranded people. The total number of missing was not known but one sheriff said about 24 of them were girls who had been attending Camp Mystic, a Christian summer camp along the river.
Frantic parents and families posted photos of missing loved ones and pleas for information.
“The camp was completely destroyed,” said Elinor Lester, 13, one of hundreds of campers at Camp Mystic.
“A helicopter landed and started taking people away.
“It was really scary.”
A raging storm woke up her cabin just after midnight Friday, and when rescuers arrived, they tied a rope for the girls to hold as they walked across a bridge with floodwaters whipping around their legs, she said.
Kerr County Sheriff Larry Leitha said 27 were confirmed dead, including nine children. Authorities said about 850 people had been rescued.
The flooding in the middle of the night on the Fourth of July holiday caught many residents, campers and officials by surprise.
The Texas Hill Country, which sits northwest of San Antonio, is a popular destination for camping and swimming, especially around the summertime holiday.
AccuWeather said the private forecasting company and the National Weather Service sent warnings about potential flash flooding hours before the devastation.
“These warnings should have provided officials with ample time to evacuate camps such as Camp Mystic and get people to safety,” AccuWeather said in a statement that called the Texas Hill County one of the most flash-flood-prone areas of the US because of its terrain and many water crossings.
Officials defended their actions on Friday while saying they had not expected such an intense downpour that was the equivalent of months’ worth of rain for the area.
One National Weather Service forecast earlier in the week had called for up to six inches of rain, said Nim Kidd, chief of the Texas Division of Emergency Management.
“It did not predict the amount of rain that we saw,” he said.
A river near Camp Mystic recorded a 22 foot rise in about two hours, said Bob Fogarty, meteorologist with the National Weather Service’s Austin/San Antonio office.
The gauge failed after recording a level of 29 and a half feet.
“The water’s moving so fast, you’re not going to recognise how bad it is until it’s on top of you,” Mr Fogarty said.
More than 1,000 rescuers were on the ground.
Rescue teams, helicopters and drones were being used, with some people being plucked from trees.
US Coast Guard helicopters were flying in to assist.
