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- A boy saved by barbed wire, a 'destroyed' camp and missed warning signs in Texas floods</p>
<p>Gary O'Donoghue in Kerr County and Ana Faguy in Washington - BBC NewsJuly 6, 2025 at 1:16 AM</p>
<p>The warning signs were already flashing as hundreds of young people celebrated the Fourth of July public holiday at Camp Mystic, an all-girls' Christian summer retreat, nestled on the banks of the Guadalupe River in Texas.</p>
<p>There had not been a drop of rain in the area recently until the inundation, when the river rose 26ft (8m) in less than an hour, according to state officials.</p>
<p>By Saturday evening, at least 51 people were dead, including 15 children.</p>
<p>Search for missing continues</p>
<p>Texas flood victims: Girl 'living her best life' and 'heart and soul' of camp</p>
<p>The first hint of the devastation to come appeared on Thursday morning as rain and thunderstorms soaked a number of central Texas counties.</p>
<p>The National Weather Service (NWS) issued a common warning called a flood watch at 13:18 that afternoon for parts of the region, including Kerr County.</p>
<p>In the early hours of Friday, the outlook became more dire as the NWS issued a series of upgraded warnings. The San Saba river, the Concho River and the Colorado River were rising.</p>
<p>At 04:03, the NWS sent a "particularly dangerous situation" alert, reserved for the most urgent and potentially deadly scenarios such as wildfires.</p>
<p>Another "particularly dangerous situation" warning was issued for the city of Kerrville at 05:34, before dawn on Friday.</p>
<p>"Residents and campers should SEEK HIGHER GROUND NOW! Life threatening flash flooding along the river is expected," forecasters said.</p>
<p>"Automated rain gauges indicate a large and deadly flood wave is moving down the Guadalupe River. Flash flooding is already occurring."</p>
<p>[Getty Images]</p>
<p>Such alerts are shared on NWS social media accounts and by broadcast news outlets, but most people were asleep.</p>
<p>Elinor Lester, 13, said younger campers at Camp Mystic were bunked in cabins closer to the riverbank and those were the first to flood.</p>
<p>"The camp was completely destroyed," Elinor, who was evacuated by helicopter, told the news agency. "It was really scary."</p>
<p>Just outside Kerrville, the BBC met Jonathan and Brittany Rojas as they came to see what was left of a relative's home. Only the foundations remain.</p>
<p>[Getty Images]</p>
<p>Five people were in the house the night of the deluge - the mother and her baby are still missing.</p>
<p>The teenage son, Leo, survived after he became snared in barbed wire, preventing him from being swept away. The boy is recovering in hospital.</p>
<p>As the BBC was interviewing the Rojas couple, a neighbour walked up to present them with an item salvaged from the house.</p>
<p>It was the teenager's money jar. The label on it read, "Leo's survival kit".</p>
<p>[Getty Images]</p>
<p>Desperate Camp Mystic parents took to social media looking for news of their children.</p>
<p>One Facebook group - Kerrville Breaking News - turned into a missing persons page.</p>
<p>Some parents have since their social media pleas to say their missing family members did not survive.</p>
<p>[Reuters]</p>
<p>Kerr County is in the heart of the Texas Hill Country, a getaway destination because of its scenic rolling hills, countless rivers and lakes and abundance of wineries.</p>
<p>But the region is also known as "Flash Flood Alley", because of the recurring threat that has devastated local communities over the years.</p>
<p>When asked why the riverside summer camp was not evacuated, officials said the sudden scale of the deluge caught them unawares.</p>
<p>"No-one knew this kind of flood was coming," Kerr County Judge Rob Kelly said.</p>
<p>[Reuters]</p>
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