Christian camp owner among more than 100 dead in Texas floods

Emergency crews in Central Texas continued searching Monday for survivors and victims of the floods as the National Weather Service warned of more rain and potential flooding in the region. More than 100 people died across six counties and dozens more remained missing three days after the flash floods began. Kerr County reported the highest number of fatalities with the sheriff’s office saying at least 40 adults and 28 children died, and 10 children and one counselor were still missing Monday from Camp Mystic.

The Christian all-girls summer camp on Monday was grieving the loss of 27 campers and counselors, according to a post on its website. The camp’s owner and director Dick Eastland reportedly died while trying to rescue campers as the Guadalupe River swept through the property. University of Texas football coach E.J. Stewart opened the camp in 1926 and Eastland’s family purchased the property in 1939. Eastland and his wife, Tweety, are the third generation to manage the camp. Meanwhile, Heart O’ the Hills camp Director Jane Ragsdale also died in the flooding. No campers were on the Heart O’ the Hills property at the time of the tragedy. Nearby Camp La Junta safely evacuated everyone from the property on July 4.

How have recovery efforts gone? The Texas Military Department on Sunday reported it saved 520 individuals using both helicopters and ground rescue teams. Rescue Swimmer Scott Ruskan and his Coast Guard aircrew saved 165 people during their first mission, according to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Emergency aid organizations from around the country and the Texas grocery chain H-E-B also sent teams to deliver aid in the wake of the storms. President Donald Trump on Sunday approved a major disaster declaration for Kerr County that will provide the state with federal disaster assistance, according to Gov. Greg Abbott.

Meanwhile, the White House Faith Office urged Americans to pray for the missing and for the families who lost loved ones during the floods.

Dig deeper: Read Travis Kircher and Lynde Langdon’s initial report about the flooding.