Nine children at summer camp among 27 dead as flash flooding devastates Texas

Disaster struck as river waters unexpectedly rose, sweeping through Christian venue where hundreds were sleeping

- Jon Ungoed-Thomas

When hundreds of young girls and teenagers staying at a summer camp on the banks of the Guadalupe River in central Texas settled down for the night on Thursday, there was no sign of looming disaster. There was just some light rain from overcast skies.

At 1.14am local time, the US National Weather Service posted an urgent warning of life-threatening flash flooding from thunderstorms in the area. The predictions were of between 3in and 6in of rain.

But in the ensuing deluge, the south fork of Guadalupe River in Kerr County surged 8 metres (26ft) in just 45 minutes. At least 27 people were killed in the flash floods, according to officials, and more than 20 children are missing from Camp Mystic, a Christian summer camp for girls on the banks of the river.

The camp is nestled among cypress and pecan trees on gently rolling land in an area known as “flash flood alley”. The waters tore across the site, with the steep topography in the upper reaches of the river contributing to the powerful flood surges.

Elinor Lester, 13, described how she was awoken in her cabin at Camp Mystic at about 1.30am by thunder and water pelting the windows.