Desperate search continues for 27 missing girls in Texas

Flash floods in the state have killed at least 43 as officials say they had no warning of the scale of the deluge or devastation

- ERIN KELLER

A powerful flash flood that hit central Texas late on Friday into early yesterday killed at least 43 people, including 15 children, while at least 27 children are still missing.

The flooding occured in Kerr County after a storm unleashed nearly a foot of rain just before dawn and sent floodwaters gushing out of the Guadalupe River through the region known for its century-old summer camps. Authorities said about 850 people had been rescued so far. State officials said 27 girls from Camp Mystic, a riverside Christian camp in Hunt, Texas, still were unaccounted for.

What began as a routine flood watch quickly turned into a deadly disaster. The National Weather Service predicted between 1 and 3 inches of rain, with some isolated spots possibly getting 5 to 7 inches. Instead, parts of Kerr County were slammed with 10 to 15 inches, and in some places, over 20 inches, within a few hours.