Eight-year-old girls at sleep-away camp, some for the first time. Out-of-town families spanning generations, crammed into recreational vehicles to relax by a river in the Hill Country of Texas. Local residents, traveling to or from work, or simply sleeping at home.
In the predawn inkiness of Independence Day, the rains came, and the waters rose. And rose. And rose. By Friday morning, at least 121 people had died from the Guadalupe River pouring over its banks. Many perished in the dark, in raging floodwaters, as they were swept out of cars, cabins, houses and trailers. The disaster ranks as one of the deadliest for children in the United States in recent decades.
Among the dead: at least two dozen girls and staff members at a storied Christian summer camp, a 23-year-old police officer and his parents camping in their R.V., a 62-year-old woman driving to her job at Walmart.
And there will be more. As of Thursday morning, at least 161 people were missing from one county alone — Kerr — northwest of San Antonio. Some of those still unaccounted for were camping or staying with relatives and friends who have been found dead.
Stories are emerging about some of the victims, as identified by through interviews with families, school officials, church leaders and official statements.
The Times will continue to update this page with glimpses into the lives of the victims of the Texas floods.
People have long come to the Hill Country to boat and fly fish in tranquil waters teeming with largemouth bass and catfish, and hike rugged terrain with views of limestone canyons that are surrounded by wildflowers and cypress and pecan trees. Visitors browse antique shops and wineries, or check out a century-old rodeo, and look for gray foxes, armadillos and white-tailed deer. This bucolic region is also known as Flash Flood Alley.
Jeff Wilson, 55,
Amber Ledford Wilson, 45,
and Shiloh Wilson, 12
Mr. Wilson was a beloved high school teacher who would often bolt out of his classroom on Friday afternoons so he could take his family to rodeo competitions. Shiloh, a middle-schooler, was an accomplished saddle bronc rider whose rodeo nickname was “Stingray.” Ms. Wilson was known as Mama Bear because she meticulously prepared the family for each trip and event, friends said, and fiercely protected her husband and son. “They were always together in life, the Wilson three,” said Clint Wilson, a family friend. “Now they’ll be together forever.”
Blair Harber, 13,
and Brooke Harber, 11
Blair and Brooke were middle schoolers at St. Rita Catholic School in Dallas, and their friends and family said they could do it all. The sisters each played several sports — including volleyball, basketball and lacrosse — and loved taking part in the school’s speech and drama program. They also were kind, had a strong Christian faith and were energetic, their school said. And onstage, the girls shined. Blair was excited to audition for the lead role in the eighth-grade play. Brooke had a gift for improv and making people laugh. Their aunt, Jennifer Harber, said the girls had their rosaries with them and were found holding hands.
Katheryn Eads, 52
“She was an incredible wife, daughter, mother, grandmother and person who spent her life helping kids,” Victoria Eads, her daughter, wrote in an email. Her mother helped children in the foster care system when she worked in early education as a psychologist. She also helped young people during her time as a college professor, her daughter wrote.
Bobby Martin, 46,
and Amanda Martin, 44
via The Kerrville Daily Times
The Martins, a married couple from Odessa, Texas, were camping in their R.V. along the Guadalupe River, Bobby Martin’s father, John Keith Martin, told . He said his son “was an adventurous man, adventurous and outgoing. He had many good friends, because he was a good friend.”
Bailey Martin, 23
via Odessa Police Department
Mr. Martin, the son of Bobby and Amanda Martin and an officer with the Odessa Police Department, was camping with his parents when the floods hit.
Jake Moeller, 38,
and Megan Moeller, 33
The Moellers, who lived in New Braunfels, were camping in an R.V., according to Ms. Moeller’s aunt.
Mollie Schaffer, 76
Ms. Schaffer, known for her “hyper-friendly, cheerful disposition,” was married to her husband, Richard, for 57 years, her obituary said. They lived in Houston and, together, they enjoyed spring breaks in Florida for ballgames and walks on the beach, and weekend trips to New York City. They traveled every summer to the Hill Country, where they swam, marveled at the scenery and attended Richard’s law school reunions. It was their happy place. Now Mr. Schaffer credits his wife with saving his life there. The day of the flood, she made sure he was able to escape their sinking car before she tried to save herself, he said. In her obituary, he and his son Josh wrote, “No husband could ask for a more loyal companion on such a long ride.”
Joyce Catherine Badon, 21
via Mackenzie Cahill-Hodulik
Ms. Badon, who was from Beaumont, was staying with Reese Manchaca and other friends at a house in Hunt. She was a student at the Savannah College of Art and Design in Georgia. “Joyce was passionate about using her artistry and talent to impact the world,” the school said in a statement. It added that Ms. Badon had recently helped redesign donation centers for Goodwill as part of a spring course.
Reese Manchaca, 21
via Mackenzie Cahill-Hodulik
Ms. Manchaca was a student at the University of Texas at San Antonio.
Ella Cahill, 21
via Mackenzie Cahill-Hodulik
Ms. Cahill, a student at the University of Texas at San Antonio, was excited for her senior year as a business management major. After graduation, she had plans to move in with her high school sweetheart and start dreaming of their wedding. “She was always happy, caring and just really loved her family,” Mackenzie Cahill-Hodulik, Ms. Cahill’s older sister, said, adding that her sister was very smart. “She had a bright future ahead of her.”
Beth Bryan, 61,
and Hutch Bryan, 62
Mr. and Ms. Bryan were from San Antonio, and their son, Hutcher Bryan, said the couple had a special love for animals and also had a very strong faith. “They believed in God and Jesus as their savior,” Hutcher said. “They were loving parents and will be missed.”
Tanya Ramsey, 46
Ms. Ramsey, who was from Lewisville, northwest of Dallas, was camping in her R.V. Her younger brother, Eric Steele, said that as a teenager, she would take him to work with her to keep an eye on him. “She was always there for me, whether I was a brat or not.” He added that she had survived a bout with breast cancer about a year ago.
Cindy Rushing, 53,
and James Rushing, 64
via The Kerrville Daily Times
The Rushings, who were from Sulphur Springs in East Texas, were camping in their R.V.
Julia Anderson Burgess, 39,
and John L. Burgess IV, 39
The Burgesses were camping with their young sons, while their daughter was at a nearby camp. Mr. Burgess was a financial adviser, Ms. Burgess an elementary school teacher. In a statement, the Liberty ISD Education Foundation, where Ms. Burgess had worked since 2019, saluted “her bubbly personality, radiant smile and deep love for her students.” Their daughter is safe.
Brad Perry, 49
Mr. Perry had been a volunteer firefighter in League City, Texas, southeast of Houston. He had a great sense of humor and “kept people laughing,” Kimberly Tees, his sister-in-law, said. Mr. Perry’s wife, Tina, survived the flood.
Robert Brake, 67,
and Joni Brake, 66
Robert Brake, Sr. and Joni Brake should be “remembered for their love, faith, and service to others,” Robert Brake, Jr., their son, said in a statement. He added that his father “taught us to love people, to help when we could, and to never take one another for granted.” The senior Mr. Brake was an Air Force veteran and Ms. Brake was a registered nurse who worked on an Air Force base. The Fourth of July had been one of their favorite holidays, their grandson, Ryen, said.
Emlyn Jeffrey, 70,
and Penny Jeffrey, 70
Madelyn Jeffrey, 11
Some who died were retired and had lived in these parts for years. Others were newcomers, just starting jobs and putting down roots. They were going about their routines on the Fourth of July.
Tanya Burwick, 62
Ms. Burwick was driving to her job at a Walmart in San Angelo when her vehicle was caught in rising floodwaters, according to her son, Zac Burwick. She lived in Blackwell, about 48 miles north of San Angelo. “She had a heart of gold,” Mr. Burwick said. “She never knew a stranger and loved everybody that was around her.”
Julian Ryan, 27
Mr. Ryan had been a stay-at-home father until he started a job recently as a dishwasher in a local restaurant to bolster the family’s income. But even when money was tight, he would go out of his way to help others, said Christinia Wilson, his fiancée. “If he saw someone with a sign on the road, asking for money, he would always stop and give something, no matter how little we had,” Ms. Wilson said. “He’d always say, ‘If you bring positivity into the world, you’ll get it back.’” He died trying to save his family from the flood, his family said.
Preston Prince, 22
Reece Zunker, 36,
and Paula Joe Zunker, 35
via The Kerrville Daily Times
Mr. Zunker was the boys’ soccer coach at Tivy High School in Kerrville; Ms. Zunker had recently stepped back from teaching English in the same district. The soccer team at the school credited Mr. Zunker as someone who “rebuilt the soccer program and left a legacy.” Friends of Paula Joe — known as PJ to some — remembered an accomplished horseback rider and teacher. She often played a pivotal role in her friends’ milestone moments for love and childbirth, aiming to make the people around her laugh or feel appreciated, they said.
Kaitlyn Swallow, 22
Sherry Richardson, 64
Ms. Richardson moved to a small cabin along the Little Creek river in Liberty Hill three years ago, right behind a care center for people with disabilities where she worked. She is survived by two daughters and five grandchildren. She loved to crochet, and her daughter, Deliah Greenslet, said that items Ms. Richardson made for her family — baby blankets, hats, tapestries — are some of the only items she has left to remember her mother by.
Clayton Meadows, 29
Braxton Jarmon, 15
“I’m all in.” Those were the words on Braxton’s shirt at band camp last summer. Michael Garrison, the band director at Glenn High School in Leander, Texas, where Braxton was an incoming sophomore and a bass clarinetist, jokingly asked him if he was all in that day, and Braxton responded, “Come on, Mr. Garrison. I’m always all in.” Mr. Garrison said there was no better tribute to a “joyful, kind and committed” young man who always volunteered for whatever was needed. Anna Smith, the local school board president, said that her daughter, a piccolo player, marched next to Braxton all season, and he cheered her up with a smile.
Alissa Martin, 54
Ms. Martin was the stepmother of Braxton Jarmon. They were both home in Leander, Texas, when the flood hit. “She was my whole world,” said Jermaine Jarmon, who is known as J.J. and is Braxton’s father and Ms. Martin’s longtime partner. “She took care of everything I had, and was proud to help anyone she could.”
Sally Sample Graves, 91
Ms. Graves lived in Ingram, in Kerr County, according to an obituary notice. She and her late husband had two children, 10 grandchildren and 17 great-grandchildren.
Betty West, 84
Ms. West had worked for decades as an electronics inspector at Texas Instruments. The night before she died, Ms. West’s daughters said, family members had driven her to the family’s cemetery plot to show her some new lighting on one grave. She approved, telling them she would like lights on her own grave when her time came. She also wanted “Bridge Over Troubled Water” played at her funeral.
Doug West, 54
Doug West, 54, a “mama’s boy,” according to his sisters, was a devoted live-in caretaker for his mother, Betty West, 84, in Leander, Texas. He cooked for her and managed her medical care, while his brother, Gary Traugott, 60, served as her chauffeur and gardener. The three were at home together when the floods struck. Mr. West and his mother died, and Mr. Traugott is still missing. “The boys would always say, ‘We’re here to take care of her,’” their sister Sherry McCutcheon said, “and when they died, that’s what they were doing.”
Lee Brizendine, 85
Mr. Brizendine was a Navy veteran who for many years worked as a nurse at Austin State Hospital, a psychiatric hospital, before retiring. When he wasn’t working, several of his friends said, he liked to go country-western dancing. He also loved tinkering with clocks and could repair anything from vintage grandfather clocks to newer wristwatches, his friends said.
William Venus, 57
Mr. Venus, who served in the Army for 33 years, delivered medication to hospitals and nursing homes. His son William Venus Jr. live-streamed the search for him on Facebook, drawing residents to help. Searchers found his body on Monday, the son said.
Holly Frizzell, 72
via Hamil Family Funeral Home
Ms. Frizzell, who lived in the Casa Bonita subdivision in Hunt, once owned a clothing boutique in Abilene. After her late husband was diagnosed with dementia, she helped others who were dealing with that and supported the Alzheimer’s Association of Abilene, according to an obituary notice.
Malaya Hammond, 17
Malaya, who was about to be a high school senior, was heading to Missouri with her family from their home in Marble Falls, Texas, when their car was overtaken in the floodwaters. She was the only casualty. She was an artist who loved to sing and paint, her father, Matthew Hammond said, and had been on her way to work as a counselor at a Christian summer camp. Her dream was to take a gap year before college to visit Greece and learn to sculpt. “She was an angel on this earth,” her father said. “She should be with us right now.”
Clay Parisher, 20 months
Richard Pagard, 71,
and Carol Andrews, 72
via Jaeme Pagard Behrendt
Mr. Pagard, and his wife, Carol Andrews, had just relocated to the Hill Country from Athens, Texas, in search of cooler weather and beautiful scenery, and were in the process of house hunting. Jaeme Pagard Behrendt, Mr. Pagard’s daughter, said her father loved hunting, fishing and dogs. He also was a former surfer, she said, and she was confident that he had been “doing anything he could to help others to safety” during the flood.
Bruce Ferguson, 82
With the freedom to “just be able to pick up and go,” Mr. Ferguson and his wife, Penny, lived full time in their R.V., and had been staying at a campground in Kerrville, according to Autumn Orenday, their granddaughter. She told The Times that Mr. Ferguson had a reputation for building “the most perfect little fires” and that the couple loved fishing, watching wildlife and were always laughing.
Dan Dailey, 67,
and Virginia Dailey , 66
August Panning, 50
Tim Walker, 63
via Monica Sanchez Shields
Kent Wattinger, 36
After a whirlwind middle school romance, Kent and Samantha Wattinger reconnected in their early 20s, embarking on a 13-year-old marriage during which they would ride motorcycles together and “turn everything into an adventure,” Samantha Wattinger said. He parlayed his high school diploma into a software engineering job at Amazon Robotics, and he would always drop everything to talk to his teenage son about coding or indulge his 10-year-old daughter belting out every word to Bon Jovi’s “You Give Love a Bad Name.” a song he had once played in their car. On the night of July 4, the couple was driving home when the bridge near their house in Marble Falls began to flood, killing the engine. Ms. Wattinger said her husband coaxed her out of the car — “Come on, we’re going on an adventure. We have to get out and get on top of the car” — and he held her up when her legs buckled. But he did not make it.
Walter Reed, 79
José Olvera, 70,
and Alicia Ramírez, 67
via Torres Ramírez family
José Olvera and Alicia Ramírez lived in the Hill Country for some two decades. Ms. Ramírez recently celebrated her 77th birthday with a big gathering at one of her daughter’s homes, where the family set up wooden floors to dance to huapangos, a type of Mexican folk music that Ms. Ramírez loved, according to her granddaughter Krystal Torres. She had eight children, 25 grandchildren and four great-grandchildren, and loved bright colors and flowers.
Camp Mystic, an all-girls Christian camp near Hunt, Texas, which has been run by the Eastland family since the 1930s, is revered by parents and alumni that includes three generations of descendants of Lyndon Johnson. The former first lady, Laura Bush, once worked as a counselor. About 750 girls were attending Camp Mystic this week.
Several girls who died or are now missing were in the low-lying cabins on the “flats,” where younger campers stay, less than 500 feet from the river. Most of the dead who have been identified, so far, were 8 or 9 years old, and were sleeping in the same cabin, nicknamed Bubble Inn.
Sarah Marsh, 8
via The Kerrville Daily Times
Sarah was a student at Cherokee Bend Elementary in Mountain Brook, Ala. “This is a tragedy that no parent can prepare for, and it will never be right this side of heaven,” her family said in a statement. Sarah’s grandmother, Debbie Ford Marsh, said on Facebook, “We will always feel blessed to have had this beautiful spunky ray of light in our lives. She will live on in our hearts forever!”
Janie Hunt, 9
via The Kerrville Daily Times
For Janie, of Dallas, going to Camp Mystic was a family tradition. This summer was her first time going. A great-granddaughter of the oil baron William Herbert Hunt, Janie was the eldest of three children.
Rebecca Lawrence, 8,
and Hanna Lawrence, 8
Hanna and Rebecca, twins from Dallas, were also among the girls at Camp Mystic, according to their grandfather, Dave Lawrence, a former publisher of The Miami Herald. “It has been an unimaginable time for all of us,” Mr. Lawrence said. The two girls, he added, gave “all in our family so much joy. They and that joy can never be forgotten.”
Eloise Peck, 8
Eloise had just finished second grade at Bradfield Elementary School in Dallas. Known as Lulu, she adored animals, especially her Boston terrier, Oliver. Before heading to camp, Eloise had started a dog-walking service, pledging a quarter of her earnings to Blueberry Hill Farm and Rescue in Arkansas, which is run by family friends. “Her profound love and compassion for animals shone brightly, reflecting the purity and kindness of her heart,” the rescue said on its website.
Lila Bonner, 9
via The Dallas Foundation
Lila was so such a confident and determined little girl that her family was sure that she would someday achieve her goal of starting and running an animal rescue. She loved animals, her family said in a statement, calling her their “beautiful and precious girl.” In her memory, they are setting up a foundation to raise money for animals affected by natural disasters, “just as she would have wanted.” The family added that though Lila’s life was cut short, “her legacy and story will not end there.”
Wynne Naylor, 8
Wynne, who was from Dallas, was a girl with a limitless sense of adventure who “danced through the world” with hope, servitude, joy and endearment, her family said in a statement. She loved the outdoors, God and her community. To honor her life, they set up a fund that supports local schools, youth wildlife conservation efforts and several Christian ministries.
Hadley Hanna, 8
via The Kerrville Daily Times
At her elementary school in Dallas, Hadley was known for her big smile and her “sneak attack hugs,” and for teaching her classmates how to tie their shoes, her family said in her online obituary. They described her as an “independent, spirited firecracker,” who loved to fish, eat macaroons in Paris and make people laugh by doing funny accents. Hadley was “creative, insightful, considerate and caring,” they said, “the brightest of all lights.”
Mary Stevens, 8
via The Kerrville Daily Times
Mary Kathryn Jacobe, 8
Called Mary Kate by her family, she was from Houston. The family said in a statement she was “tiny, but mighty, full of love and joy with a smile that melted your heart.”
Mary Grace Baker, 8
via The Kerrville Daily Times
In her short life, Mary Grace lived big, her family said in her obituary. She hugged so hard that it would nearly knock people over, and she wore a tutu as easily as she wore baseball pants, “sometimes even at the same time.” In the car pool line at school, she would sing Disney songs out the window with her friends, and she loved rainbows, Legos, and creating things with sequins and beads. She could be silly, the family wrote, but she also “showed the maturity that we would hope for ourselves as adults.” In 2023, Mary Grace was thrilled to land a part in the Beaumont Civic Theater’s production of “The Nutcracker,” a role she had hoped to reprise: She was an angel.
Greta Toranzo, 10
Greta, a student at Sinclair Elementary School in Houston, was attending Camp Mystic in Hunt for a third year. “She was overjoyed to be reunited with her camp friends for weeks of fun, laughter, sports and sisterhood,” her parents, Ellen and Jorge Toranzo, said in a statement.
Linnie McCown, 8
Linnie was a student at Casis Elementary School in Austin, and the community is tying green bows on the trees and signposts in her memory and for all those lost in the flood. She was a happy girl, a sister to two brothers and someone who loved to giggle, a neighbor said. In a statement, her family described Linnie as “a shining light who filled our lives with indescribable joy.”
Molly Claire DeWitt, 9
Molly, a student at Wilchester Elementary School in Houston, was spunky and strong-willed, just like her father, and was creative and liked to draw and design, just like her mother, according to her obituary. “Her instinct was always to notice, to care and to extend kindness,” the obit added. Molly was curious about people and how the world worked, and loved to read books and connect with others. She also enjoyed playing soccer and running free.
Lainey Anne Landry, 9
Lainey, a girl with many nicknames, including Lainey Boo and Lainey Banana, was “a light-on-her-feet, imaginative and courageous child,” according to her obituary. She was a fierce soccer player and a star basketball player. She also loved playing with slime, playing cards and baking with her grandparents. At her Catholic church, she was the loudest singer, and she wanted to be a surfer, scientist, singer and a mom when she grew up, her obituary said, adding, “Lainey is surrounded by her Bubble Inn friends in Heaven, where they will always be first in line for Dr. Pepper and Bomb-Pop Popsicles.”
Blakely McCrory, 8
People working for Camp Mystic also died, including teenage counselors and the longtime director. The same is true of another nearby camp, Heart O’ the Hills.
Chloe Childress, 19
Ms. Childress, a recent graduate of the Kinkaid School in Houston, had been working as a counselor at Camp Mystic since June. “She was wise beyond her years, with a steady compassion that settled a room,” wrote Jonathan Eades, head of the Kinkaid School.
Dick Eastland, 70
via The Kerrville Daily Times
Mr. Eastland had run Camp Mystic for decades, along with his wife, Tweety. He was reportedly swept away while trying to rescue children from rising floodwaters. “If he wasn’t going to die of natural causes, this was the only other way, saving the girls that he so loved and cared for,” Mr. Eastland’s grandson George wrote on Instagram.
Jane Ragsdale, 68
Ms. Ragsdale was a camper and later a counselor at Heart O’ the Hills summer camp in Hunt before becoming the camp director in 1988, and was also a co-owner. “She embodied the spirit of Heart O’ the Hills and was exactly the type of strong, joyful woman that the camp aimed to develop with the girls entrusted to us each summer,” the camp said in a statement.
