The youngest campers at the scenic site in Kerr County, Texas were sleeping in low-laying cabins just 225 feet from a river which it broke its banks during the early hours of July 4, triggering the deadly floods.
At least five girls from the camp have been confirmed dead, each aged eight or nine, and 11 children are still missing.
Survivor Elinor Lester, 13, described the scene of horror to ABC7. ‘The camp was completely destroyed,’ she said. ‘A helicopter landed and started taking people away. It was really scary.’
At least 67 people have been killed, including 21 children, after the Guadalupe River rose more than 26 feet in just 45 minutes, sending a wall of water over several communities in Kerr County, including the campsite.
Residents have started questioning why officials failed to warn them about the floods until 1.18pm on July 3, and framed them as only ‘moderate’ storms.
The National Weather Service escalated the alert to a flash flood warning at 1am Friday, then a more serious Flash Flood Emergency by 4.30am – but by this stage water was already pouring into families’ homes.
It comes after the Trump administration made major cuts to federal funding, impacting agencies like FEMA which lead the response to natural disasters.
A flood watch remains in place for many of the worst-hit areas of central Texas through Sunday, including Kerrville County where the majority of the deaths have been recorded. Forecasters have warned that more rain is on the way.