At least 24 dead and more than 20 children missing in catastrophic Texas flooding 
At least 24 people are reported dead and many more are missing, including girls from a Christian summer camp, after catastrophic river flooding hit central Texas Thursday and Friday.
Kerr County Sheriff Larry Leitha said by Friday evening 24 people have been killed in the flooding, according to theThe New York Times.
Texas officials said earlier Friday about 20 girls from a nearby camp were missing. It’s currently unclear how many people are missing as of Friday night.
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Governor Greg Abbott signed an emergency disaster declaration Friday night to expedite state funding for the areas most severely impacted. Abbott said emergency crews were still in a “search and rescue posture” at a news conference Friday night.
At least 24 people have been killed in severe flooding in central Texas. Many more are missing (AP)
Law enforcement has responded to dozens of emergency calls (Eric Vryn/Getty Images)
Earlier Friday, Gov. Abbott said in a statement, “The State of Texas today has mobilized additional resources in addition to the resources sent in preparation for the storms. I urge Texans to heed guidance from state and local officials and monitor local forecasts to avoid driving into flooded areas.”
Ahead of the storms, the state activated emergency response resources in Central Texas in preparation for continued heavy rainfall and flash flooding threats.
Kerr County Judge Rob Kelly told reporters one of those killed had been found “completely naked” and without identification.
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Camp Mystic, the camp the missing girls were attending, said it had notified the parents of those unaccounted for, according to The Austin American-Statesman’s Tony Plohetski. An image, sent to local station KSAT, showed girls in the Kerr County camp wading through water overnight.
Law enforcement has responded to dozens of emergency calls and one man told KABB his brother, sister-in-law, and their two children were lost, along with their house. Nearby, in Ingram, an RV park had been swept away.
Rescue crews spent July 4 searching for many people who are still missing (Eric Vryn/Getty Images)
Kerr County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Clint Morris told the station it is “an extremely active scene, countywide.”
“This may be a once-in-a-lifetime flood” for the county, he said, noting authorities have responded to multiple calls for high-water rescues. The state has called in the National Guard to assist in the efforts. Kelly later told reporters the county does “not have a warning system.”