At least 27 girls remained missing early Sunday after floodwaters devastated Camp Mystic, a Christian summer camp in Hunt, Texas. As search and rescue efforts entered a third day, the disaster was already among the deadliest in the state’s recent history, with pastors across the state urging prayers for affected families.

Officials said 27 girls from the camp, which hosted around 750 children, had not been accounted for after the Guadalupe River rose nearly 25 feet in 45 minutes on Friday, sweeping through the campgrounds and the surrounding Hill Country, where at least 850 people have been rescued and dozens confirmed dead, according to Texas Public Radio.

Camp Mystic was founded nearly a century ago by a University of Texas football coach along the banks of the Guadalupe River, with the goal of providing young girls with a “wholesome Christian atmosphere.” Campers are encouraged to live up to three guiding principles: to become better individuals through their time at Mystic, to let the camp bring out their best qualities, and to experience spiritual growth.

That same river, once central to the camp’s mission of reflection and growth, turned deadly this weekend. By Saturday evening, the statewide death toll exceeded 50, including 28 adults and 15 children who died in the Guadalupe River flood. At least eight others died in nearby counties, reported The Associated Press.

Among the victims was Dick Eastland, the director of Camp Mystic, whose death was confirmed by his nephew in a social media post. Jane Ragsdale, co-owner and longtime director of Heart O’ the Hills Camp for Girls, also died. Although her camp was not in session, she had remained there for the holiday weekend.

A rare flash flood emergency had been declared for parts of Central Texas on Friday morning, with forecasters warning of up to 10 inches of rain across multiple counties, including Kerr, Bandera and Travis.

Some areas, including Burnet County, received 12 inches of rainfall by Saturday morning. By early Sunday, a flash flood watch remained in effect across the Hill Country and South Central Texas.

The flood took many by surprise. At Camp Mystic, 13-year-old camper Elinor Lester said she awoke to the storm shortly after midnight Friday, and rescuers soon arrived. “A helicopter landed and started taking people away,” she said, according to The Dallas Morning News. “It was really scary.”

The girls were led by rope across a bridge as floodwaters swirled around their legs, she added.

Kerrville city officials said they had not anticipated the scale or speed of the flooding. City Manager Dalton Rice explained that the north and south forks feeding the Guadalupe River peaked around 3:30 a.m. Friday.

“Within an hour [or] two-hour period, the water was up almost to the bridge,” he was quoted as saying. He added that crews preparing for July Fourth events were also caught off guard.

Kerr County Judge Rob Kelly told the media that no early-warning system existed on the river. “We didn’t know this flood was coming,” he said. “We have floods all the time. … None whatsoever [like this].”

Gov. Greg Abbott declared a disaster across 15 counties Friday, later expanding the list to include Bexar and others. He said the state had deployed more than 1,000 responders, over 800 vehicles and multiple helicopters. Boats searched riverbanks and treetops, and makeshift aid stations were set up for displaced residents.

Abbott described the event as “an extraordinary catastrophe” and said the state’s response would continue alongside efforts from local communities and churches. “It needs God, but it also needs a robust response,” he said.

Among the missing were not only campers but also nearby residents.

The damage stretched far beyond the camps.

RJ Harber of Dallas was at his family’s vacation home in Hunt when waters began to rise. He and his wife escaped through a broken window and attempted to rescue other relatives by kayak but had to turn back.

“We’re hopeful, but reality is sinking in,” said his sister, Jennifer Harber, who spent Friday trying to reach them. “I’m not going to give up until they find the bodies,” she told The Dallas Morning News.

Park City Baptist Church in Dallas wrote on Instagram that during special prayer events at the church and nearby schools on Saturday, the congregation and members of the community prayed for “the ongoing tragic circumstances surrounding Camp Mystic.”

The church is also providing prayer and guidance for families on Sunday.

“We have not stopped praying for those who are in need of rescue, for those who are searching, and for all families affected. Our church is surrounding many families from our own community in prayer and love as they await news. Keep praying and trust in the Lord,” said the church.

Pope Leo has also offered his condolences to the victims. 

Across the region, entire communities were left without power.

In Kerr County alone, more than 2,500 customers lost electricity by Saturday morning.

The National Weather Service reported that some flood gauges had been washed away, making it harder to determine the full scale of the disaster. Meteorologist Jason Runyen was quoted as saying that the rainfall was amplified by “record levels of moisture” and the remnants of a midlevel tropical disturbance, which triggered rapid rises in river levels.

Scenes along the Guadalupe River told the story of a sudden and overwhelming flood. Vehicles lay crumpled in trees, household items were tangled in brush, and playground equipment was twisted and submerged. Residents walked the muddy banks trying to comprehend the destruction.