Disaster
Texas flood kills 43 including children at Christian camp
Quick Hit:
Flash flooding in Kerr County, Texas has left at least 43 people dead—including 15 children—after a wall of water tore through camps and neighborhoods along the Guadalupe River. Among the victims were young girls attending a Christian summer camp, as families grieve and recovery efforts intensify.
Key Details:
- Officials confirmed Saturday that 43 people have died—28 adults and 15 children—following early Friday morning floods in Kerr County. Seventeen victims remain unidentified.
- Four young girls who died—ages 8 and 9—were attending Camp Mystic, a nearly 100-year-old Christian summer camp for girls. Dozens of campers were briefly unaccounted for.
- The camp’s director, Dick Eastland, was among the dead after reportedly racing to a cabin in an effort to save girls trapped in rising waters. Another local camp director also died.
Air rescue missions like this are being done around the clock.
We will not stop until everyone is accounted for. pic.twitter.com/tqwTr1RkEi
— Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) July 4, 2025
Diving Deeper:
Texas is reeling from one of the deadliest flash floods in recent memory, with at least 43 confirmed dead—including 15 children—after floodwaters surged through Kerr County early Friday morning. Officials said 12 adults and five children have yet to be identified.
Much of the devastation centered around the historic Camp Mystic, a Christian summer camp for girls situated along the Guadalupe River, where dozens of campers were swept up in the flood. Family members have since confirmed that four of the victims—8-year-olds Renee Smajstrla and Sarah Marsh, and 9-year-olds Janie Hunt and Lila Bonner—had been attending the camp.
Renee’s uncle reportedly wrote on Facebook that she was “living her best life at Camp Mystic.” Sarah’s family shared that the Alabama girl was “a spunky ray of light,” while Lila’s relatives described their pain as “unimaginable.”
The camp’s longtime director, Dick Eastland, died heroically while trying to rescue girls from a cabin as waters rushed through the grounds. Another director, Jane Ragsdale of the nearby Heart O’ the Hills Camp, was also killed. Though her camp wasn’t in session, she was on the property when the flood struck.
Camp Mystic, which serves hundreds of girls each summer, was left in ruins. “The camp was completely destroyed,” said 13-year-old Elinor Lester, who was among those rescued. Photos show cabins torn open, trees ripped from the ground, and bunk beds submerged nearly to the top by river water.
As many as 27 girls at the camp were swept up by the flooding, but several have since been reunited with their families. Ashley Flack, whose daughter attended Mystic, said Saturday, “There are lots of families missing, children and friends… Our daughter is safe. Our son is safe. The operation to get the girl camp out did a good job.”
Rescue missions pulled at least 858 people to safety, and eight were reported injured. Officials noted that while other nearby camps were also impacted, those campers have been accounted for and are awaiting evacuation as crews work to repair damaged roads.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott expanded a disaster declaration on Saturday to include 21 counties. More than 1,000 state personnel and 800 vehicles are assisting in rescue and recovery, while FEMA, the Texas National Guard, and Coast Guard aircraft have been deployed to aid in the search.
President Trump posted on Truth Social Saturday, saying: “Melania and I are praying for all of the families impacted by this horrible tragedy. Our Brave First Responders are on site doing what they do best. GOD BLESS THE FAMILIES, AND GOD BLESS TEXAS!”
Forecasters say more rain could fall over the next 48 hours, raising the risk of additional flooding across Central Texas. The Guadalupe River last saw similar tragedy in 1987, when 10 teenagers died after a church bus was swept away.
Alberta’s government is investing almost $7 million to create six new Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) teams to protect communities at risk from wildfires.
In response to increased wildfire activity in recent years, Alberta’s government is taking action to better safeguard communities and strengthen the way emergencies are responded to. This includes record investments in equipment and personnel, as well as targeted strategies to enhance local firefighting capacity, readiness and resilience.
Alberta’s government is responding proactively to wildfire threats by funding six local fire departments through the Wildland Urban Interface Program to boost wildfire preparedness and response capabilities. This initiative quadruples the number of existing Wildland Urban Interface teams, ensuring a stronger, more coordinated effort to protect communities from potential wildfire emergencies.
“Alberta’s government continues to make critical investments to strengthen the way emergencies are handled. We are effectively quadrupling the number of Wildland Urban Interface teams in Alberta to ensure the safety of Albertans’ businesses, neighbourhoods and critical infrastructure during wildfires.”
“Firefighting teams like this can truly make the difference when it comes to protecting Alberta’s communities. Having more Wildland Urban Interface teams improves our capabilities and adaptability when our wildland firefighting teams are fighting fires across Alberta.”
The Wildland Urban Interface Program targets zones where developments such as homes, farms or industrial sites border or mix with natural vegetation at risk from wildfire. Fires that occur in these transitional areas between forests, grasslands and populated communities are often challenging and demand the expertise of both wildland and structural firefighters. Wildland Urban Interface teams consist of firefighters who have the specialized training and equipment needed to respond to wildfires that enter a community or where developed areas meet wildland areas.
This program is a partnership between the provincial government and local authority fire services and includes funding from Natural Resources Canada. The province is responsible for coordination and funding, while local fire departments contribute personnel, firefighting equipment and resources. The expansion of this program will enhance the overall deployment of specialized resources across the province and improve municipal fire service capacity through additional training and technical support.
“The announcement of almost $7 million in funding to quadruple the number of Wildland Urban Interface teams will strengthen Alberta’s wildfire preparedness and significantly improve safety for Strathmore residents. As the local MLA, I am proud to support the growth of these versatile teams, which are deployed across the province to support municipalities like ours and reinforce our local firefighting capabilities.”
“Strathmore’s firefighters have repeatedly shown their skill, commitment and leadership during emergency deployments. Participation in the WUI Program allows us to strengthen those capabilities, enhance regional partnerships, and help build a sustainable response model for our community and province.”
Each new Wildland Urban Interface Team will receive $1.09 million over two to three years for personnel costs, administrative support, equipment, maintenance and travel costs to help develop and expand the program’s training and operational capacity.
The local authorities receiving funding are:
- Town of Strathmore
- Town of Hinton
- Town of Slave Lake
- Lac La Biche County
- Kee Tas Kee Now Tribal Council
- Kananaskis Improvement District
There are two existing teams based out of Clearwater County and the Town of High Level.
Quick facts
- Funding for the Town of Hinton, Town of Slave Lake, Lac La Biche County and Kee Tas Kee Now Tribal Council is shared equally between Natural Resources Canada and Alberta Forestry and Parks.
- Funding for the teams based in the Town of Strathmore and Kananaskis Improvement District will be provided by the Alberta Emergency Management Agency.
- Each team will receive a total of $1.09 million for a combined total of close to $7 million.
Related information
Disaster
Delta flight crashes and flips upside-down at Toronto airport as 3 are left critically injured
Quick Hit:
A Delta Air Lines plane crash-landed and flipped upside-down at Toronto Pearson International Airport on Monday, leaving three passengers— including a child— critically injured. The incident occurred just before 3 p.m. after the aircraft took off from Minneapolis earlier in the day. Images from the scene show the plane severely damaged, with emergency crews rushing to assist passengers.
BREAKING- Toronto had a Delta flight flipped upside down. I got these photos from a friend on the plane. He’s okay. Minnesota to Toronto. pic.twitter.com/DeSoYAlsVo
— Kellie Meyer (@KellieMeyerNews) February 17, 2025
Key Details:
- The flight, identified as Delta Flight 4819, departed from Minneapolis at 11:47 a.m. before crash-landing in Toronto.
- At least eight people were reported injured, with three in critical condition, including a child and a man in his 60s.
- The aircraft, a Bombardier CRJ-900LR, was flipped upside-down on the runway, with one wing crumpled and the tail section partially sheared off.
Diving Deeper:
Emergency responders rushed to Toronto Pearson International Airport on Monday afternoon after Delta Flight 4819 suffered a crash landing, flipping upside-down on the snowy runway. Images from the scene depict a harrowing sight— the overturned aircraft smoldering, with dazed passengers evacuating.
According to CP24 News, eight people sustained injuries in the crash, three of whom were transported to separate hospitals in critical condition, including a pediatric patient. The Peel Regional Police confirmed that while most passengers made it out unharmed, authorities remained on-site to assess the full extent of the injuries and damage.
Passenger John Nelson captured the immediate aftermath on video, posting to Facebook: “We’re in Toronto. We just landed. Our plane crashed, it’s upside-down. Fire department is on site. Most people appear to be OK. We’re all getting off.” The footage shows emergency personnel navigating the snowy conditions to reach the aircraft and assist those on board.
Toronto Pearson officials confirmed on X (formerly Twitter) that all passengers and crew were accounted for, while the Association of Flight Attendants union stated that no fatalities had been reported. However, airport operations were briefly suspended in the wake of the incident, with arrivals and departures temporarily halted.
The crash comes after a weekend winter storm dumped nearly nine inches of snow on Toronto, prompting airport crews to work overnight to clear runways. Investigators will now seek to determine whether weather conditions or mechanical failure played a role in the crash. This marks the most serious commercial aviation incident since the January 29 collision at Ronald Reagan National Airport involving an Army Black Hawk helicopter and an American Airlines flight.
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