Miraculous Survival in the Wake of Texas Flood Catastrophe: Two Young Girls Rescued from High Above A Tree as Fatalities Increase

In an extraordinary tale of endurance amidst heartbreaking destruction, two little girls were discovered clinging to a tree nearly 30 feet in the air—over a day after devastating flash floods ravaged Central Texas, claiming at least 80 lives across various counties.

The girls were saved in Comfort, Texas, roughly 15 miles from Kerrville, where the lethal floods took 59 lives on just Friday. The girls had been holding onto the tree for more than 24 hours before being found by Cord Shiflet, a local volunteer from Austin clearing debris. “They were up there just waiting—no one could believe they had survived,” Shiflet remarked in a Facebook update.

Authorities are actively searching the region for survivors and those missing, with at least 41 individuals still unaccounted for, including 10 girls and a counselor from the devastated Camp Mystic, a well-known summer camp.

The catastrophe unfolded swiftly on Friday when the Guadalupe River breached its banks following a sudden, torrential downpour, flooding riverside communities, camps, and RV parks during July Fourth festivities. Officials reported that the river surged several inches in hours, sweeping away cabins, vehicles, and campers almost without warning.

Desolation in the Core of the Hill Country
Kerr County has been hit hardest, with 68 confirmed fatalities. Among the victims were 21 children, including five from Camp Mystic. In neighboring Ingram, four additional bodies were found, including a mother and daughter trapped in their vehicle. The death toll continues to rise, raising fears that more bodies may be hidden under the debris.

“The odor was unbearable,” Shiflet described, revealing the conditions near the riverbank. “It indicated there could still be people under all this.”

Survivors are sharing terrifying accounts. Campers at the all-boys Camp La Junta recalled waking as floodwaters rushed into their cabins. “I heard someone screaming outside,” camper Braeden Davis said. “Later, I learned someone’s cabin flooded… Our beds began to float, and the door got blown off. We had to swim out.” Thankfully, all campers at La Junta have been reported safe.

Missed or Late Warnings
Increasing concerns arise over whether earlier and clearer warnings might have mitigated the disaster’s severity. Local officials revealed forecasts severely underestimated the rainfall. “The initial forecast predicted 3 to 6 inches of rain in the Concho Valley and 4 to 8 inches in the Hill Country,” explained Nim Kidd, head of the Texas Division of Emergency Management. “What we experienced exceeded those projections.”

Kerr County Judge Rob Kelly shared similar concerns: “We were unaware that this flooding was coming. None of us anticipated this… We had no reason to believe it would escalate to what has occurred here.”

The National Weather Service (NWS) issued a “life-threatening flash flooding” alert for Kerrville at 1:14 a.m. Friday, merely three hours before the flooding commenced. That alert activated the Emergency Alert System, sending notifications to phones—assuming recipients had service and had enabled emergency alerts.

Concerns Over Understaffing at NOAA
Apprehensions are escalating regarding potential systemic failures at the federal level. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), which oversees the NWS, has seen significant staffing reductions in recent months during the Trump administration. Former NOAA officials have alerted to a 10% fall in forecasting staff, raising worries that communities could be left ill-prepared for precisely such emergencies.

“Our greatest fear is that weather forecasting offices will be so understaffed that avoidable loss of life occurs,” a group of former NWS directors expressed in an open letter earlier this year.

Although it’s still ambiguous if staffing shortages directly influenced the Texas flood forecasts, former NOAA Administrator Rick Spinrad stated, “Without research and personnel to perform the work, predictions—whether for hurricanes, tornadoes, or floods—will deteriorate.”

Looking Forward
As rescue operations proceed and the community grieves its losses, officials are preparing for further storms. The National Weather Service cautions that additional thunderstorms may hit the already devastated Hill Country, necessitating new evacuations.

“This has been the most tragic event we’ve faced in years,” remarked a Kerr County official. “Yet the miracle of those two girls serves as a reminder—we must not relinquish hope.”