Texas Floods Death Toll Rises Amid New Storm Threat

Texas floods death toll climbs to 51 with 27 girls missing as Tropical Storm Chantal lashes the Carolinas, raising new fears of flash flooding and storm damage

The Texas floods death toll has now reached 51, with authorities confirming that 27 girls remain missing. Most of the fatalities occurred in Kerr County, where at least 43 people have died, including 15 children.

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Local officials confirmed that many of the victims were recovered near Camp Mystic, a Christian summer camp on a river in Kerr County.

Even as Texas struggles to recover from record-breaking floods, Tropical Storm Chantal made landfall early Sunday in South Carolina, unleashing heavy rains and flash flood warnings across the Carolinas.

Despite the ongoing tragedy, officials have not disclosed how many people remain missing beyond the children associated with the camp.

The surrounding counties also reported at least eight additional deaths as rivers swelled and homes were swept away.

As Texans mourn, Tropical Storm Chantal turned attention to the East Coast.

The storm, which developed Saturday morning roughly 150 miles off the coast of South Carolina, began pounding the region overnight with intense rainfall, high winds and dangerous surf.

By 11 p.m. Eastern Time Saturday, Chantal was tracking north at eight miles per hour, with sustained winds of 50 mph. It was located just 65 miles east of Charleston.

The storm was expected to shift northeast by Sunday night, crossing the coast and quickly weakening thereafter.

The Miami-based National Hurricane Center warned that two to four inches of rain would fall across the Carolinas through Monday, with some areas receiving up to six inches. Flash flooding remained a serious risk overnight.

“Little change in strength is expected before landfall, with rapid weakening forecast after landfall,” the hurricane centre said in its latest advisory.

The South Carolina Emergency Management Division confirmed it had activated local response teams, anticipating gusty winds, flash floods, and dangerous rip currents continuing through Monday.

Tropical storm warnings were in effect from the South Santee River in South Carolina up to Surf City, North Carolina. A watch extended from Edisto Beach to South Santee River.

A resident of Charleston, who had braced for the storm all day, described the overnight conditions as “relentless and unnerving”. He added, “We expected wind, but the sheer volume of rain just did not stop.”

As the Atlantic hurricane season intensifies, Chantal’s arrival aligns with predictions from NOAA, which forecast a 60% chance of an above-normal season. Up to 19 named storms are expected this year, with as many as five major hurricanes.

Back in Texas, families are still searching for answers. The anguish is deepest around Camp Mystic, where many of the missing girls were last seen.

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As rescue efforts continue, communities across the nation are united by one common concern: weather disasters are growing deadlier, and no region feels safe.