Crews are frantically searching for more than 20 girls missing from a camp in East Texas after heavy rainfall and flash flooding struck the area around the Guadalupe River.

The campers from Camp Mystic, a girls-only facility on the Guadalupe River, remain unaccounted for, according to KSAT News in San Antonio. The camp, located west of Kerrville in Kerr County, was evacuated after the area received at least 10 inches of rain.

During a news conference on Friday, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, serving as acting governor, stated that 23 out of 750 people from the camp are still missing. Patrick did not specify the origin of those unaccounted for but confirmed the primary search area is focused around Camp Mystic. “I know there’s anxious parents who want to receive news,” Patrick said.

Authorities reported that at least 13 people have died across Kerr County, with multiple others missing countywide. The Kerr County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson, Clint Morris, described the situation as “an extremely active scene” and characterized the event as potentially “a once-in-a-lifetime flood.”

An email obtained by KSAT indicated that parents of missing campers have been notified, while campers at Cypress Lake and Senior Hill have been accounted for. The email also noted that the highway in the area has been washed away. 

Crews are actively engaged in rescue operations along the Guadalupe River. Residents are urged to shelter in place, avoid travel, and move to higher ground if living near creeks, streams, or the Guadalupe River.