A 13-year-old girl is speaking out about her harrowing experience being evacuated from Camp Mystic after deadly flash floods swept through parts of Texas on Friday, July 4.
The devastating floods have claimed the lives of 81 people across the state. In Kerr County, home to Camp Mystic and several other youth camps in the Texas Hill Country, authorities have recovered the bodies of 68 individuals, including 28 children, according to Sheriff Larry Leitha. Camp Mystic confirmed to NBC News that 27 of the victims were from their camp.
Stella Thompson, who had arrived at Camp Mystic just a week prior, was attending the Christian summer camp for the sixth year in a row. But what began as a familiar summer tradition quickly turned into a nightmare. Early that morning, she and the girls in her cabin were awakened by the sound of storms outside.
Thompson had been staying in a cabin situated on higher ground near Cypress Lake, while other campers had been housed closer to the Guadalupe River—the area hardest hit by the rising waters.
She recalled the cabin losing power during the night, and camp staff advised everyone to stay indoors.
When helicopters began circling overhead at dawn, it became clear that something was seriously wrong.
“I think it’s the uncertainty that really shook up our cabin,” Thompson told NBC affiliate KXAS.
Soon after, they learned that the girls staying closer to the river had already been evacuated.
“When we found out, everyone in the cabin broke down. We were scared, not for ourselves, but for our friends,” she said. The girls prayed together and waited for help.
Several hours later, emergency crews reached Thompson’s cabin and escorted them to safety. What they left behind was a scene of devastation.
“You’d see kayaks stuck in trees—it was kind of horrific,” Thompson said. “It didn’t look like Camp Mystic anymore.”
Rescue efforts are ongoing, as teams search for 10 missing campers and one counselor. The Guadalupe River, which runs beside the camp, rose by 26 feet in under an hour before sunrise, sweeping away vehicles and homes in its path.
Thompson is still trying to comprehend the scale of the disaster. “I think while it was happening, I just felt numb,” she said. “But now, saying it out loud helps me understand how serious it really was.”
Her mother, Casey Thompson, echoed her daughter’s emotional response, describing her own mixture of relief and sorrow.
“We are so thankful she’s okay and back with us,” she said. “There’s huge relief, but at the same time, a deep awareness that others weren’t as lucky. Those feelings sit right beside each other.”