As Texas reels from historic flooding, Camp Mystic has confirmed that at least 27 campers and counselors died when the Guadalupe River surged more than 20 feet in under two hours early on July 4. The all-girls summer camp in Kerr County was among the hardest-hit areas,

At least 27 campers and counselors from Camp Mystic in Texas died in flash flooding, the camp announced Monday. Dozens of people have died in the flooding that struck Texas Hill Country on Friday. At least 82 people are dead and at least 41 more are missing after devastating flash floods slammed Texas Hill Country.

As the deadly floodwaters in parts of central Texas recede, there are growing questions about how the catastrophic rainfall seemingly caught the area by surprise. Some local officials say the National Weather Service underestimated the extreme rain but the agency says an initial flood watch was issued Thursday afternoon.

Before heading to bed before the Fourth of July holiday, Christopher Flowers checked the weather while staying at a friend’s house along the Guadalupe River. Nothing in the forecast alarmed him. Hours later,

"A lot of the weather forecast offices now are not operating at full complement of staff," said the former lead of NOAA.