Teenage Counselors Recall Critical Moments During Texas Flood Disaster

Two teenage camp counselors described the tense moments as they prepared to evacuate children amidst the rising floodwaters in Texas. Silvana Garza and Maria Paula recounted how they tried to maintain a cheerful demeanor to keep the young girls calm, knowing how dangerous the situation was.

In a harrowing effort to identify the children if they were swept away, the counselors wrote the girls’ names on their bodies and clothing. They also did the same with each girl, writing their names in visible places.

Two teenage counselors near a flooded camp — Counselors Silvana Garza and Maria Paula describe preparing for evacuation as floodwaters surged around them.

Both counselors recalled feeling the need to hide their fears from the children. Maria Paula mentioned, “We started writing our names on our skin, anywhere visible,” and did the same for the girls.

Garza added that they initially believed they might need to evacuate the camp, so they began preparing the children by packing their belongings, including favorite stuffed animals, just in case they had to leave quickly.

Furnishings scattered in a flood-damaged cabin — Interior of a cabin with furniture scattered after the flooding at Camp Mystic.

Many survivors from nearby camps gathered at the site of the tragedy, overwhelmed by the destruction as the Guadalupe River continued to swell. The flood has resulted in at least 89 fatalities, with dozens more missing, and the death toll expected to rise.

Garza remarked, “We didn’t know if we would be evacuated or not, so we just kept waiting and preparing.” The community continues to mourn and search for missing individuals, amid efforts to manage the ongoing flood crisis.