His optimism was fading. He paused along a Texas 39 grape orchard as friends searched across the highway in a massive field spanning half a mile. Trees once blocked the roadside view. Now, the still-swollen river, a mess of uprooted trees and scattering of volunteer searchers were visible from the road.

One local summer camp in the path of the disastrous flooding in central Texas was able to avoid any loss of life by closely monitoring weather reports.

Torrential rain and flash floods hit parts of central Texas on Friday. At least 24 people have died in the floods, and more than 20 children are missing from Camp Mystic. The National Weather Service said the Guadalupe River at Hunt hit its second-highest height on record.

The destructive fast-moving waters rose 26 feet on the Guadalupe River in just 45 minutes before daybreak Friday, washing away homes and vehicles.