The search for survivors continues in central Texas after a deluge of floodwater filled camp cabins to their roofs, trapped people in trailer homes and overwhelmed cars before dawn on the Fourth of July. At least 52 people were killed, including 15 children; many were sleeping when the floods hit. Among the victims were two sisters, ages 11 and 13, and a 27-year-old man who died trying to save his family. Read their stories.

Some two dozen girls at Camp Mystic, a Christian camp on the Guadalupe River, remain missing. Rescuers are struggling to find them in the ongoing downpours. Thunderstorms are lingering over Texas, and some pockets of the state could see up to 10 inches of rain today. Millions of people are still under flood watches, but the heavy rainfall is expected to ease by the evening. (We will share the latest updates here.)

Residents said they had little warning as the floods hit. The county most affected — Kerr County, northwest of San Antonio — did not have a flood warning system, officials said. Crucial positions at the local offices of the National Weather Service were empty, and some experts questioned whether staffing shortages had contributed to the disaster.

In the tight-knit group of Camp Mystic families, distraught parents posted photos of their children online, offered prayers and shared hopeful stories. Rescuers found a young woman clutching a tree after she was swept away while camping with her family 20 miles upriver. (See the video.)

Greg Abbott, Texas’s governor, said he had visited the camp and described it as “horrendously ravaged.” He vowed to find every person missing after the flood, even as he cautioned that it could take some time. “We will be relentless,” he said. “We’re not going to stop today or tomorrow. We’re going to stop when the job is completed.” The federal government said it would offer support.

Still, officials acknowledged a painful reality yesterday: As time passes, the likelihood of finding survivors diminishes. — Lauren Jackson, an editor for The Morning

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