Mountain Brook Girl, 8, Killed in Texas Camp Floods

Sarah Marsh, a second-grader at Cherokee Bend Elementary in the affluent Birmingham suburb of Mountain Brook, was among at least 28 children killed when flash floods surged through Camp Mystic in Kerr County, Texas, on Friday.[1][2][3] The 8-year-old, daughter of Samford University assistant professor Patrick Marsh, was attending the nondenominational Christian girls' camp when the Guadalupe River rose 26 feet in just 45 minutes before daybreak, sweeping away cabins and campers.[1][2][4] Mountain Brook Mayor Stuart Welch confirmed her death, noting the loss has shaken the tight-knit community known for its top-rated schools and family focus.[3] Kerr County Sheriff Larry Leitha reported 68 bodies recovered locally, including victims from multiple youth camps in the flood-prone Texas Hill Country, dubbed 'Flash Flood Alley.'[2] Statewide, the toll reached 82, with 41 unaccounted for as of Sunday, Gov. Greg Abbott said; Col. Freeman Martin of the Texas Department of Public Safety warned it would rise further.[2] More than 850 people were rescued in the first 36 hours using helicopters, boats and drones, but challenges persist with high waters, snakes and washed-out roads.[1][2] Samford University President Beck Taylor notified the Birmingham campus community of Sarah's death in an email, highlighting her father's role in the school of health professions' kinesiology department.[4] The floods caught many by surprise despite warnings, as 15 inches of rain fell overnight, destroying homes and vehicles across central Texas counties including Travis, Burnet, Kendall, Tom Green and Williamson, where 10 more deaths occurred.[2][4] Flash flood watches remain as additional rain falls, prolonging the crisis.[2]