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KERRVILLE, Texas — In the sticky Texas heat with night approaching, Xavier Ramirez waited outside Calvary Temple Church hoping for a miracle — that somehow his mom, stepfather, aunt, uncle and cousin weren’t swallowed by Texas’ bloated Guadalupe River.

Ramirez, 23, from Midland, was at the church in Kerrville with weariness in his eyes. He was getting by “minute to minute, second to second,” he said.

One of his cousins, Devyn Smith, who had been at HTR Campgrounds outside Ingram when the Guadalupe River burst from its banks, had been found late Friday and was recovering at Peterson Regional Center, he said.

Smith, 23, was found about 20 miles downriver outside Center Point in a tree, Ramirez said.

But she was one of six who’d been at the campground outside Ingram in Kerr County.

Ramirez said he still was awaiting word of his aunt, Tasha Ramos; another cousin, Kendall Ramos; his stepfather, Cody Crossland; his mother, Michelle Crossland; and his uncle Joel Ramos.

The campground had been a destination spot for years, where the family had gone to enjoy the river since he was a small boy, Ramirez said.

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, rapidly emerging thunderstorms in the Texas Hill Country produced near 100-year flooding. The Guadalupe River marked 23.4 feet on a flood stage chart, above “major flooding” indicators, early Friday, according to NOAA.

The shocking rise of floodwaters, possibly boosted by a “flood wave” that rolled along the Guadalupe and could have instantly raised its depth, left vehicles abandoned, mobile homes and businesses totaled and summer camps usually busy with holiday weekend activities wiped of humanity and surrounded by muddy sediment.

The devastating flooding has so far claimed the lives of at least 51 people across the state, with dozens more missing, including 27 children who were at Camp Mystic, a Christian summer camp for girls. Kerr County has been the hardest hit, with officials there reporting at least 43 deaths, including 15 children, as search and rescue efforts continue.

Gov. Greg Abbott, who visited Kerrville on Saturday, declared a state of disaster for 20 Texas counties affected by the flooding and proclaimed Sunday will be a day of prayer for victims of the extreme weather event. He said he has also requested federal disaster relief.

Ramirez’s family had been asleep when the Guadalupe River’s waters began to rise in the early morning hours Friday.

“They slept in the truck. They didn’t think it was safe in a tent” because they had heard about the storm, Ramires said, relaying what his cousin had told the family. There were two trucks: his mother and father and teenage cousin in one, and his aunt, uncle and Smith in the other.

It was his aunt who awoke first. The family members scrambled to get to the top of the trucks, climbing through sun roofs, Ramirez said.

“They lost my uncle first” to the water’s heavy current, Ramirez recalled. “He had tried to keep them all together and couldn’t hold on.”

His mother, stepfather and Smith had managed to get to higher ground and had planned to go get help.

“We found their truck in Ingram, against a tree, crushed and flipped, not far from the campground,” he said.

His mother’s purse was inside when the family found the truck Saturday, after a day of searching.

“I’m the only boy, so I’m trying to hold it together for rest of the family,” Ramirez said.

MIAMI — Tropical Storm Chantal formed off the southeast U.S. coast and was forecast to bring heavy rains to parts of the Carolinas on Saturday. Tropical storm warnings were issued for portions of the two states, the National Hurricane Center in Miami said.

The storm’s center was about 65 miles east of Charleston, South Carolina, on Saturday night, and 120 miles south-southwest of Wilmington, North Carolina. Its maximum sustained winds were clocked at 50 mph, and it was moving north at 8 mph.

Rain bands from Chantal were moving over the coast, the hurricane center said, and the storm’s center was expected to move over South Carolina overnight or early Sunday with flash floods an increasing concern. The storm was expected to weaken rapidly after landfall.

Heavy rain was forecast for the coastal plain of the Carolinas through Monday — total rainfall of 2 to 4 inches, with local amounts up to 6 inches — threatening flash flooding.

Former Chicago White Sox closer Bobby Jenks has died at the age of 44 from stomach cancer.

Jenks, who won a World Series championship with the White Sox in 2005, had been diagnosed with adenocarcinoma earlier this year, and passed away Friday in Portugal, the White Sox announced in a press release.

“We have lost an iconic member of the White Sox family today,” said White Sox Chairman Jerry Reinsdorf. “None of us will ever forget that ninth inning of Game 4 in Houston, all that Bobby did for the 2005 World Series champions and for the entire Sox organization during his time in Chicago. He and his family knew cancer would be his toughest battle, and he will be missed as a husband, father, friend and teammate. He will forever hold a special place in all our hearts.”

Jenks spoke to The Athletic about being diagnosed with Stage 4 stomach cancer earlier this year, which came just weeks after his Southern California home burned down in the Palisades Fire in the Los Angeles area in January.

“I’ve come to the realization that it could be six months, or it could be three years,” he said. “But I’m ready. And however long it takes, I’m going to be here fighting it.”

He made his MLB debut with the White Sox during the remarkable 2005 season, with six saves and a 2.75 ERA during the regular season. He was especially critical in the playoffs, racking up four more saves and closing out the final game of the World Series, which gave the team their first title in 88 years.

Jenks had 173 saves during six seasons with the White Sox.

The California native pitched the 2011 MLB season with the Boston Red Sox.

Jenks is survived by his wife, Eleni Tzitzivacos, their two children, Zeno and Kate, and his four children from a prior marriage, Cuma, Nolan, Rylan and Jackson, according to the White Sox.

Hurricane Helene, 2024

Hurricane Helene struck Florida, Georgia, the Carolinas, Tennessee and Virginia in September 2024. The storm caused about 250 deaths, according to the National Weather Service.

Many of those who died in Helene fell victim to massive inland flooding, rather than high winds. Helene was the deadliest hurricane to hit the mainland U.S. since Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

The storm decimated remote towns throughout the Appalachians and left millions without power, cellular service and supplies. In North Carolina alone, Helene was responsible for 108 deaths, according to the state’s Department of Health and Human Services.

Kentucky, 2022

Raging floodwaters in eastern Kentucky in late July of 2022 led to 45 deaths, AccuWeather senior meteorologist Tyler Roys said Saturday.

The floods destroyed homes and businesses and caused significant damage to schools, roads, bridges and water systems. The disaster robbed thousands of families of all their possessions.

Tennessee, 2021

Twenty people were killed when creeks near the small Middle Tennessee town of Waverly overflowed after more than more than 17 inches (43 centimeters) of rain fell in the area in less than 24 hours in August 2021.

Homes were washed off their foundations, cars were wrecked and businesses were demolished. The dead included twin babies who were swept from their father’s arms.

Hurricane Harvey, 2017

Hurricane Harvey barreled into Texas in August 2017 as a powerful Category 4 storm. Harvey hovered for days as it trudged inland, dumping several feet of rain on many Gulf Coast communities and the Houston area.

Harvey killed at least 68 people, according to a National Hurricane Center report. All but three of the Harvey deaths were directly attributed to freshwater flooding, which damaged more than 300,000 structures and caused an estimated $125 billion in damage.

West Virginia, June 2016

A rainstorm that initially seemed like no big deal turned into a catastrophe in West Virginia, trapping dozens of people during the night and eventually leaving 23 people dead around the state.

Superstorm Sandy, 2012

Superstorm Sandy was a a late fall freak combination of a hurricane and other storms that struck New York and surrounding areas in October 2012.

Sandy killed 147 people, 72 in the eastern U.S., according to the National Hurricane Center. More than 110 deaths were attributed to drowning, Roys said.

Mississippi River, 2011

Heavy rainfall in several states, plus a larger-than-normal slow melt, led rivers in the Mississippi River Basin to swell and flood in 2011.

Flash floods associated with these storms caused 24 deaths across Oklahoma, Missouri, Arkansas, Louisiana and Tennessee in April and May, according to the National Weather Service.

Hurricane Ike, 2008

Hurricane Ike struck the Southeast Texas Gulf Coast in September 2008, creating a storm surge as high as 20 feet (6 meters) in the island city of Galveston.

Ike then poured more than 4 feet (1.2 meters) of rain on Houston, destroying thousands of cars and leaving hundreds of thousands of families with flood-damaged homes.

In all, Ike was responsible for more than 100 deaths, many caused by flooding.

Hurricane Katrina, 2005

Hurricane Katrina is the deadliest flood event in the U.S. in the past 25 years.

The storm crashed into the Gulf Coast and caused devastating flooding when levees failed in New Orleans, where people had to be rescued by boat and helicopter from rooftops.

The costliest storm in U.S. history, Katrina caused nearly 1,400 deaths and an estimated $200 billion in damages.

Tropical Storm Allison, 2001

Tropical Storm Allison caused 41 deaths, mostly attributed to flooding caused by 40 inches (101 centimeters) of rain that fell in Texas and Louisiana, Roys said.

Allison remained a threat for days as its remnants lingered after making landfall in June 2001, causing major flooding in Houston.

WASHINGTON — Eight men deported from the United States in May and held under guard for weeks at an American military base in the African nation of Djibouti while their legal challenges played out in court have now reached the Trump administration’s intended destination, war-torn South Sudan, a country the State Department advises against travel to due to “crime, kidnapping, and armed conflict.”

The immigrants from Cuba, Laos, Mexico, Myanmar, Vietnam and South Sudan arrived in South Sudan on Friday after a federal judge cleared the way for the Trump administration to relocate them in a case that had gone to the Supreme Court, which had permitted their removal from the U.S. Administration officials said the men had been convicted of violent crimes in the U.S.

“This was a win for the rule of law, safety and security of the American people,” said Homeland Security spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin in a statement Saturday announcing the men’s arrival in South Sudan, a chaotic country in danger once more of collapsing into civil war.

The Supreme Court on Thursday cleared the way for the transfer of the men who had been put on a flight in May bound for South Sudan. That meant that the South Sudan transfer could be completed after the flight was detoured to a base in Djibouti, where they men were held in a converted shipping container. The flight was detoured after a federal judge found the administration had violated his order by failing to allow the men a chance to challenge the removal.

The court’s conservative majority had ruled in June that immigration officials could quickly deport people to third countries. The majority halted an order that had allowed immigrants to challenge any removals to countries outside their homeland where they could be in danger.

A flurry of court hearings on Independence Day resulted a temporary hold on the deportations while a judge evaluated a last-ditch appeal by the men before the judge decided he was powerless to halt their removals and that the person best positioned to rule on the request was a Boston judge whose rulings led to the initial halt of the administration’s effort to begin deportations to South Sudan.

By Friday evening, that judge had issued a brief ruling concluding the Supreme Court had tied his hands.

The men had final orders of removal, Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials have said. Authorities have reached agreements with other countries to house immigrants if authorities cannot quickly send them back to their homelands.

Joshua Hoston, an 18-year veteran of Idaho’s Coeur d’Alene Fire Department, remembers the moment a routine wildfire call turned into a deadly ambush that killed two fellow firefighters and wounded a third.

“We dropped everything we had, hopped back in the truck, and went racing back up to the mountain,” Hoston said.

What initially seemed like an ordinary report of a wildfire in the northwest Idaho city quickly devolved into chaos as first responders came under fire — an attack that has shaken the close-knit firefighting community.

Hoston said he was called to Canfield Mountain on Sunday, June 29, and was assisting with retrieving a UTV, a four-wheeled vehicle used to access tight terrain, when a call crackled over the radio: shots fired.

“The way it sounded, we knew it wasn’t a joke,” he said.

What he and others didn’t know at the time was that a man — now identified as 20-year-old Wess Roley — had allegedly set the fire intentionally to ambush responding firefighters.

Hoston said a captain with the Northern Lakes Fire District quickly ordered crews to stay at a staging area, away from the gunfire. He said he felt “helpless” not being able to rush to his colleagues to help, but acknowledged the decision likely saved more lives.

“If we all had been up there, we’d have been trapped,” he said. “It would have been a stack of bodies.”

Battalion Chiefs John Morrison and Frank J. Harwood were killed in the attack. Firefighter David Tysdal was wounded and remains hospitalized in stable condition after undergoing multiple surgeries.

“It’s been the worst imaginable 56 hours,” Coeur d’Alene firefighter and captain Jeff Fletcher told NBC News.

Fletcher was off duty that day and mountain biking in nearby Sandpoint when he began receiving urgent calls. He was told “two of my best friends” had been shot. He rushed to the Coeur d’Alene fire station, then to the hospital, where he and another firefighter set up a command post.

“Just to see the smoke plume from the wildland fire really brought realities to what we were about to undertake,” he said in a phone call on Thursday. “I think everybody initially was like, ‘How can this be happening? How can it be in our community?’”

Kootenai County Sheriff Bob Norris said the “firefighters did not have a chance” after Roley allegedly opened fire.

Norris said they received reports that Roley — who, according to his family, once dreamed of becoming a firefighter — fired at responders from a tree.

Roley was found dead on the mountain last Sunday from a suspected self-inflicted gunshot wound, authorities said. A flint starter and shotgun were also recovered at the scene.

‘The most amazing person’

Fletcher said the days since the attack have been chaotic, leaving little time to process the tragedy.

“I’d say that a lot of us, we’re still in the trenches,” he said. “We’re also trying to balance grieving for John and Frank and supporting Dave, and then also pulling shifts and going on calls and trying to maintain our composure.”

Fletcher grew emotional recalling his 23-year friendship with Morrison, the battalion chief, and firefighter Tysdal, which began on his first day on the job.

“Dave is just the most amazing person,” he said through tears.

In the winter, Tysdal runs a Christmas tree farm.

“He included everybody in anything he was doing,” Fletcher said. “He’s the most generous, nicest person I’ve ever met.”

Officials said in an update on Wednesday that Tysdal underwent a third surgery. He was taken off a ventilator and was speaking, despite suffering severe chest and spinal trauma.

Morrison embodied “leadership on the fire ground that can never be replaced,” Fletcher said.

“In his position, when you show up to big incidents, he’s basically calling the shots. There was never second-guessing what his strategy was,” he said. “When you got back to the firehouse, he was the nicest, friendliest and funniest guy you’d ever meet.”

Idaho Gov. Brad Little said he was “heartbroken,” calling the attack a “heinous direct assault on our brave firefighters.”

Hundreds of people gathered for a procession Tuesday honoring Morrison and Harwood.

A motive in the shooting remains unclear. Authorities said no manifesto has been found and they still do not know why Roley was in the area. Norris, the sheriff, said it appeared he had been living out of his car.

The fire has burned about 23 acres and was 100% contained as of Friday morning, the Idaho Department of Lands said in a Facebook post.

Roley’s family could not be reached for comment. They released a statement Monday through their attorney, Justin P. Whittenton, saying that they “do not understand why this happened or how this came about.”

Since the attack, support for the victims and local fire community has poured in, said Ricky Walsh, vice president of the International Association of Fire Fighters District 7.

“We are our sisters’ and brothers’ keepers, and we are going to lean on each other and get through this event,” he said.

Tracy Rohr, 52, of Coeur d’Alene, said watching the community come together has been “heartwarming but tragically sad.”

“For me personally, I feel an overwhelming sense of pride for the way our community has come together,” she said. “But also, I definitely feel like we’re all at a loss. It’s tragic.”

Camp Mystic, a 99-year-old Christian summer camp for girls in Texas Hill Country, was hosting 750 children this week when catastrophic flooding struck the Guadalupe River early Friday, leaving at least 25 children missing.

Founded in 1926, Camp Mystic operates two sites along the river in Hunt, Texas. It has long billed itself as a place for girls to grow spiritually and “develop outstanding personal qualities and self-esteem,” according to its website.

Each summer, Mystic challenges its campers to “be a better person for being at Mystic,” and to “let Mystic bring out the best in them.” The camp’s website emphasizes lifelong friendships and a “wholesome Christian atmosphere.”

The flash floods killed at least 24 people in Texas Hill Country. The identities of the deceased and missing have not yet been officially released, but dozens of families shared in local Facebook groups that they have received phone calls from safety officials saying their daughters had not yet been located.

Camp Mystic said in an email to parents of the roughly 750 campers that if they have not been contacted directly, their child is accounted for.

Dick and Tweety Eastland, the current owners, have been involved with Camp Mystic since 1974. The camp has remained in the same family for generations, dating back to the 1930s.

A video on the Camp Mystic website shows a sprawling campus by the river, with footage of girls playing in the water, rowing boats, riding horses and playing tennis.

The flash flooding began around 4 a.m. Friday after heavy overnight rain swelled the Guadalupe River. Water swept into Kerr County and surrounding areas with such speed that officials say they were unable to issue evacuation orders in time.

“This happened very quickly, over a very short period of time, that could not be predicted, even with the radar,” said Dalton Rice, city manager for Kerrville, the county seat. “This happened within less than a two-hour span.”

Bodies were reported to have been found in vehicles swept away from upstream areas.

The river had crested in Kerrville and Comfort by Friday evening, but downstream sections — including near Spring Branch — weren’t expected to peak until early Saturday. The National Weather Service projected a crest of 37.2 feet there, considered moderate flood stage.

Every swimmer wore a bright yellow lifebuoy tied around their waist, part of strict safety measures enforced by a dozen lifeguards in high-visibility vests. The current was weak, just enough to tug gently at their limbs — a reminder that this is still a living, urban river.

“It’s so nice to swim in the heart of the city, especially with the high temperatures we’ve been having lately,” said Amine Hocini, a 25-year-old construction worker from Paris. “I’m surprised because I thought it was going to be cooler and in fact, it’s much warmer than I thought.”

The return to swimming follows a 1.4 billion euro ($1.5 billion) cleanup project tied to last year’s Olympics. Officials now say the Seine meets European water quality standards on most days. Mayor Anne Hidalgo, who already took a dip last year, was there Saturday morning, holding up a transparent bottle filled with river water as a show of confidence. Environmental authorities confirmed bacteria levels were well below official thresholds.

Swimming in the Seine had been illegal since 1923, with a few exceptions, due to pollution and risks posed by river navigation. Taking a dip outside bathing areas is still banned for safety reasons.

From the deck, tourists and morning joggers stopped to watch. Some applauded as swimmers climbed up the steel ladders, grinning and dripping. Others, like François Fournier, remained skeptical.

“I won’t risk it quite frankly,” said Fournier, who lives atop the riverbanks and observed the scene from a bridge above. “I’ve seen things you can’t imagine floating in the Seine, so I’ll wait for it to be really squeaky clean.”

Floating debris still bobbed here and there — a stray leaf, a plastic wrapper — but the smell was barely noticeable: no strong sewage odor, just an earthy, river-like scent.

“This is so chic, to swim in the Seine, next to Île Saint-Louis,” said Lucile Woodward, 43, a resident. “There are some apprehensions, of course, any time you go to swim somewhere, but I think this is one of the most tested areas in the whole world now. I don’t think the town hall can allow herself to have any problems.”

She added with a laugh: “My skin is OK.”