Much of the rescue has focused on a large all-girls’ Christian summer camp called Camp Mystic, located along the banks of the Guadalupe River.

Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick told the BBC’s Radio 4 PM programme many of 27 missing girls were “under the age of 12”.

Pictures from the camp show it in disarray, with blankets, mattresses, teddy bears and other belongings caked in mud.

Many were asleep when the river rose more than 26ft (8m) in less than an hour in the early hours of Friday.

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

Bodies of more children recovered Saturday, Central Texas flood death toll climbs to 51

Officials in Central Texas say they don’t have an accurate count of the number of people missing after catastrophic flash floods swept through the Guadalupe River corridor on Friday.

Texas flooding latest: Two sisters among 51 dead as desperate search for campers swept away enters third day

Donald Trump described the flooding as ‘terrible’ as emergency services search for dozens of missing children

Four girls missing from a summer camp were found dead as a desperate search for dozens of other campers continues after devastating floods hit Texas, killing at least 51.

At least 15 children were killed as a result of what Texas GOP Congressman Chip Roy called a “once-in-a-century flood.” More than 850 people from around the region have been rescued or evacuated, officials said Saturday.

Two girls — 13-year-old Blair and 11-year-old Brooke — were among those killed by the floods, their father told CNN on Saturday night. Harber said Blair “was a gifted student and had a generous, kind heart,” and described Brooke as “like a light in any room, people gravitated to her and she made them laugh and enjoy the moment.”

There are also 27 girls still missing from Camp Mystic, an all-girls Christian summer camp along the Guadalupe River that was ravaged by the floods, officials said. At least four girls who attended Camp Mystic have been confirmed dead, according to reports, marking a tragic end to a day-long search.

The unexpected flas flooding struck on Friday after torrential rain along the Guadalupe River. The destructive force of the fast-rising waters just before dawn on Friday washed out homes and swept away vehicles.

Trump says he’s ‘praying’ for Texas families

“The Trump Administration is working with State and Local Officials on the ground in Texas in response to the tragic flooding that took place yesterday,” he wrote on Truth Social. “Our Secretary of Homeland Security, Kristi Noem, will be there shortly. Melania and I are praying for all of the families impacted by this horrible tragedy.”

“Our Brave First Responders are on site doing what they do best,” he added. “ GOD BLESS THE FAMILIES, AND GOD BLESS TEXAS!”

Witness recalls ‘indescribable’ moment of the flooding

Tonia Fucci, a Pennsylvania resident visiting her grandmother for the Independence Day weekend, woke early on Friday to the sound of heavy rain “coming down in buckets.”

“It’s indescribable, the sounds, of how loud they were, which turned out to be … the massive cypress trees that came down along the river,” she told a Reuters reporter in an interview the next day.

Ms Fucci filmed on her phone a torrent of muddy water flooding the road to her grandmother’s house and two recreational vehicles in a parking lot, with their wheels submerged in water.

“I’m still in shock today,” Fucci told Reuters news agency. “There’s so many missing children and missing people. You just want them to be found for the sake of the families. But, you know, it’s not going to be a good ending… There’s no way people could have survived the swiftness of the water.”

Ms Fucci said she had received National Weather alerts on her phone hours after the flood had already hit. The residents of the town had to rely on one another, as they ran to their neighbors to see who needed help before rescue teams arrived.

“Something I’ve never seen before. You knew it was tragedy,” Ms Fucci said.

Photos of rescue teams searching for missing campers after Texas Hill Country flash flood

Photos of rescue teams searching for missing campers after Texas Hill Country flash flood

A powerful flash flood swept through Texas Hill Country, causing widespread devastation and leading to the deaths of multiple adults and children. Search and rescue teams using helicopters, boats and drones are working nonstop to find survivors and victims. Camp Mystic, a Christian girls summer camp, was especially hard hit, with many campers still missing.