Flooding has caused an average of more than 125 deaths per year in the United States over the past few decades, according to the National Weather Service, and flash floods are the nation’s top storm-related killer.

Here’s a look at some of the most deadly flooding nationwide in the past 25 years.

Authorities are still assessing the deadly effects of heavy rains that caused devastating flash floods in Texas Hill Country, leaving at least 27 people dead and many others missing as frantic parents sought word about their daughters at a girls camp near the Guadalupe River.

Searchers used helicopters, boats and drones to look for victims and to rescue stranded people in trees and from camps isolated by washed-out roads.

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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.

Colossal bursts of rain like the ones that caused the deadly flooding in Texas are becoming more frequent and intense around the globe as the burning of fossil fuels heats the planet, scientists say.

Warm air holds more moisture than cool air, and as temperatures rise, storms can produce bigger downpours. When met on the ground with outdated infrastructure or inadequate warning systems, the results can be catastrophic.

These were the ingredients for tragedy in Texas, a state that is well acquainted with weather extremes of all kinds: high heat and deep cold, deluges and droughts, tornadoes and hurricanes, hail and snow. Indeed, the Hill Country, the part of the state where the Guadalupe River swelled on Friday, is sometimes called “flash flood alley” for how at risk it is to seemingly out-of-nowhere surges of water.

Humid air blows into the area from two main sources, the Gulf of Mexico and the tropical Pacific Ocean. When this air collides with cool air drifting down across the Great Plains, severe storms can erupt. The hilly terrain and steep canyons quickly funnel the rain into river valleys, transforming lazy streams into roaring cascades.

In parts of Texas that were flooded on Friday, the quantities of rain that poured down in a six-hour stretch were so great that they had less than a tenth of 1 percent chance of falling there in any given year, according to data analyzed by Russ Schumacher, a professor of atmospheric science at Colorado State University.

The Guadalupe River rose from three feet to 34 feet in about 90 minutes, according to data from a river gauge near the town of Comfort, Texas. The volume of water exploded from 95 cubic feet per second to 166,000 cubic feet per second.

And the warming climate is creating the conditions in Texas for more of these sharp, deadly deluges.

In the eastern part of the state, the number of days per year with at least two inches of rain or snow has increased by 20 percent since 1900, according to the most recent National Climate Assessment, the federal government’s flagship report on how global warming is affecting the United States. Across Texas, the intensity of extreme rain could increase another 10 percent by 2036, according to a report last year by John Nielsen-Gammon, the Texas state climatologist.

To understand patterns of heavy rain at a more local level, communities and officials rely on data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The agency has for decades published nationwide estimates of the probabilities of various precipitation events — that is, a certain number of inches falling in a particular location over a given amount of time, from five minutes to 24 hours to 60 days.

Engineers use NOAA’s estimates to design storm drains and culverts. City planners use them to guide development and regulations in flood-prone areas.

NOAA’s next updates to the estimates are scheduled to be released starting next year. For the first time, they are expected to include projections of how extreme precipitation will evolve as the climate changes, in order to help officials plan further ahead.

But in recent months, the Trump administration has cut staff at the agency and at the National Weather Service, which sits within NOAA. The administration has also dismissed the hundreds of experts who had been compiling the next edition of the National Climate Assessment, which was scheduled to come out in 2028. And it is proposing deep cuts to NOAA’s 2026 budget, including eliminating the office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research, which conducts and coordinates climate research.

Nick Sorter, a member of the United Cajun Navy, a volunteer rescue group from Louisiana, shared a grim update from the heart of the disaster with CNN on Saturday afternoon.

“The people have lost everything. If your house was even close to the riverbank, it’s gone, swept off the foundation,” Sorter said. “At this point, we don’t know how many people were even home when this happened. If you were home … you probably got swept down the river.”

Camp Mystic, a private Christian summer camp for girls in Hunt, is located close to the water and was trapped between a cliff and the quickly rising river. At least one girl is confirmed dead and 27 are reported missing at Camp Mystic.

“There was nowhere for these kids to go. The buildings were washed out, just carved out from the inside,” Sorter said.

The rescue operation is further complicated by a severe debris field, with downed trees blocking the path of riverboats, he added. Low-hanging clouds are also preventing helicopters from reaching the area, slowing down efforts.

Overnight, connectivity issues made the situation even worse. Search teams, working in pitch black darkness, were unable to communicate effectively because radios were down and cell phones didn’t work, Sorter said. However, some were able to regain contact using Starlink, a system now being deployed in every first responder vehicle across Kerr County to prevent future disruptions.

In one miraculous rescue, a young girl was found alive after being swept 12 miles downstream and surviving by clinging to a tree, according to Sorter.

“That is nothing short of a miracle,” he said. “It’s remarkable that she was able to survive, that she beat the odds.”

As each hour passes, Sorter says the outlook grows bleaker. The number of missing children has not dropped significantly, and the urgency of the search is still overwhelming.

“Time is precious right now, especially when we’re talking about the amount of missing children, these young girls, you see these pictures, and it’s horrifying to even think about,” Sorter said.

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The Brief Texas lawmakers are reacting to deadly flooding in the Texas Hill Country. Rising waters of the Guadalupe River have result in at least 27 deaths. Officials said Saturday morning that 27 people were missing from a girls’ Christian camp.

Texas lawmakers are reacting to deadly flooding that swept through the central part of the state Friday and Saturday.

The devastating floods have killed at least 27 in Kerr County since Friday and in Travis County, emergency officials said a body was found near Nameless Road on Saturday.

Some lawmakers were on the ground in Kerr County on Saturday as officials continued to provide updates on rescue efforts that have seen more than 800 rescued over the past 24 hours with many more still missing.

What they’re saying:

Rep. Chip Roy joined Kerrville officials Saturday morning in praising the efforts of crews working through the night to rescue those who were trapped by floodwaters.

“There’s so many great people in this community that are responding and moving quickly,” Roy said. “I just want to appreciate the first responders, the coordinated effort from the state local, federal, partnerships.”

Roy represents Texas’ 21st Congressional District which includes Kerr County.

Of those federal partnerships, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem posted on X that members of the U.S. Coast Guard have been called in to help with rescue efforts.

READ MORE: LIVE UPDATES: Texas flooding: At least 27 people are dead, search continues for missing in Kerr Co.

“@USCG is punching through the storms to evacuate Americans from central Texas,” Noem said. “We will fly throughout the night and as long as possible.”

Noem is set to join Gov. Greg Abbott on Saturday to provide an update on rescue efforts.

Abbott signed a state disaster declaration for several counties in the Hill Country.

“Texas will stop at nothing to ensure every missing person is fully accounted for,” Abbott said.

Vice President JD Vance posted condolences on X Saturday afternoon.

“Our nation’s heart breaks for the victims in Texas and their families,” Vance said. “Just an incomprehensible tragedy. I hope everyone affected knows they’re in the prayers of my family, and of millions of Americans.”

“This tragic unimaginable flood in the hill country has brought so much loss and devastation,” Attorney General Ken Paxton said on X. “This morning Texans are praying for these families. God be with them during this time of unimaginable pain and suffering. I wanna thank all of the first responders and volunteers that are working around the clock. This is truly tragic situation. My office stands ready to assist in anyway we can for the victims of this tragic situation. Our hearts mourn with you.”

MORE: Texas flooding: How you can help people in Kerrville

The floods drew support from state lawmakers outside the impacted areas as well.

“Please continue to lift up in prayer those still missing as rescue teams work tirelessly to find them,” Rep. Randy Weber said. “Pray for the families facing heartbreaking loss and for the communities in the Hill country as they begin the long road to rebuilding. This is a nightmare for so many—we grieve with them, and we stand with them”

Weber represents Texas’ 14th Congressional District covering parts of the Houston area.

In the Dallas area, Rep. Jasmine Crockett noted that many of the impacted famines were from the Dallas area as some of the missing were attending a girls’ camp in Hunt, Texas.

“My heart is with everyone impacted by the devastating floods across Texas—those who have lost loved ones and those still searching,” Crockett said. “Many of the impacted families are from right here in Dallas. We’re mourning with you and praying for comfort, healing, and peace in the days ahead.”

Elsewhere, Rep. Henry Cuellar said he was ready to help Roy’s district with support.

“The tragic flooding in the Texas Hill Country has left a deep mark on our hearts, with lives lost, children still missing, and entire communities upended in Kerrville, Hunt, Ingram, and Comfort,” Cuellar said. “The devastation along the Guadalupe River is truly heartbreaking.”

Kerr County Flooding

The Guadalupe River rose 26 feet in just 45 minutes in the early morning hours on Friday.

The swift rise washed away homes and vehicles including buildings at a girls’ Christian camp located along the river, Camp Mystic.

City Manager Dalton Rice said 27 girls were missing from the camp Saturday morning.

Rice said the actual number of missing people was unknown as many families were in the area on vacation.

“Today will be a hard day,” Kerrville Mayor Joe Herring said.

Officials are expected to give an update on rescue efforts later Saturday afternoon.