The deluge has taken the lives of at least 52 people, including 15 children. Read more:

A devastating flash flood swept through Camp Mystic in Kerr County, Texas,

killing at least five young girls

and leaving 11 more children missing

in what officials are calling

one of the worst natural disasters the area has seen in decades.

The tragedy struck in the early hours of July 4,

when the Guadalupe River rose more than 26 feet in just 45 minutes,

unleashing a torrent of water across the scenic campgrounds.

The youngest campers, housed in low-lying

cabins just 225 feet from the river, were hit first.

Eight-year-olds Renee Smajstrla,

Sarah Marsh, and Eloise Peck were confirmed among the dead,

alongside nine-year-olds Janie Hunt and Lila Bonner.

The camp’s beloved 70-year-old director, Richard “Dick” Eastland,

also lost his life while trying to rescue the girls.