HOUSTON, Texas – A director at Heart O’ the Hills Camp in Texas Hill Country has been confirmed as one of the 47 who have died in Friday’s catastrophic flash floods.
Jane Ragsdale was a camper and counselor at Heart O’ the Hills Camp in the 1970s before becoming a co-owner of the camp in 1976. She served as program director before becoming the camp director in 1988.
“She hosted this class for girls who are 13 and 14. And you would learn basic life skills. I learned how to change a tire and check my oil. I learned the proper way to fold an American flag and set a table,” former Heart O’ The Hills camper Jordan Kadjar said.
There has been catastrophic flooding in the area overnight and we remain under flood watch until at least 5 PM today....
Posted by Heart O' the Hills Official Fan Page on Friday, July 4, 2025
Ragsdale, who is described on the camp’s website as the “heart and soul” of the camp, was among the 32 confirmed dead in the flood.
“Jane was, which is crazy to like say in the past tense, such a strong woman,” said Kadjar.
Former campers and counselors say the area would flood often because of its low-lying, but they’ve never seen anything like the flooding that took place on July 4.
On Friday morning, the destructive, fast-moving waters rose 26 feet in just 45 minutes, washing away homes and vehicles.
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.
“We will not stop until we find everyone who is missing,” Nim Kidd, chief of Texas Department of Emergency Management, said at a press conference Saturday afternoon.
Kerr County Sheriff Larry Leitha said the bodies of more than 40 people had been recovered so far.
Authorities were coming under growing scrutiny Saturday over whether the camps and residents in places long vulnerable to flooding received proper warning and whether enough preparations were made.
The hills along the Guadalupe River in central Texas are dotted with century-old youth camps and campgrounds where generations of families have come to swim and enjoy the outdoors. The area is especially popular around the July Fourth holiday, making it more difficult to know how many are missing.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
