At least 47 people are dead in central Texas in what officials called a "mass casualty event" after devastating flash floods slammed Hill Country, with water rescues taking place along the Guadalupe River.

The death toll from the destructive Texas flash floods rose to 51 Saturday, with hundreds of rescuers combing through water and debris to find missing people, including children from a summer camp. The majority of fatalities were recorded along Guadalupe River basin in Kerr County.