Mary Kate Jacobe was at Camp Mystic in Kerr County when raging floodwaters roared through the camp on July 4.
HOUSTON — The body of a little girl from Houston has been found among the Kerr County flood debris, her family said on Wednesday.
Mary Kate Jacobe was eight years old. She was at Camp Mystic, a Christian girls’ camp, when the area was hit by catastrophic flooding in the early-morning hours of July 4.
“Our precious angel baby has entered the gates of Heaven. Mary Kate Jacobe was the light of our lives. She was tiny but mighty, full of love and joy, with a smile that melted your heart. Mary Kate, our Sissy, was the baby of our large family and was most certainly our angel on earth. We are utterly shattered and forever changed by the loss of our girl,” the Jacobe family said in a statement. “Please know we truly appreciate the prayers and support so lovingly expressed by so many. We sincerely thank you for respecting our family’s privacy as we process the unthinkable. Our family extends our deepest sympathy to all those affected by the tragic flooding. We stand united by loss but rooted in love. May God be with you now and always.”
More than two dozen girls from Camp Mystic died in the flooding that caught the area off guard as most people slept. As of Wednesday morning, five campers and a counselor were still missing.
State records obtained by KHOU 11 show the camp’s emergency plan was approved days before the flooding.
Kerr County officials said some of the summer camps along the Guadalupe River evacuated early, while others received no warning due to poor cell service.
Questions remain about why there was no warning system in place that could have saved lives.
Hill Country flood death toll climbs
- At least 111 confirmed dead across Central Texas after July 4 floods
- 161 people are missing
- More than 1,000 volunteers are assisting in ongoing search operations
- Drone collision with rescue helicopter halts part of the search
Many of the dead and missing are from the Houston area and were in the Hill Country for the holiday weekend.