24 dead in Texas floods and more than 20 children missing from a girls summer camp

The area is known as ''flash flood alley'' because of the hills' thin layer of soil, said Austin Dickson, CEO of the Community Foundation of the Texas Hill Country, which was collecting donations to help nonprofits responding to the disaster.

''When it rains, water doesn't soak into the soil,'' Dickson said. ''It rushes down the hill.''

River tourism industry is a key part of the Hill Country economy, said Dickson. Well-known, century-old summer camps bring in kids from all over the country, he said. Between Hunt and Ingram are many river homes and cabins for rent.

''It's generally a very tranquil river with really beautiful clear blue water that people have been attracted to for generations,'' Dickson said.

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