Wayne Gretzky's daughter-in-law Sara prays for the missing children as flash floods hit Texas Hill Country

NHL great Wayne Gretzy’s daughter-in-law Sara Gretzky, who is married to his son Ty, took to Instagram on Saturday to express concern over the deadly flash floods that struck Kerr County, Texas, on July 4.

A severe overnight storm dumped up to 12 inches of rain in just a few hours causing the Guadalupe River to rise more than 26 feet in less than an hour. The resulting flash flood overwhelmed parts of the area, including Camp Mystic, a kids camp near the banks of the river.

Sara reshared several stories including a prayer asking for the safe return of missing children from Camp Mystic and support for families affected by the floods. In the caption, she added:

“These poor families. No matter who you pray to, please keep them in your thoughts. I can’t imagine what these families are going through right now.”

She also reposted a video of a helicopter flying over a damaged area as part of the rescue missions.

“Please god praying for more found,” she wrote.

In the next story, Sara shared a news video from KENS 5 showing first responders rescuing someone from the floodwaters. She thanked emergency crews, writing:

“My town my people thank you to all the brave first responders.”

via Instagram /@saragretzky

As of Saturday, at least 43 people have died in the flood, including 15 children. Around 27 girls from Camp Mystic are still missing. More than 850 people have been rescued from the area so far, as teams continue searching by boat, air, and on foot.

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Valeri Bure’s wife Candace prays for missing children in Texas flash floods

Former NHLer Valeri Bure’s wife Candace Bure also asked for prayers on Instagram for the families affected by the flash floods in Kerr County, Texas. Candace shared a graphic with the names and photos of the missing girls from Camp Mystic on her stories.

“Precious children still missing from their Christian camp. Please pray they are found safe,” she wrote.

In the next story, she added:

“We are praying for Kerr County,” along with prayer and heartbreak emojis.

Florida Panthers defenseman Jeff Petry’s wife Julie shared an emotional message in response to the disaster. She shared a gra[pic on her Instagram stories reading “Praying for Mystic” alongside the Bible verse John 1:5.

In the caption, Julie wrote:

“The most special place on earth where I spent many of my summers. Praying for these girls & their families during the unimaginable,” adding a broken heart emoji.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott said they will keep working until everyone is found during the latest press conference. He expanded the disaster area to include six counties and asked President Donald Trump to declare it a federal disaster. U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said Trump is expected to approve it.