Texas officials approved Camp Mystic's operating plan days before the fatal floods
Share and Follow

Two days before flash floods on the Guadalupe River in Texas killed at least 27 campers and staff at a Christian girls summer camp, a state inspector was there to approve camp operations and noted there was a written plan for responding to natural disasters.

What that plan said, however, is unclear. Texas does not approve or keep copies of emergency plans; camps are only required to show they have a plan in place. Officials at Camp Mystic — still reeling from the deaths of campers, staffers and its director, and the ongoing search for others — could not be reached for comment on what the plan included or how the camp responded to Friday’s flood.

A muddy room with items strewn everywhere on the floor
The inside of a cabin at Camp Mystic on Saturday.Ronaldo Schemidt / AFP – Getty Images

Questions are swirling around the emergency response by state and local officials and whether the flood plan the camp laid out was adequate, or was even executed as the historic flash flood struck in the darkness.

Fed by pounding rainfall, the Guadalupe River in Kerr County rose more than 20 feet in one hour before dawn on Friday and crested at more than 34 feet later that morning; it had been roughly 1 foot deep since at least June 10.

The swollen river overwhelmed Camp Mystic, where counselors and campers awoke in the dark and tried to dash through rising water, some clinging to trees or scrambling up rocky escarpments. Many were swept away.

Wynne Kennedy, a former Camp Mystic employee, said that when she worked there, staff was trained on “extensive flood evacuation plans.” That was one of the reasons she felt comfortable sending her daughter, Lucy, 10, to Camp Mystic this summer. “I felt like she was in the safest place she could be,” Kennedy said.

Lucy said she survived the storm after fleeing her cabin and taking refuge in the recreation hall on higher ground with other campers and counselors.

Share and Follow
You May Also Like
Trump unleashes ICE on Somalis in Maine as agents go door-to-door

Trump’s ICE Raid in Maine: Unprecedented Door-to-Door Sweep Targets Somali Community

In a significant move by the Trump administration, ICE agents have been…
This image released by Warner Bros Pictures shows Michael B. Jordan, foreground from left, Michael B. Jordan and Omar Benson Miller in a scene from

Will ‘Sinners’ Break Oscar Records? Find Out as Nominations Are Announced Today!

Traditionally, horror films have been overlooked by the Oscars, but this year…
Minneapolis ICE shooting: Independent autopsy of Renee Good released by Romanucci & Blandin, law firm in civil investigation

Independent Autopsy Report for Renee Good Released Amid Minneapolis ICE Shooting Investigation by Romanucci & Blandin Law Firm

MINNEAPOLIS — On Wednesday evening, the family of Renee Good received the…
Tennis great brands Osaka a hypocrite for wearing jellyfish outfit

Tennis Legend Criticizes Osaka Over Controversial Jellyfish Outfit Choice

In a surprising turn of events, Boris Becker has remarked that Naomi…
Retired colonel points to secret non-human recovery mission in Brazil

Former Colonel Reveals Covert Non-Human Retrieval Operation in Brazil

A former US Air Force fighter pilot has come forward with claims…
Testimony wraps up in trial of Chicago man Juan Espinoza-Martinez, accused of putting hit on Border Patrol Chief Gregory Bovino

Chicago Man’s Trial Concludes: Alleged Hit on Border Patrol Chief Takes Center Stage

In a case that has captured attention, the trial of a man…
Trump announces framework for Greenland deal, cancels future tariffs (Video)

Trump Unveils Greenland Deal Framework and Scraps Future Tariffs: Watch the Announcement

In an unexpected move, former President Donald Trump has unveiled a preliminary…
Shooting at an Oklahoma State University residence hall wounds at least 3 people

Immigration Authorities Permit Suspect in $100M Jewelry Heist to Self-Deport, Bypassing Trial

LOS ANGELES (AP) — In a surprising twist, federal immigration officials permitted…