Families Urge Texas to Deny Camp Mystic License After Deadly Flood

On July 4, 2025, twenty-seven people died at Camp Mystic in Kerr County, Texas—including over two dozen children. One child remains missing but is presumed dead. The deaths occurred during severe flooding along the Guadalupe River, where the all-girls Christian camp operated in an area known for significant flood risk.

Multiple cabins experienced total losses. Children were instructed to remain in place during the flooding, though some attempted to evacuate on their own when conditions became critical. Survivors reported spending hours uncertain whether help would arrive. Recovery efforts extended over multiple days and across several miles downriver.

In the months since, families have learned details about the camp's response that night, including how campers had received no training in evacuation procedures, that camp operators had not acted on flood warnings, and that the camp had emergency procedures that were ignored. Counselors simply lacked the equipment and training necessary to coordinate an effective response, which contributed to the tragic loss of life.

License Renewal Opposed by Grieving Families

Incredibly, Camp Mystic seeks to renew its license and reopen this summer. Families of six of the children who died have sent letters to the Texas Department of State Health Services urging regulators to deny or pause the renewal until investigations are complete.

The letters, obtained by The Washington Post, call for the camp's license to be denied or held until every negligent action can be fully investigated. The families argue that renewing the license would essentially leave the camp operators unaccountable for what happened. Meanwhile, the families continue to deal with the devastating effects: siblings of those lost blame themselves for what happened, while others don't fully comprehend what's happened. Parents and children alike are wrestling with PTSD.

The camp's owners testified during a three-day hearing in Austin this week that they responded appropriately to unprecedented conditions. Edward Eastland, a camp director whose father died in the flood, said they hope to reopen in six weeks. More than 850 campers have registered to attend, with roughly 600 having paid deposits. Still, the camp cannot reopen until its license has been renewed.

Travis County District Judge Maya Guerra Gamble upheld an injunction that forbids the camp from altering any flood-affected structures or land. The judge stated she would add language to her order noting that Camp Mystic operated in a high-risk flood zone without adequate protections and lacked emergency plans and training required under Texas code.

Why Families Say This Was Preventable

Camp Mystic operated in an area with documented flooding history—a corridor where severe weather events should have been (and were) anticipated. Public records indicate the camp previously contested FEMA flood hazard designations affecting structures that ultimately flooded, raising questions about whether financial considerations influenced decisions about where to house the youngest, most vulnerable campers.

The camp's own emergency plan called for specific staffing and communication systems that were not in place. When the crisis unfolded, children were left to manage situations no child should face alone.

"Twenty-seven children died under Camp Mystic's care. The evidence is undeniable, revealing utter complacency and the complete absence of necessary planning and safeguards before, during, and after the flood," said Attorney Kyle Findley, who is representing six families seeking to hold camp operators responsible. "Renewing this license before investigations have even concluded would send a dangerous message that even the most catastrophic breakdowns carry no consequences."

Multiple investigations by the Texas Department of State Health Services, the Texas Department of Public Safety, a legislative committee, and the Texas Rangers remain ongoing. The Department of State Health Services has received more than 600 public comments on the license renewal, and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick has urged the agency to deny the license while criminal investigations proceed.

Until investigations determine what failed and who bears responsibility, we wholeheartedly agree: the camp's license should not be renewed.