On July 4, an unprecedented flood engulfed Camp Mystic, a 725-acre, all-girls sleepaway camp based on Christian principles along the banks of the pristine Guadalupe River. The tragedy took the lives of several children and sent campers and personnel into a complete panic. Richard “Dick” Eastland, an Eastland family member, had managed the camp with his family since the 1980s. Sadly, he became one of those victims, dying at age 70. Such courage was on display with his efforts to evacuate a group of young campers. Unfortunately, his truck was overtaken by a flash flood of water.
Almost 700 girls were asleep in their dormitories, blissfully unaware of the danger that awaited them. At 1:14 a.m., the National Weather Service (NWS) issued a critical alert warning of “life threatening flash flooding.” Despite this urgent notification, Eastland did not initiate evacuation procedures until 2:30 a.m., over an hour after receiving the warning.
The camp’s strict no-phone policy, which prevented campers and counselors from using smartphones, added another layer to communication during the emergency. For instance, staff members used walkie-talkies to communicate to coordinate their response efforts. As the floodwaters rose, Eastland was clear on one thing, that evacuation was necessary right away. He gave first priority to those residing in the dormitories closest to the river.
Most of those passengers lost their lives in the Bubble Inn and Twins cabins. The flood stage was so extreme that the Guadalupe River crested at a catastrophic 37.5 feet, per the US Geological Survey’s real-time data. Eyewitnesses spoke of the monumental wasteland of ruin that greeted their viewscape post-flood. As local officials put it, trailers and entire families were washed away down the river.
“We’ve heard accounts of trailer after trailer after trailer being swept into the river with families in them. We can’t find the trailers, we don’t know how many of them there are,” said Rob Kelly, the county judge.
As search and recovery operations got underway, Kerr County Sheriff Larry Leitha called SCOTUS on their ramifications. He cautioned that the effects of these efforts could take up to six months. The community continues to deal with the affects of this terrible disaster. Like so many Americans, they are mourning the lives lost and asking questions about what happened.
Jeff Carr even more forcefully made the case for accurate refresh. He said the key is to control how information is released, and not releasing things in bits and pieces.
“It will be important to go through this process and avoid sharing information on a piecemeal basis,” Carr stated.
The tragedy at Camp Mystic has sparked serious questions about preparedness and restoration response protocol. Authorities are justly, and actively, examining how this kind of catastrophic event occurred. At the same time, parents and guardians of these campers anxiously await news on their loved ones.