Camp Mystic’s Disaster Plan Was Approved by Texas Inspectors Just Two Days Before the Tragedy

Were there any previous incidents at Camp Mystic that tested the disaster plan before the 2025 floods?

In the quiet hills of Texas, Camp Mystic, a beloved summer camp for girls, was a place of joy and adventure.

But on July 4, 2025, a sudden and devastating flood turned this safe haven into a scene of heartbreak. The Guadalupe River, swollen by heavy rains, surged over 20 feet in less than an hour, sweeping away cabins and claiming lives.

Records show that just two days before this tragedy, state inspectors had approved the camp’s disaster plan.

So, what went wrong? This question haunts families, officials, and the community as they search for answers in the wake of one of Texas’s deadliest floods.

Camp Mystic Disaster Plan: Approved, Yet a Tragedy Unfolded

On July 2, 2025, Texas Department of State Health Services inspectors visited Camp Mystic and gave its emergency plan a clean bill of health.

The plan included instructions for evacuating campers and assigning specific roles to staff during a disaster. With 557 campers and over 100 staff members at the camp’s Guadalupe River and Cypress Lake locations, the plan seemed solid on paper.

However, when the flood hit, the rapid rise of the river overwhelmed the camp. At least 27 campers and counselors lost their lives, and five campers and one counselor remain missing as of July 9, 2025. The camp’s director, Richard “Dick” Eastland, also died while trying to save the girls.

The inspection reports, released to the public, don’t provide details about the specifics of the plan, leaving many to wonder if it was thorough enough for such an extreme event.

The National Weather Service had issued a flood watch on July 3, but the sheer speed and scale of the flooding caught everyone off guard.

Some counselors, like Caroline Cutrona, later shared that they didn’t receive weather alerts due to the camp’s no-phone policy, raising concerns about communication during emergencies.

Gaps in Emergency Response

The tragedy has sparked questions about how well-prepared Camp Mystic and the surrounding area were for such a disaster.

err County, where the camp is located, had considered installing flood warning sirens years ago, but the plan was never implemented due to funding issues.

Additionally, several river gauges meant to monitor water levels failed during the flood, leaving critical data gaps.

One gauge near the camp recorded a river level of 29.5 feet before it stopped working, and a later measurement showed the water had reached a staggering 37.52 feet—well above the level considered life-threatening.

Counselors at Camp Mystic acted heroically, with some guiding girls through chest-deep water to safety. However, reports indicate that many counselors lacked access to walkie-talkies or other communication devices, and some had no specific evacuation training.

This has led to scrutiny over whether the camp’s disaster plan was practical in real-world conditions, especially in a region known as “Flash Flood Alley” for its history of sudden deluges.

Searching for Answers and Healing

As search and rescue efforts continue, with over 160 people still missing in Kerr County, the focus remains on finding survivors and supporting grieving families.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott has vowed to continue the search until every missing person is accounted for, and federal resources have been deployed to aid the effort.

Meanwhile, the community is left grappling with loss and questions about how to prevent such tragedies in the future. Proposals for better alert systems, like flood sirens, are gaining traction, and there’s a renewed push to ensure camps in flood-prone areas are better equipped.

The story of Camp Mystic is a painful reminder that even the best-laid plans can falter in the face of nature’s fury.

For now, the families of the victims, the camp community, and the state of Texas are united in their search for closure and a path forward.

You might also want to read: Texas Floods Crisis: No Survivors Found Since Friday, 160+ Still Missing