Camp Mystic Leader Delayed Evacuation Despite Severe Flood Warnings, Investigation Unfolds

At Camp Mystic, a tragic incident unfolded when 27 campers and counselors lost their lives during devastating floods in Texas. Richard “Dick” Eastland, who had managed the all-girls camp since the 1980s, received a severe flood warning from the National Weather Service at 1:14 AM but did not commence evacuation procedures until 2:30 AM, even as the rain intensified and river levels rose dramatically.

The timeline of events reveals that while Eastland deliberated with family members who were also staff at the camp, the chaotic environment complicated the response efforts. Camp rules prevented most campers from having mobile phones, and counselors had been required to surrender theirs, which hindered their ability to respond to emergency alerts. The alert from the National Weather Service lacked an explicit evacuation order and was meant to inform but not mandate actions, placing the responsibility on local officials.

In the wake of the disaster, Eastland attempted to rescue a group of young girls but tragically lost his life when his vehicle was swept away. Eyewitness accounts indicate that many counselors found themselves in perilous situations, forced to make life-and-death decisions without support from adult supervisors. Families of the campers voiced frustration over the delayed communication from the camp, with some not receiving notifications until much later in the morning.

As search efforts for the missing were complicated by ongoing rain, Kerr County officials provided sobering updates on the aftermath, noting numerous families were unaccounted for. The county judge described a harrowing scene where multiple trailers had been swept into the river, with recovery operations expected to extend for months. Relief teams, numbering over 2,200, were mobilized to support search efforts across the affected areas.