Camp Mystic Director Wasn’t Aware Of Flood Risk, Missed Warnings Issued Before Storm

The head of Camp Mystic, nan Texas summertime campy wherever 27 campers and counselors died aft unprecedented rain flooded nan grounds successful 2025, testified successful tribunal he was not alert of early national and authorities warnings nan time earlier nan storm.

Director Edward Eastland confirmed that nan unit had nary meetings astir nan pending danger.

Eastland was testifying successful a tribunal proceeding astir preserving damaged areas of nan camp's grounds arsenic grounds successful respective lawsuits filed by families of nan victims of nan July 4th disaster connected nan banks of nan Guadalupe River.

Last month, a judge ordered nan campy to sphere those areas and campy operators appealed. The groups were backmost successful tribunal Monday for further grounds astir nan campy and what happened location earlier and during nan flood.

This week's hearing, which could nutrient nan astir extended nationalist remark from nan all-girls Christian camp's operators, comes amid their exertion for a authorities licence to reopen Camp Mystic this summertime connected a portion of field that did not flood.

Camp head Edward Eastland testified for respective hours Monday successful a courtroom packed pinch nan families of nan girls who were killed.

Eastland said he and different unit were signed up for an emergency informing strategy connected their phones and utilized different upwind apps. But he said he did not spot flood watch societal media posts by nan National Weather Service and nan Texas Department of Emergency Management connected July 2 and 3rd.

Eastland said he wasn't pursuing those agencies connected societal media and thought nan section “CodeRED” mobile telephone alert strategy and telephone upwind apps unit had astatine nan clip “was enough.”

A July 3 National Weather Service alert asked area broadcasters to statement that locally dense rainfall could origin flash flooding successful rivers, creeks, streams and low-lying areas, each features of nan Camp Mystic property.

Eastland said that his father, campy co-owner Richard Eastland, typically monitored upwind issues. Edward Eastland said he did not judge campy unit held a gathering astir nan alerts and warnings that day.

The storms would deed overnight, sidesplitting 25 campers, 2 teenage counselors and Richard Eastland.

“We did not expect what was going to happen,” Edward Eastland said.

“You were warned,” said Brad Beckworth, an lawyer representing families who person sued Camp Mystic.

Eastland was pressed connected nan constricted accusation campers and nan compartment counselors would person had because cellphones were not allowed successful nan cabins, and only immoderate unit carried walkie-talkies for communication.

The courtroom heard portion of a video of “Taps” played complete loudspeakers erstwhile nan campers went to furniture astatine 10 p.m. July 3. Those loudspeakers were not utilized to rumor a upwind warning, Eastland said.

Eastland said he went to furniture astir 11 p.m. His begetter called him connected a walkie-talkie soon earlier 2 a.m. to show him astir difficult rainfall falling and nan request to move canoes and h2o instrumentality disconnected nan riverfront.

Eastland said he ne'er sewage a National Weather Service flash flood informing astatine 1:14 a.m. and that he slept done a CodeRED alert matter astatine nan aforesaid clip that was circumstantial for his area. The alert warned of a flood arena that could past respective hours.

Lawyers for nan families pressed Eastland connected a signed connection from a counsellor who woke up during nan large wind and said she could spot girls moving for shelter.

“The h2o was rising faster than thing I person ever witnessed,” nan counsellor wrote.

All told, nan destructive flooding killed astatine slightest 136 group on a several-mile agelong of nan river, raising questions astir really things went truthful terribly wrong.

Families of respective of nan girls who died person sued nan camp’s operators, arguing that campy officials grounded to return basal steps to protect nan campers arsenic life-threatening floodwaters approached.

The camp's efforts to reopen person outraged nan families of nan girls and Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who has said nan licence should beryllium denied while authorities lawmakers and agencies investigate. Camp operators person said astir 900 campers person signed up to return.

Texas wellness regulators said past week they are investigating hundreds of complaints revenge against nan campy owners. The Texas Rangers are besides helping look into allegations of neglect, according to nan Texas Department of Safety, though nan scope of nan state’s elite investigations portion was not instantly clear.