A joint committee of state Senate and House members reviewed the findings of investigators into the deadly flood that killed 27 children and counselors at Camp Mystic, a Christian youth camp in Texas.

Investigation Findings

State investigators concluded that the camp failed to meet state emergency requirements or prepare for the July 4, 2025, flood. The investigators also found that camp officials had ample time to evacuate and that reunification efforts and incident management were ‘chaotic, with traumatic effects for families’.

The flood, which occurred in Kerr County, resulted in the deaths of 25 youth campers and two teenage counselors at the all-girls Christian camp. The owner of the camp, Richard Eastland, also died in the flood while trying to rescue campers.

Aftermath and Response

Several parents of the children who died have sued the camp, alleging that the camp’s owners were negligent and should be held responsible for their children’s deaths. A Texas board suspended the nursing license of Eastland’s daughter-in-law, Mary Liz Eastland, who served as the camp’s medical director.

In response to the tragedy, lawmakers have sought to prevent future flood tragedies at youth camps by creating new regulations, including emergency address systems, prohibiting camps from lying in floodplains, and mandating internet access at camps.

A group of 19 youth camps sued over the regulations, focusing on the high costs of fiber optic internet requirements. The state agency that oversees youth camps agreed to suspend the fiber optic requirement in May.

Original reporting: Texarkana Gazette — read the source article.