A recent report has found that Camp Mystic, a private Christian camp in Texas, was not prepared to respond to a disaster and did not act quickly enough to save campers’ lives during the July 4 flood. The report, presented to lawmakers at the state Capitol, stated that the camp did not have a written emergency plan that met state requirements and that leaders did not adequately prepare for the storm.

Investigation Findings

Lead investigator Casey Garrett said that the camp’s lack of preparation and planning led to a failure to respond to the disaster. “Nobody had any idea what they needed to be doing, and it crippled them,” Garrett said. The report found that the camp did not have a written plan for evacuating campers, and that staff had “ample opportunities” to safely evacuate them but did not do so.

The report also found that family reunification efforts and communication after the flood were “chaotic.” Investigators said that only the camp’s executive director, Richard “Dick” Eastland, knew of a more detailed evacuation plan, but that plan was never reviewed with staff and counselors were not assigned any responsibilities in the event of an evacuation.

Legislative Response

Lawmakers have emphasized that they will continue to work to improve camp safety and strengthen intergovernmental communications and emergency planning requirements. Senator Pete Flores said that the work is not finished and that the legislature will continue to honor the memories of those lost by remaining committed to making camps safer and emergency response systems stronger.

Original reporting: Community Impact — Houston — read the source article.