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Camp Mystic Lawsuit: State Ignored Flood Risk
24 Feb
Summary
- Lawsuit alleges Texas officials licensed camp in 'Flash Flood Alley' without an evacuation plan.
- State agency accused of ignoring safety rules for over a decade.
- 27 campers and counselors died in July 2025 flooding due to lack of preparedness.
Nine grieving families have filed a sweeping federal lawsuit against Texas officials, alleging negligence led to the deaths of 27 campers and counselors at Camp Mystic. The suit, filed in US District Court for the Western District of Texas, asserts that the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) licensed the riverside camp in an area known as 'Flash Flood Alley' despite lacking a legally required evacuation plan.
The complaint details that DSHS failed to enforce state laws mandating written emergency evacuation plans for youth camps. Plaintiffs claim Camp Mystic operated with an 'anti-evacuation plan,' instructing campers to remain in their cabins during floods, which fatally delayed their escape.
Torrential rain on July 4, 2025, caused the Guadalupe River to overflow, inundating the historic Christian girls' camp in the Texas Hill Country. The lawsuit states that staff evacuated only five of eleven cabins, despite sufficient time to move all campers. Many victims were sleeping in cabins less than 250 feet from the river.
The lawsuit further alleges that DSHS inspectors systematically ignored safety rules for over a decade, including failing to verify that emergency plans included evacuation procedures. Six DSHS officials are named in the suit, including Commissioner Dr. Jennifer Shuford.
Plaintiffs' attorney Paul Yetter stated the lawsuit aims to expose failures that led to these tragic deaths and enhance the safety of children attending Texas camps. Meanwhile, Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick urged DSHS not to renew Camp Mystic's license for the 2026 season pending investigations.
Camp Mystic's current license expires March 31, 2026. The camp stated its separate Cypress Lake location is compliant with new safety laws and not adjacent to the river. Other families have also filed separate lawsuits against the camp and its owners.
