Texas state officials have blocked a Christian summer camp from reopening after determining its emergency flood response plan contains serious flaws, nearly a year after a devastating flash flood claimed 27 lives at the facility.
The Texas Health and Human Services Department delivered an 11-page rejection notice to Camp Mystic leadership on Thursday, identifying significant gaps in the camp’s disaster preparedness strategy. Officials gave the camp operators 45 days to address the problems and resubmit their emergency protocols.
Camp Mystic had applied for a license to resume operations this summer with what they described as improved safety measures following the July 4, 2025 tragedy that killed 27 campers and staff members.
State inspectors found 22 elements of the camp’s flood emergency plan to be either inadequate, missing entirely, or incomplete. The deficiencies must be corrected before the facility can receive approval to operate again.
Officials specifically criticized the camp’s evacuation procedures, noting the absence of proper route maps and unclear staff responsibilities during emergency situations. The department also found the camp lacked adequate provisions for assisting people with disabilities during evacuations.
“The plan should include clearly defined procedures for assisting individuals with access and functional needs, such as assigning specific staff to provide assistance, establishing a buddy system, ensuring accessible evacuation routes, accommodating assistive devices, addressing transportation needs, and ensuring emergency warnings are accessible,” state officials wrote in their assessment.
The review also revealed the camp had no designated personnel to oversee their weather alert radio equipment, a critical communication tool during severe weather events.
Department representative Lara Anton noted that most of Texas’s 174 youth camps have received similar deficiency notices as part of strengthened safety requirements implemented following the 2025 flooding disaster.
Camp representatives told the Texas Tribune they are “carefully reviewing” the state’s findings but did not provide additional comment when contacted by news outlets.
The fatal incident occurred when intense rainfall in the Texas Hill Country caused the Guadalupe River to surge beyond its banks, creating a deadly torrent that swept through the camp. The broader flooding event that struck the region over several days resulted in nearly 140 fatalities, making it the sixth-most devastating freshwater flood in United States history.
