Camp Mystic director Edward Eastland testified Monday that he did not see flood warnings issued the day before a catastrophic storm struck the camp, killing 27 campers and staff. He told a Travis County courtroom in Austin that camp staff held no emergency meetings and that evacuation of riverside cabins was delayed, later acknowledging quicker action might have saved lives.
Eastland took the stand during a hearing on preserving damaged portions of the historic girls’ Christian summer camp along the Guadalupe River in Kerr County as evidence in multiple lawsuits filed by victims’ families. The flash flood hit in the early morning hours of July 4, 2025, when heavy rains sent the river surging through low-lying cabins near Hunt.
Eastland said the camp relied on local CodeRED alerts and phone weather apps but that he and staff were not monitoring National Weather Service or Texas Department of Emergency Management social media posts from the previous day. He described the overnight rescue efforts as chaotic and expressed regret, noting the camp had evacuated cabins during past flooding but lacked a detailed written flood plan.
A judge in Travis County is weighing the future of Camp Mystic after tense courtroom testimony about last summer’s deadly flooding along.https://t.co/gnLKBFrXGi
— News 4 San Antonio (@News4SA) April 14, 2026
At the same time, the Texas Rangers have opened a criminal investigation into what happened at the camp. pic.twitter.com/Bndf9in7DY
The July 4 disaster ranks among the deadliest at a U.S. summer camp in modern history. Among those killed was longtime camp owner and co-director Richard “Dick” Eastland, Edward’s father, who died trying to help campers reach safety. Families have alleged gross negligence in the camp’s preparedness and response, sparking several civil suits.
The current hearing centers on requests to keep key flood-damaged areas untouched while investigations continue. Camp Mystic has indicated plans to reopen its neighboring Cypress Lake campus this summer while the main Guadalupe site remains off limits.
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The July 4 disaster ranks among the deadliest at a U.S. summer camp in modern history.
The July 4 disaster ranks among the deadliest at a U.S. summer camp in modern history.
