Camp Mystic denied license to reopen until safety plan is updated following deadly flood last summer

Nearly two dozen deficiencies in emergency operations were found in Camp Mystic’s bid to reopen less than a year after 27 kids and counselors were killed in a devastating flood, Texas state regulators said on Friday.

After owners of the Christian all-girls camp applied for a license to reopen in late May, some families of girls killed filed lawsuits while several prominent state officials called for the license to be denied or delayed pending the outcome of ongoing investigations.

State health officials have issued an 11-page letter to a camp, detailing deficiencies in flood warning evacuation plans, emergency warning systems, safety alert monitoring, and camper safety training.

This communication arrived a week after a three-day court hearing in family lawsuits, where camp operators and staff admitted missing flood warnings, lacking a detailed evacuation plan, and delaying child evacuation.One of the camp’s owners, Richard Eastland, also died.

The letter notes that Camp Mystic is allowed to revise the emergency plan. Camp Mystic officials said they would work with the agency to address the problems cited.

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“Our priority remains the safety and well-being of our campers, and we hope to continue the nearly century-long mission and ministry of Camp Mystic to provide a Christian camping experience for girls that allows them to grow physically, mentally and spiritually,” the camp said.

The camp's emergency plan was submitted as part of strict new guidelines imposed by state lawmakers after the deadly flood.

DSHS spokesperson Lara Anton said many camps have received deficiency notices ahead of summer opening.

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“This is part of the licensing application review process, and most youth camps have received a notice of deficiency letter for their emergency plan due to the statutory changes and increased emergency plan requirements,” Anton said.

Texas lawmakers have scheduled two days of hearings next week on what happened during the flood that ripped through the Guadalupe River and killed more than 130 people in all. Several lawmakers and the Texas Rangers, the state police elite investigations unit, visited the camp site this week.