Texas Cites Safety Failures, May Deny Camp Mystic License

Texas regulators said Tuesday they may deny Camp Mystic's license to reopen after finding safety failures in the camp's flood response during the July 4, 2025 flood in Hunt, Texas.

State officials cited missed warnings and lapses in emergency actions that they say put campers at risk, and regulators are now weighing whether the camp can operate while facing potential license denial and lawsuits.

The episode traces back to Camp Mystic's location on the Guadalupe River, where the all-girls camp has operated since 1926 and has faced repeated flood threats. On July 4, 2025, sudden flash floods surged through the camp, killing 27 people — 25 girls and two counselors — as part of a larger disaster that killed more than 100 in Kerr County. Inspectors had approved the camp's emergency plans days before the flood, but investigators say staff missed key warnings. Families filed negligence suits in November 2025, and the camp announced enhanced safety steps in December 2025. Federal flood maps were altered in 2013 to remove 15 camp buildings from the 100-year flood zone after an appeal, a change now under renewed scrutiny.

Coverage has shifted from viewing the July 2025 flood as primarily a natural disaster to focusing on human and regulatory failures that may have made the outcome worse. Early reports described the sudden storm and rescue efforts; later reporting has highlighted the timing of state approvals, the camp's emergency response, and the possibility that regulators will block reopening.

Public reaction has been fierce on social media, with many saying Camp Mystic should stay closed and others blaming state decisions on flood management. The flood ranks as the deadliest summer camp disaster in U.S. history, and critics point to past regional camp tragedies and to questions about whether past map changes and oversight helped set the stage for the July catastrophe.