Texas review finds Camp Mystic failed safety rules after deadly flood

State officials in Texas found Camp Mystic out of compliance with safety requirements as the camp seeks permission to reopen after last year’s deadly flood, putting the focus on whether regulators missed warning signs before 25 campers, two teenage counselors and owner Richard “Dick” Eastland died in the water.

The review is tied to Camp Mystic’s application, filed on March 31, 2026, to reopen this summer. Texas regulators said they will inspect the camp and weigh those findings, along with a separate investigation, before deciding whether to renew the license. The scrutiny comes as families still press for answers about what happened before dawn on July 4, 2025, when flooding on the Guadalupe River tore through the all-girls Christian camp in Hunt, Texas. More than 130 people died across Kerr County and the Texas Hill Country.

At an April 15 hearing, Camp Mystic’s medical officer, Mary Liz Eastland, testified that she had still not officially reported the flood deaths to the Texas Department of State Health Services, even though state rules require camps to report deaths within 24 hours. “I did not think of this requirement in the moments happening after the flood,” she said. Asked whether she should report them now, she replied, “I guess so.” The testimony added to the most detailed public account yet from camp operators about delayed evacuation decisions that came too late.

The camp’s future remains entangled in litigation. In February 2026, the parents of 8-year-old Cecilia “Cile” Steward sued, asking a judge to block reopening and preserve evidence. Another lawsuit says Texas officials failed to enforce a required evacuation plan. On March 4, 2026, Travis County District Judge Maya Guerra Gamble declined to fully close Camp Mystic, but barred construction or alterations at the old Guadalupe River grounds where the deaths occurred and ordered that area sealed off while the case continues.

Camp Mystic had already told families in September 2025 that it planned to reopen partially and build a memorial to those killed. In December, it said it would return at its newer Cypress Lake location, describing that site as independent from the old river camp and saying it would add more than 100 flood-monitoring units, NOAA weather-alert radios in cabins, satellite internet backup and higher-capacity generators. Parents of flood victims, including Cici and Will Steward, said they were “devastated” by the reopening plan.

The tragedy has already reshaped Texas policy. In April 2026, Gov. Greg Abbott signed legislation tightening camp safety rules, including bans on cabins in dangerous parts of flood zones and requirements for detailed evacuation plans. The next test is whether those rules will be enforced strongly enough to protect children before another camp is left to count its dead.