The Camp Mystic Texas Flooding
What had begun as a summer filled with happy memories turned into a scene of loss and misery.
To help them in any way, a GoFundMe has been created to support those dealing with loss and immense sadness.
It was a quiet morning on July 4th at Camp Mystic, a private Christian summer camp for girls, on the Guadalupe River in Kerr County, Texas. Around 750 girls of different ages and of the state were still asleep in their wooden cabins scattered along the riverbank among the peace and quiet. The peace and quiet of the morning was shattered by a sudden natural event–-a violent and deadly flash flood took hold of the region without any warning.
Word of the flood quickly reached the camp officials and panic and urgency spread throughout the camp. When they heard of this news, Dick Eastland, owner of Camp Mystic for many years, his son, Edward Eastland, and some teen counselors sprang into action, for many kids were in fatal danger. They rushed to bring as many of the campers as possible to the main recreational hall, their current temporary shelter. However, due to the speed of the advancing waters and numbers of the campers, not all girls were able to be reached in time.
Some of the other counselors and campers scrambled towards the higher ground, weaving throughout trees and terrain desperately to escape the rapid waters. Despite their attempts, In only 45 minutes, the Guadalupe River had reached 26 feet.
As news of the incident began spreading, dread captured the hearts of the families at home. Hundreds of parents and relatives of the campers waited in agonized anticipation, wishing for news of their daughter’s safe return back home. Suspense hung thick in the air as they waited.
Meanwhile, state and federal teams and local emergency workers reacted quickly to the situation. Helicopters hovered above the treetops, observing the scene from the air, while boats traveled throughout the dirty water looking for survivors. The girls who had escaped were brought to Ingram Elementary by school buses, where officials began reuniting the girls with their families. While relief took over, some other terrifying reality was taking shape. As the day wore on, the full scope of the tragedy increased as 27-130 campers and counselors were reported missing!
According to Texas Department of Emergency Management Chief Nim Kidd, the number of people who have died in the flood has unfortunately risen up to 137. After the flood destroyed parts of Texas, volunteers in Kerr County started to help with search and rescue for the missing, including Team Rubicon, a veteran-led disaster response group. The 60 person team’s mission is to clear out anything harmed by the floodwaters to prevent any form of mold. As well as this organization, other volunteer groups have traveled to disaster-struck sites to help clean up.
Officials have stated that they are doing everything to search for these missing girls at Camp Mystic, while several families are grieving and others are stricken with anxiety. To help them in any way, a GoFundMe has been created to support those dealing with loss and immense sadness.
Links:
Faheid, Dalia. Brown, Pamela. “Girls as young as 7 were startled awake by flooding that devastated their beloved Camp Mystic. How the deadly tragedy unfolded.” CNN News, https://www.cnn.com/2025/07/13/us/camp-mystic-flooding-texas
Schoenbaum, Hannah. Vertuno, Jim. “Floods turned beloved Texas camp into a nightmare. At least 27 girls remain missing.” AP News, https://apnews.com/article/texas-flooding-girls-missing-camp-mystic-395992e236e35c4486f9a6a97eed7704
https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/texas-news/texas-flood-kerr-county-missing-killed-july-23/3892310/
