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Camp Mystic Director Says He Missed Flood Alerts as Families Seek to Block Reopening

The testimony could shape a court decision on the camp’s bid to resume operations this summer.

Overview

  • In court this week, the director said he did not see federal and state flood warnings posted the day before the storm and held no staff meeting about the risk.
  • He testified that he slept through a 1 a.m. phone alert, staff moved canoes around 2 a.m., and cabin evacuations did not begin until about 3 a.m.
  • He acknowledged the camp had no written emergency plan and said most workers had little training for a flood.
  • Families who lost children are asking a judge to block a summer reopening and to keep damaged areas intact as evidence, and the camp has appealed a preservation order.
  • Texas health officials are reviewing hundreds of complaints, the Texas Rangers are assisting a neglect probe, and operators say nearly 900 campers have signed up for a partial reopening on higher ground.