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1. What are Texas authorities investigating regarding Camp Mystic?
Texas health regulators have received hundreds of complaints since February alleging violations of state laws governing youth camps related to the camp’s operations during the summer of 2025. The Texas Rangers have also joined an investigation into complaints of neglect during the July 4 flood, though the full scope of their involvement has not been publicly detailed.
2. How did the flood kill so many at the camp?
The camp did not evacuate before the disaster struck. The river surged from 14 feet to 29.5 feet within just 60 minutes before dawn on July 4, leaving little time to respond. In total, 27 people died at the camp — 25 girls and two teenage counselors — and the broader flooding along the river killed at least 136 people.
3. Who is calling for the camp to stay closed and why?
Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick has urged health regulators not to grant Camp Mystic a license to reopen until both the Texas Rangers’ investigation and a separate state legislative probe are complete. Families of the victims have also expressed outrage at the camp’s reopening plans, and several have sued the operators, alleging officials failed to take necessary protective steps as floodwaters approached.
4. Is Camp Mystic planning to reopen despite the investigations?
Yes. The camp’s owners are pushing ahead with plans to reopen a portion of the grounds that did not flood, and more than 850 families have signed up to return this summer if regulators allow it. Whether the state will grant a license remains uncertain while the investigations are ongoing.
5. Where does the situation stand right now?
State health regulators sent a formal letter to camp owners Tuesday notifying them of the investigation. A judge has ordered the owners to preserve flood-damaged cabins and grounds as lawsuits proceed. The search for the body of 8-year-old Cile Steward, one of the victims, is still ongoing. One of the camp’s own owners, Edward Eastland, also died in the flood.
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