Two months after flood, grief and rebuilding plans collide at Camp Mystic
Two months after flash floods swept through Camp Mystic in Kerr County, Texas, killing 27 campers and counselors, the camp’s leaders are laying out plans to rebuild. They hope to reopen next summer.
For families who lost children, the announcement has reopened deep wounds. Among them are the parents of 8-year-old Cile Steward, whose body has not been recovered.
In an email sent on Monday announcing its plans, Camp Mystic told the community, “We are not only rebuilding cabins and trails, but also a place where laughter, friendship, and spiritual growth will continue to flourish. As we work to finalize plans, we will do so in a way that is mindful of those we have lost.”
Families push back on reopening
In a letter obtained by The Washington Post, Cici and Will Steward responded to Camp Mystic’s announcement.
“Worse still, you are preparing to invite children to swim in the very river that may still hold our daughter’s body,” the Stewards wrote.
Instead of reopening, the Stewards said, camp leaders should focus on recovering their daughter.
“And you must fully confront and account for your role in the events and failures that caused the deaths of our daughters,” they wrote.
The Stewards said their letter also spoke for other families who lost children, urging the camp to halt its plans to reopen. They also objected to a proposed memorial, saying leaders failed to ensure all victims’ families would be included in its planning.
Camp leaders cite faith and mission
Camp Mystic released a statement to several news outlets, saying its decision to partially reopen includes inviting parents who lost children to take part in the process. The camp said it is relying on faith and its century-long mission to continue offering a Christian experience for girls.
“Camp Mystic is working with engineers and other experts to comply with all elements of the recently passed camp safety legislation,” the statement said. “Camp Mystic Cypress Lake, which we are planning to re-open next summer, is a separate property that is not adjacent to the Guadalupe River and sustained no damage from the historic flood on July 4.”
According to the Post, Camp Mystic owner Richard “Dick” Eastland received a National Weather Service alert about severe flooding at 1:14 a.m. on the night of the disaster. Evacuation did not begin until about an hour later. Eastland died while trying to guide campers to safety as floodwaters tore through the grounds.
New safety laws after tragedy
What happened at Camp Mystic did more than claim lives; it reshaped state law. In the months after the flood, families of the 27 victims pressed lawmakers to confront what they called gaps in camp safety and oversight. Their push carried through two special legislative sessions at the state capital.
The result was new guardrails: staff must now undergo additional training, and cabins cannot be built in certain areas of a floodplain. A broader measure to overhaul the state’s disaster response system never made it out of the Legislature.
More than half of the camp’s buildings were located within a 100-year floodplain, one of 13 camps in Texas constructed in high-risk zones. Federal regulators had also signed off on the camp’s requests to strike some structures from official flood maps.
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Ella Rae Greene, Editor In Chief
