Camp Mystic disaster plan approved 2 days before flooding: Records
A disaster plan for Camp Mystic was approved by Texas inspectors just days before devastating flooding killed more than 20 people at the Christian all-girls summer camp, according to records released Tuesday.
The camp, situated in Kerr County, complied with state regulations pertaining to “procedures to be implemented in case of a disaster,” according to Department of State Health Services records obtained by The Associated Press.
Still, Camp Mystic's evacuation plans were deemed unclear, five reports viewed by the AP revealed.
Since heavy rainfall in Texas's Hill Country began over the weekend, more than 100 people have been killed by record flooding. Of the 109 deaths reported in the Lone Star State, the camp lost at least 27 children and counselors. Most of those killed were in Kerr County.
More than 160 people have also been reported missing, according to officials.
“There are far more fatalities than there were in Hurricane Harvey. That’s how catastrophic this is,” Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) said at a news conference on Tuesday, referring to the 2017 storm that left just over 100 dead in the state.
Charlotte Lauten, 19 — a former Camp Mystic attendee — said she did not remember ever receiving directives on what steps to take if there was a weather emergency.
“I do know that the counselors go through orientation training for a week before camp starts. They do brief them on all those types of things,” Luten told the AP.
“This is the middle of nowhere and they didn’t have power," she continued. "It would have been pitch black, like could not see 5 feet in front of you type of darkness. I’ve never seen stars like there because there’s just no light."
The inspection of the camp by Texas officials, which took place last Wednesday, concluded that the camp met safety and health criteria.
Texas Department of State Health Services spokesperson Lara Anton told the news wire that weather emergencies at the summer camps are not filed with the state of Texas.
“We do not have them. You’d have to get it from the camp,” Anton said.
“The inspector checked that they had plans posted for those elements in every building,” she said in an email to the AP, adding that "they had trained staff and volunteers on what to do.”