Camp Mystic reveals new safety plan after floods killed 27 campers and counselors
Kit Roberts
Featured Image Credit: Getty Images/Eli Hartman/Bloomberg
A camp has announced new safety policies after 28 people were killed in floods.
Camp Mystic is an all girls camp in Texas, and was hit by floods in July 2025 that killed 25 campers, teenage counselors Chloe Childress and Katherine Ferruzzo, and the camp's executive director Richard "Dick" Eastland.
The camp was flooded after the Guadalupe River flooded following thunderstorms in Kerr County on July 4, which caused the river to break its banks as campers slept.
Now, in the wake of the tragedy, the camp has confirmed that it is introducing new safety measures, including new technology to monitor the safety levels of the river.
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There are also new measures in place to help staff to communicate with each other about responding to potential safety risks to the camp, such as extreme weather.
The camp has sent a message to parents of the children who died in the horrific tragedy as it makes plans to reopen.
It said: “We recognize that returning to Camp Mystic carries both hope and heartache.
“For many of your daughters, this return is not simple, but it is a courageous step in their healing journey.”
Among the new measures put in place is the installation of more than 100 flood monitoring units on the north and south forks in the Guadalupe River, as well as along Cypress Lake.
The camp said: "The system will provide early detection of high-water events, as it communicates for miles with other sensors using LoRaWAN (low-range wide-area network) technology, allowing campers, counselors and staff to respond and quickly and safely evacuate to an elevated muster station."
There will be handheld two-way radios available onsite, as campers are not allowed to have their mobile phones, and service at the location is reportedly not always reliable.
It added that there would also be generators with higher capacity to account for any potential power outages in 'critical areas', such as the dining hall and the office.
The camp said: "These enhancements will also help us maintain communication with emergency personnel and parents in the event of an emergency."
A statement put out to parents on December 2 also confirmed that the Cypress Lake location, which is newer, will reopen. However, the Guadalupe River camp will not, according to Fox 7 Austin.
This will include all-girl 10-day sessions at the camp, which are scheduled to run between 30 May and 9 August 2026, with enrolment not yet open.