A ‘Culture of Obedience’
How Camp Mystic Failed Its Girls Before the First Drop of Rain Fell
On the morning of July 4, 2025, as the Guadalupe River surged through the Texas Hill Country, teenage counselors in pajamas ran through darkness and torrential rain looking for help — because nobody had ever told them what to do in a flood. Ten months later, a Texas legislative hearing is finally piecing together how 27 young campers and counselors came to lose their lives at Camp Mystic, a beloved Christian girls’ retreat in Kerr County. The conclusion delivered to lawmakers on Monday was stark: the deaths were preventable, the result of a lack of emergency training, missing safety equipment, and poor planning.
Casey Garrett, a Houston attorney hired by a joint committee of the Texas Senate and House to investigate the tragedy, told lawmakers that there was never any real training, no drills of any kind, for counselors or campers on what to do or where to go in a flood threat.
Several Camp Mystic cabins with girls as young as 8 were supervised by inexperienced teenage counselors during last year's deadly floods, and some had expressed concerns to their parents about their lack of training for emergencies, an expert told the legislative committee… pic.twitter.com/n4oniilXQL
— Austin Statesman (@statesman) April 27, 2026
The camp’s entire written flood protocol amounted to a single paragraph instructing girls to stay in their cabins and wait for PA system guidance — a plan that state inspectors had approved just two days before the flood.
“I remember at our orientation they talked about the flood protocol and what you do for it and how there’s a page in our binder that has instructions for if anything were ever to happen like this. And whenever they were going over it, it’s not funny, but they were like, oh, yeah, that’s not going to happen. And I remember them being like, that’s never going to happen.” — Testimony from a Camp Mystic counselor
Making matters worse, the camp relied almost exclusively on executive director Dick Eastland for flood emergency decisions. Staff and family members referred to him as “The General” and “The Eagle.” Some counselors told investigators they feared getting into trouble if they were to take children to higher ground without explicit instructions from Eastland. Camp leadership failed to evacuate cabins for over 90 minutes after the initial flash flood warning was issued by the National Weather Service.
When the water finally did come — rising more than 30 feet in just 90 minutes — the results were chaotic.
Some counselors rushed girls to a recreation hall with a second-floor balcony; others passed girls through cabin windows and piggy-backed children through floodwaters to a nearby hill as lightning cut through the darkness. These were acts of individual heroism, not coordinated emergency response. Counselors had no tool kits, ladders, or life jackets.
Rising water forced children and counselors up toward the ceilings of cabins, eventually pushing them into fast-moving currents. Some children drowned, while others survived by clinging to debris or trees. One girl was swept more than six miles downriver and survived. Dick Eastland himself died in the flood, his car later found pinned against a tree.
EMAIL SENT TO CAMP MYSTIC FAMILIES ON JULY 4, 2025
In total, more than 130 Central Texas residents and visitors died in the July 4 weekend flooding. The Camp Mystic tragedy is now a focal point for a broader reckoning about youth camp safety standards in Texas. Last year, Texas lawmakers passed new measures requiring more detailed planning and training, and the installation of emergency warning systems. Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick has repeatedly called for the state to deny the camp’s operating license renewal, while Camp Mystic’s owners say they plan to reopen a portion of the property this summer.
As more disturbing findings about Camp Mystic emerge, Lt. Gov. Patrick has called for its license to be pulled. But conspicuously silent about this is Gov. Abbott while some of his former appointees represent the camp https://t.co/wLjENCY3l0 #TxLege
— Scott Braddock (@scottbraddock) April 27, 2026
I have been calling on @TexasDSHS to not renew the camp license for the operators of Camp Mystic for this season until all investigations are complete later this year. Today, House and Senate investigators, after interviewing nearly 140 witnesses, laid out the specific timeline… pic.twitter.com/ryVtc7m4rf
— Office of the Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick (@LtGovTX) April 28, 2026
As Sen. Charles Perry summed it up at Monday’s hearing: “The fate of those girls was set before the first drop of rain ever fell.”
Devastating info revealed today as investigators laid out the most detailed timeline yet of how 27 campers + counselors died in the early hours of July 4 at Camp Mystic. Tomorrow, lawmakers will hear from the Eastland family, state agencies + more. #txlegehttps://t.co/rG63500Ri1
— Hannah Norton (@hannahdnorton) April 28, 2026
Testimony continues today, when officials will hear from the Department of State Health Services, the Texas Department of Emergency Management, the camp owners (the Eastland Family), and family members of the victims.
Monday’s hearing was “a methodical, evidence-based presentation of exactly how a summer camp that had survived floods since 1926 failed the 386 girls entrusted to it on the night the Guadalupe River rose 26 feet in 45 minutes.” (Kerr County Lead)
ENTIRE HEARING
PODCAST
(Episode from April 27, 2026)
Sources:
- Texas Tribune: texastribune.org/2026/04/27/texas-legislature-flood-investigating-committee-hearing-camp-mystic/
- NBC DFW: nbcdfw.com/news/local/texas-news/camp-mystic-investigator-testimony-hearing/
- FOX 7 Austin: fox7austin.com/news/texas-camp-mystic-flood-investigation-preventable-deaths
- KHOU: khou.com — “Texas lawmakers hear how Camp Mystic’s culture of obedience may have delayed flood evacuation”
- Community Impact: communityimpact.com/austin/central-austin/texas-legislature/2026/04/27/investigators-say-camp-mystic-deaths-were-preventable
Austin police have arrested a suspect in connection with a shooting in East Austin that left half a dozen people injured Sunday night and they’re looking for a second person of interest.
A reported stabbing early this morning in East Austin around 4:30 a.m.
(Via Austin CrimeRadar)
A reported robbery at the Circle-K store on Guadalupe Street downtown just before midnight last night. A silver sedan was reportedly involved, with the suspect last seen traveling eastbound near Martin Luther King Boulevard and Airport Boulevard.
🚨Breaking: Circle K next to @GameRepublik reportedly experienced an Armed Robbery about 15 minutes ago.
— Austin Videos (@ATXVideos) April 28, 2026
The suspect escaped in an "older gray Jetta with a partially missing license plate". pic.twitter.com/7BwfKORAUx
Kyle authorities are looking for a man wanted in connection with a crowdfunding fraud scheme.
A fugitive from justice is back behind bars.
FOLLOW @AustinJustice ON X.
AUSTIN CRIME DAILY REPORT
(Note the incorrect date. Should be Monday, April 27 2026)
PODCAST
The latest episode features a deep dive with APD’s Recruitment Unit.
(Episode from April 22, 2026)
City police say they have unclaimed property and are looking for the rightful owners.
A 46-year-old inmate at the Travis County Correctional Complex died Friday after being transported to a local hospital for treatment, the Travis County Sheriff’s Office announced Monday. (Austin American-Statesman)
Austin, Dallas, and Houston all agreed to roll back limitations on ICE interaction to avoid losing state funding — and Gov. Greg Abbott’s office lifted the funding hold, saying it “expects full contract compliance moving forward.”
Austin Mayor Kirk Watson:
Latest #WatsonWire: Politics. Policy. Power. Pain. Since early 2025, I’ve strongly opposed federal actions involving ICE, and I’ve worked to protect Austin residents. In 2017, as State Senator, I fought SB 4, legislation the state uses to interfere with local governments and… pic.twitter.com/49g8xEPjSn
— Mayor Kirk Watson (@KirkPWatson) April 27, 2026
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is turning up the heat on Austin ISD — and this time, he’s threatening to take the district to court.
Paxton says his office has now received a second complaint alleging a male student used the girls’ restroom and locker room at an Austin ISD campus — this time at the district’s Performing Arts Center.
The City of Austin is facing a projected $26.4 million deficit for the upcoming 2026-2027 fiscal year.
A breakdown:
A water main break in Leander has impacted neighborhoods, businesses and schools.
Austin city leaders are taking a closer look at how autonomous vehicles operate during emergencies after a recent incident involving a driverless car and first responders downtown. The issue will be the focus of a special joint meeting on Wednesday between the City Council’s Public Safety Committee and Mobility Committee. (KVUE-TV)
Waymo officials say they will not be in attendance.
“Safety is fundamental to everything we do and that means taking responsibility and always improving based on what we learn. We’ve already had the substantive conversations this moment calls for, directly with all five requesting Council offices – including Council Member Zo Qadri – more than 15 city officials, and the highest levels of state government. In these briefings, we answered all questions related to the event and emergency response protocols, and provided a detailed and confidential overview of the event, including lessons learned and planned future operational improvements to Waymo’s emergency response procedures and capabilities. We will keep working with Austin’s leadership and first responder community, because ongoing collaboration is how we build the trust this city deserves and make Austin’s streets safer.”
Some reminders from Austin Parks & Recreation:
TRAFFIC ALERT: NB/SB I-35 between SH 71/ Ben White Boulevard and William Cannon Drive, varying nightly lane closures beginning Sunday, April 26 to Friday, May 1, from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m., for road work. Lanes reduced to one lane in various locations. #ATXtraffic #My35 pic.twitter.com/bbbDHyGRhQ
— TxDOT Austin (@TxDOTAustin) April 25, 2026
A major overhaul of the Loop 360 corridor at Courtyard Drive and RM 2222 is about to commence.
PODCAST
Because of the ongoing drought water levels in the Edwards Aquifer have been dipping to some of the lowest in history. Yet development growth continues, and big thirsty industry continues to move into the area. Meanwhile area agriculture is looking down the barrel of dropping wells and few options.
(Episode from April 26, 2026)
A 71-acre wildfire near Amarillo is now fully contained.
WEATHER
MONDAY’S HIGH / LOW TEMPERATURES
AUSTIN-BERGSTROM INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
CAMP MABRY
5-DAY FORECAST / AUSTIN, TEXAS
Google has launched a new AI‑powered Flood Hub designed to flag flash‑flood risk up to 24 hours in advance. Experts say the tool could add valuable warning time, but stress it works best alongside traditional forecasting.
Some flood warning sensors at low water crossings across Bexar County are still offline or malfunctioning, raising concerns about how reliable those alerts will be during the next heavy rain.
The U.S. Supreme Court has handed Texas Republicans a major victory in the state’s contentious redistricting fight — ruling Monday to permanently uphold the state’s newly redrawn congressional map, ensuring the new district lines will be used for the 2026 midterms and going forward.
New polling numbers from Texas Public Opinion Research.
Houston Mayor John Whitmire is facing formal ethics complaints from the Houston Progressive Caucus over his new podcast. (Houston Public Media)
After a fresh round of sweeping revisions to U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s online border‑wall map drew fierce criticism from Texas environmental groups, the agency has removed the map from its website entirely. The disappearance follows updates posted last week that directly conflicted with the most recent assurances from a CBP official about planned construction near Big Bend National Park. (San Antonio Current)
In Ohio, bond has been set at $5 million for a 22-year-old murder suspect from Texas in connection with a deadly weekend shooting that claimed the life of Costco employee. (KVUE-TV)
Meanwhile, here in Texas, testimony in the sentencing phase of Tanner Horner’s trial continued Monday, defense expert Dr. Amy Fritz described her reaction to reviewing video evidence connected to the murder of 7-year-old Athena Strand.
Horner pleaded guilty to capital murder and kidnapping in the 2022 death of 7-year-old Athena Strand. He admitted to abducting the girl while delivering a package to her Wise County home on Nov. 30, 2022. The jury must now decide between the death penalty or life in prison without the possibility of parole.
(Episode from April 23, 2026)
What we know about the man in custody after the shooting at the White House correspondents’ dinner, and how the incident unfolded.
The man accused of storming the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner with multiple weapons was charged on Monday with trying to assassinate President Trump.
Devlin Barrett, who covers the Justice Department, explains what we know about the suspect, his plan to target the president and whether the incident should be seen as a security failure or success.
A stranger offered to donate her kidney to a Central Texas man after seeing his story on social media.
SPORTS
MLB: Aaron Judge and Ben Rice had the first back-to-back homers for the Yankees this season, and Jazz Chisholm Jr. also went deep as AL-best New York beat the Texas Rangers 4-2 on Monday night. (Associated Press)
Apparently, the battle extended into the stands.
The Rangers had more hits in the stands than on the field tonight 💀
— Rangers Nation ⚾️ (@Rangers__Nation) April 28, 2026
(🎥: soulltrip/IG) pic.twitter.com/kMvkLFEkcd
The Houston Astros had Monday off as they traveled to Baltimore to begin a series there today.
ON THE SCHEDULE
AL WEST STANDINGS
NBA PLAYOFFS: The San Antonio Spurs can clinch a first round series win tonight.
Casey Viera, NBA champion Devin Brown and “Locked On Spurs” daily podcast host Matthew Tynan recap the Spurs’ victories in Games 3 and 4 and whether they have overcome the concerns of their playoff inexperience.
The trio also examines Victor Wembanyama’s strong words to the NBA about the handling of his concussion, the play of De’Aaron Fox and Dylan Harper and give their picks for Game 5 against the Portland Trail Blazers.
GAME 5 TONIGHT
With both teams leaning on depth players and strategic adjustments from the coaching staffs, the race to win two of the next three games ramps up. Are the Stars poised to capitalize five-on-five, or will the Wild’s resilience give them the edge?
COLLEGE FOOTBALL: The Texas Tech Athletics Department made a stunning announcement about quarterback Brendan Sorsby on Monday.
According to a press release, the Texas Tech Athletics Department has announced that Sorsby will be taking an indefinite leave of absence from the program. Sorsby will seek treatment for a gambling addiction.
Texas Tech star QB Brendan Sorsby is taking an indefinite leave of absence from the team and checking into a residential treatment program for a gambling addiction, per the school pic.twitter.com/8LiPv3pYT0
— Matt Zenitz (@mzenitz) April 27, 2026
Roger Wallace and Billy Gates discuss the six Texas Longhorns who were selected in the 2026 NFL Draft. We hear from Michael Taaffe after he was taken by the Dolphins in the fifth round, reuniting with one of his best friends, quarterback Quinn Ewers, and Roger and Billy discuss the Longhorns baseball and softball teams as they hit the stretch run of their Southeastern Conference schedules.
Before he became a legend, he was already THE guy.
George Strait at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo in 1985 — back when real country music ruled and nobody did it better.
Pure magic from the King himself.
