Texas Lawmakers to Visit Camp Mystic After Tense Court Hearing

Lawmakers to tour site of deadly 2025 flood as new details emerge from court proceedings

Apr. 19, 2026 at 12:48am

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A cinematic oil painting of a lone, weathered wooden cabin nestled along the banks of a slow-moving river, with the cabin and surrounding landscape bathed in warm, diagonal sunlight and deep shadows, evoking a sense of solitude and contemplation.The serene Guadalupe River setting of Camp Mystic, now the focus of a somber legislative investigation into last year's deadly flood.Cleburne Today

A group of Texas lawmakers will visit Camp Mystic on Monday, as new details emerge from a tense court hearing over last summer's deadly floods that killed 25 girls and two teenage counselors. The visit marks the first meeting for both the House and Senate investigating committees formed to examine what happened and identify potential policy changes.

Why it matters

The deadly Camp Mystic flood has raised serious questions about emergency preparedness and response protocols, especially for youth camps and outdoor recreation areas. Lawmakers are hoping the site visit and ongoing investigations will uncover ways to improve safety and prevent similar tragedies in the future.

The details

Witnesses at the recent court hearing described rapidly changing conditions overnight, with camp leaders initially unaware of the scale of the flooding before water surged through the area. The hearing centered on a court order that currently prevents the camp from making renovations at its Guadalupe River site, with attorneys arguing the area must be preserved as evidence for multiple lawsuits.

  • The deadly flood occurred on July 4, 2025.
  • The House and Senate investigating committees were formed in the fall of 2025.
  • The three-day evidentiary hearing in a Travis County civil court took place less than a week before the lawmakers' scheduled visit on April 22, 2026.

The players

Camp Mystic

A youth summer camp located along the Guadalupe River in Hunt, Texas, where 25 girls and two teenage counselors were killed by floodwaters on July 4, 2025.

Texas House and Senate Investigating Committees

Bipartisan groups of state lawmakers tasked with reviewing the Camp Mystic flood incident and identifying potential policy changes to improve emergency preparedness and response.

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What they’re saying

“We want to protect our property rights, and I totally understand that until AI appeared. I think locally it's time to look at some guidelines to protect the resources for our local communities.”

— Helen Kerwin, State Representative, R-Glen Rose

What’s next

The investigating committees are expected to tour both the Camp Mystic site and parts of the Guadalupe River during their visit on April 22, 2026, though access remains limited due to the court order restricting entry. Separate investigations by the Texas Rangers and the Department of State Health Services are also ongoing.

The takeaway

The deadly Camp Mystic flood has become a major focus for Texas lawmakers, who are determined to uncover the causes, review emergency response protocols, and identify ways to improve safety at youth camps and other outdoor recreation areas across the state.