TX TX-Hunt, Overnight flooding at Camp Mystic, all girls camp. Unknown number of missing. July 4, 2025

[jennytrevor]

As a mother, grandie and an aunt/ great aunt who had my babies involved in the WNC Helene disaster, I took great offense then and now with the blame game. Those who know me know who I blame, this is NOT the time for politics. This is the time for grace and prayers to whoever you pray to, for the families and their lost ones.

I’m a NC native and had multiple loved ones affected by Helene as well. In fact, I just spent the holiday weekend in the mountains and saw how much damage still remains. However, I am not offended by assigning blame at all.

Questioning what happened and why is critical after a disaster. It allows those who made negligent decisions to be identified and consequences be assigned (could be losing office, losing a job, jail time, etc). It allows the tragedy to be a learning experience for others in similar situations. In my opinion, dissecting every decision that led to a tragedy is how we honor the victims of disasters. I’d hope if I was killed by negligence that plenty of blame would be assigned and changes could be made.

 

[BayouBelle_LA]

Hunt, Texas – Top 5 flood elevations​

• 37.52 ft – July 4, 2025
• 36.60 ft – July 2, 1932
• 28.40 ft – July 17, 1987
• 23.50 ft – August 2, 1978
• 22.80 ft – October 19, 1985

Kerrville, Texas – Top 5 flood elevations​

• 39.0 ft – July 2, 1932
• 37.72 ft – July 17, 1987
• 34.29 ft – July 4, 2025
• 17.93 ft – November 11, 2000
• 17.73 ft – October 28, 1996

“The Kerrville gage rose from 1.82 ft at 5:15 a.m. to a peak of 34.29 ft at 6:45 a.m. or 32.47 ft in 1.5 hours.”
This staggering rise underscores the extreme danger of flash flooding and the need for ongoing vigilance as storms continue to impact the region.

Historic flood data confirms record-breaking rise in Guadalupe River

It took just 90 minutes for the river to rise more than 30 feet. A look at the historic flood levels now etched into Central Texas history.

www.khou.com

 

[pandorasbox]

I completely understand and respect where y'all are coming from. I really do. I hope in your lifetime you can visit and experience the area. It's a magical, and for many a very spiritual, place.

The Beauty and the Danger of the Guadalupe River

Generations of Texans gather at the river’s stunning headwaters, which have been carved by cycles of catastrophic floods.

www.texasmonthly.com

I understand too, camp is a very special place for me (and my child) too. People all across the country enjoy their camps and rivers, but there is nothing magical enough about any specific one that I would risk putting my child to sleep in a floodway.

There are a lot of things that can't be prevented. Random child predators, truly freak accidents. But investigating the factors that led to this, it COULD actually be prevented. that's good news. we can stop this from happening again like this. We can put it into law or regulation to make sure our kids don't get put to bed in floodways. We can build alarm systems that will alert people in time. We can make sure that agencies that predict it are fully funded. It doesn't matter where people lie politically, we need to work together for common sense things like this. If people are offended by it and equate improving humanity with political gain, I question your motives.

 

[Marfe]

Hear me out. Rain in Texas is feast or famine. When it rains, it usually floods. These properties on the Guadalupe river are generational, having been there since being settled and ranched, certainly before any flood plain maps.

I know it seems crazy for there to be a kids camp there, but honestly, where else would it be? These are beautiful slices of heaven in an unforgiving landscape. We usually have rain around the 4th of July, and it usually is the last rain for months - the spigot literally shuts off. When it does, temperatures soar to 100F and beyond, the land becomes dry as a bone, it's a hellscape. There is literally nowhere else you'd want to be but by one of the clear, beautiful, cypress lined rivers of the Texas Hill Country. I would send my kid to a camp there in a heartbeat.

Absolutely. And honestly, so very many areas in Texas and Louisiana are flood zones. Where i live we are no stranger to natural disasters or to flooding. Hurricane Harvey flooded our entire neighborhood, but not our street. So dang lucky we were. Every neighbor in that area has stayed though and rebuilt/renovated. Harvey was not supposed to cause that much damage either, but the rain stalled for days and we got much more water than expected/forecasted. Space City Weather are the only guys who got it right on the money with their forecast. I only follow their watches and warnings now.

 

[musicaljoke]

I completely understand and respect where y'all are coming from. I really do. I hope in your lifetime you can visit and experience the area. It's a magical, and for many a very spiritual, place.

The Beauty and the Danger of the Guadalupe River

Generations of Texans gather at the river’s stunning headwaters, which have been carved by cycles of catastrophic floods.

www.texasmonthly.com

There is no magic in the deaths of so many innocent children who died on the flood plain. Magical and spiritual places truly will be so when returned to nature.

 

[appleatcha]

I understand too, camp is a very special place for me (and my child) too. People all across the country enjoy their camps and rivers, but there is nothing magical enough about any specific one that I would risk putting my child to sleep in a floodway.

There are a lot of things that can't be prevented. Random child predators, truly freak accidents. But investigating the factors that led to this, it COULD actually be prevented. that's good news. we can stop this from happening again like this. We can put it into law or regulation to make sure our kids don't get put to bed in floodways. We can build alarm systems that will alert people in time. We can make sure that agencies that predict it are fully funded. It doesn't matter where people lie politically, we need to work together for common sense things like this. If people are offended by it and equate improving humanity with political gain, I question your motives.

Well said!

In my opinion, the time to look at what caused this tragedy and how the next one might be prevented is now, while attention is on it, and not months or years from now when, sadly, almost everyone but the families of those lost and the local community will have have moved on to the next tragedy in the news. I feel the same way about any mass casualty event, whether it's a natural disaster, an act of violence, or a plane crash. When it was my community that experienced a horrible disaster with many lives lost, I said "this isn't the time" too -- but when that initial period of mourning did pass, it turned out to be impossible to gain the traction needed to make the policy changes that were needed. (My home state's legislature is still spinning their wheels on the subject, a decade later.) The aim in these conversations and any investigations that occur isn't to disrespect the people who lost their lives, but to honor them.

 

[Marfe]

I too switched off the news and social media for a fair bit, after I saw a pediatrician here in our area comment on a post that this is what "y'all voted for, you get what you deserve" I just had to switch off. Innocent kids, what are we talking about here??

Went for a walk, hugged my kids tighter, and realized now is not the time for questions on timing for evacuation calls, politics, failures in systems, pointing fingers . Now is the time for physical and financial help, if you can, for prayers for help and healing. The time will come, but it is not now., IMHO. Oh the beautiful Hill Country, that magical escape from the concrete jungles :-(

At work today we didn't talk about it much because it is too heavy. One colleague was in New Braunfels for a wedding and had to evacuate. It did make me wonder how many people are still missing without anyone knowing it yet, and people only slowly realizing there's more people/families missing: - those that did not turn up for work today as scheduled, the kids that did not get to daycare today.. UGH.

 

[mickey2942]

My guess... many people (employees) mistakenly believe the First Amendment protects them from consequences at work for what they say, especially on social media. In reality, freedom of speech protects individuals from government censorship, not from accountability in a private workplace. If an employee posts (as an example) something that violates company values, harms the company's reputation, or creates a disruptive or unsafe environment, the employer has the right to take disciplinary action, including termination. This applies even when comments are made outside of work or on personal accounts. People can say what they want, but it does not mean your job is protected from the impact of those words. IMO only

I agree. The lack of empathy and compassion is unbelievable. If you can't say something nice, it is best not to say anything at all. I learned this when I was five years old. A lesson well learned. I guess these folks never had a Irish Grandmother.

 

[SleutherGirl]

I too switched off the news and social media for a fair bit, after I saw a pediatrician here in our area comment on a post that this is what "y'all voted for, you get what you deserve" I just had to switch off. Innocent kids, what are we talking about here??

Went for a walk, hugged my kids tighter, and realized now is not the time for questions on timing for evacuation calls, politics, failures in systems, pointing fingers . Now is the time for physical and financial help, if you can, for prayers for help and healing. The time will come, but it is not now., IMHO. Oh the beautiful Hill Country, that magical escape from the concrete jungles :-(

At work today we didn't talk about it much because it is too heavy. One colleague was in New Braunfels for a wedding and had to evacuate. It did make me wonder how many people are still missing without anyone knowing it yet, and people only slowly realizing there's more people/families missing: - those that did not turn up for work today as scheduled, the kids that did not get to daycare today.. UGH.

In my opinion, now is exactly the time to talk about and fix this. Not for blame, but for getting a move on it so that this type of disaster can be prevented in the future. It's all awful, but maybe some infrastructure could be put in place to prevent this from happening again.

Edit: what better time to fix things, than when public sentiment and attention is focused on the flooding?

 

[Stunned]

I’m a NC native and had multiple loved ones affected by Helene as well. In fact, I just spent the holiday weekend in the mountains and saw how much damage still remains. However, I am not offended by assigning blame at all.

Questioning what happened and why is critical after a disaster. It allows those who made negligent decisions to be identified and consequences be assigned (could be losing office, losing a job, jail time, etc). It allows the tragedy to be a learning experience for others in similar situations. In my opinion, dissecting every decision that led to a tragedy is how we honor the victims of disasters. I’d hope if I was killed by negligence that plenty of blame would be assigned and changes could be made.

I agree, but I also think there is a time and place. And while searching for a child's body is not it.

 

[Marfe]

In my opinion, now is exactly the time to talk about and fix this. Not for blame, but for getting a move on it so that this type of disaster can be prevented in the future. It's all awful, but maybe some infrastructure could be put in place to prevent this from happening again.

Edit: what better time to fix things, than when public sentiment and attention is focused on the flooding?

Talk about.... maybe. Although if it was my kid missing, or my husband just drowned, your talk would not make things better, not right now. Point fingers and sling insults, attack people's political choices and say they deserved to die because their parents voted for Trump? Big no no.

At the end of the day - this is like school shootings. Right after there is indignation and talk about gun reform. And in the end nothing ever changes. Despite all the "let's talk about its"

 

[SleutherGirl]

I agree, but I also think there is a time and place. And while searching for a child's body is not it.

Perhaps not, but then when? When time has passed and people say, "Oh this was a once in a hundred-years event, it won't happen again?" When next year around this time an even worse flood happens? Are they going to rebuild that camp on the same banks that just flooded and say, it won't happen again?

 

[OddOneOut]

JMO, in the case of Camp Mystic, assigning blame doesn't make any sense at all and never will. From what I recall from other posts, Camp Mystic was founded about 100 years ago. The founders are long dead. Even those around during the 1932 and 1987 floods are nearly all (if not all) long gone. Dams, levies, etc. were built and that didn't stop this flood. The camps will probably be rebuilt again. To me, the question is how to stop the deaths and injuries in the future. Perhaps storm shelters built at higher elevations along with rules about when to evacuate to those shelters are part of the answer. Another camp had multiple people watching the river making it possible for all of their campers and staff to escape in time.

 

[K9Enzo]

I highly recommend people have NOAA ER weather alert radios with batteries. You cannot rely on cell reception. In recreation areas these are especially important. imo

 

[Betty P]

I’m a NC native and had multiple loved ones affected by Helene as well. In fact, I just spent the holiday weekend in the mountains and saw how much damage still remains. However, I am not offended by assigning blame at all.

Questioning what happened and why is critical after a disaster. It allows those who made negligent decisions to be identified and consequences be assigned (could be losing office, losing a job, jail time, etc). It allows the tragedy to be a learning experience for others in similar situations. In my opinion, dissecting every decision that led to a tragedy is how we honor the victims of disasters. I’d hope if I was killed by negligence that plenty of blame would be assigned and changes could be made.

We have to take care of our people, our fellow Americans. The best way to do that is to constantly work to improve how we meet these disasters.

 

[BayouBelle_LA]

Governor Greg Abbott has announced that the ongoing special legislative session, which begins July 21, will now include discussions on improving flood alert systems.

"It’s going to be good to have a session for all members working together with different perspectives. Because the reality is this, what is needed in that river basin in that location can be far different across the state," Abbott said.

Harris County State Senator Paul Betancourt spoke with FOX 4 Monday. He took to social media saying he wants to file legislation in the special session to put sirens in flood-prone areas.

"This is just another way to layer in more possibilities of getting people's attention in a natural disaster, because, unfortunately, we're over-relying on this now because we want it to do everything, but there may be times when people ignore it, or they turn it off. So a siren cuts through all that, it goes around this technology and can work with it," Bettencourt said.

Texas flooding: Weather alert improvements planned for special session, Gov. Abbott says

As the death toll continues to rise from the flooding in the Hill Country, many are asking how this can be prevented in the future.

www.fox4news.com

 

[Betty P]

Governor Greg Abbott has announced that the ongoing special legislative session, which begins July 21, will now include discussions on improving flood alert systems.

"It’s going to be good to have a session for all members working together with different perspectives. Because the reality is this, what is needed in that river basin in that location can be far different across the state," Abbott said.

Harris County State Senator Paul Betancourt spoke with FOX 4 Monday. He took to social media saying he wants to file legislation in the special session to put sirens in flood-prone areas.

"This is just another way to layer in more possibilities of getting people's attention in a natural disaster, because, unfortunately, we're over-relying on this now because we want it to do everything, but there may be times when people ignore it, or they turn it off. So a siren cuts through all that, it goes around this technology and can work with it," Bettencourt said.

Texas flooding: Weather alert improvements planned for special session, Gov. Abbott says

As the death toll continues to rise from the flooding in the Hill Country, many are asking how this can be prevented in the future.

www.fox4news.com

Emergency Alert Systems that work for all types of disasters in all areas seem to be the best solution. Sirens are good for floods and tornados. Even better is having a system that sends out automatic warnings on cell phones, television, radio, etc. That's what we have in our community. We get calls and texts when a severe weather event might be heading our way, or if there's an amber alert, etc. We also get the usual civil defense test alerts on tv.

The National Weather Service was designed to have experts work individually with communities to also address special circumstances like the children's camps, schools, hospitals, nursing homes, etc. I always assumed every community did this. It's just common sense.

 

[PunishThenForgive]

Governor Greg Abbott has announced that the ongoing special legislative session, which begins July 21, will now include discussions on improving flood alert systems.

"It’s going to be good to have a session for all members working together with different perspectives. Because the reality is this, what is needed in that river basin in that location can be far different across the state," Abbott said.

Harris County State Senator Paul Betancourt spoke with FOX 4 Monday. He took to social media saying he wants to file legislation in the special session to put sirens in flood-prone areas.

"This is just another way to layer in more possibilities of getting people's attention in a natural disaster, because, unfortunately, we're over-relying on this now because we want it to do everything, but there may be times when people ignore it, or they turn it off. So a siren cuts through all that, it goes around this technology and can work with it," Bettencourt said.

Texas flooding: Weather alert improvements planned for special session, Gov. Abbott says

As the death toll continues to rise from the flooding in the Hill Country, many are asking how this can be prevented in the future.

www.fox4news.com

Yay! They are actually striking while the iron is hot. Thank goodness.

 

[Marfe]

I highly recommend people have NOAA ER weather alert radios with batteries. You cannot rely on cell reception. In recreation areas these are especially important. imo

Excellent advise, and thank you for the reminder. We have one from Dicks for Hurricane Season. I better go check those batteries though...

 

[Marfe]

Emergency Alert Systems that work for all types of disasters in all areas seem to be the best solution. Sirens are good for floods and tornados. Even better is having a system that sends out automatic warnings on cell phones, television, radio, etc. That's what we have in our community. We get calls and texts when a severe weather event might be heading our way, or if there's an amber alert, etc. We also get the usual civil defense test alerts on tv.

except for power outages in Texas. It rains, we lose power. It freezes, we lose power. It's too hot, we lose power. CenterPointless we call it here. No power = no cell phones (cell tower goes down too), no tv, no radio.