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

[vls12345]

Conroe flood victim Reese Manchaca honored with police escort from Kerrville

Texas Hill Country flood victim brought home | Claire Reese Manchaca's body was escorted to Montgomery County so she could be laid to rest.

www.11alive.com

 

[Dotta]

"A teenage girl
tragically lost her life
after saving her family from a van submerged in the raging Texas floodwaters.

Malaya Hammond, 17,
bravely saved her family from the van that fell into the vicious waters on July 5
before she was swept away in the strong currents.

Malaya was able to save her parents, Liz and Matthew, as well as her younger siblings, Khalil, 16, and Surya, 14, who went back to the scene to mourn the brave teen."

RIP

https://twitter.com/x/status/1943407240121086155

 

[Dotta]

"Five mile line of police cars ​

escorts Texas flood victim's body ​

as entire town turns out to pay their respects.​

The body of a young college student who went missing during the horrific Texas floods
has since been returned to her grieving hometown to be laid to rest -
escorted by a miles-long procession of emergency responders
and heartbroken community members.

Claire 'Reese' Manchaca,
a 21-year-old architecture student at the University of Texas at San Antonio,
was staying at a country house in Kerr County with three friends to celebrate Fourth of July weekend.

The entire home -
along with Reese and her friends
was swept away
when the '30-foot tsunami wall of water' surged through,
obliterating cabins along the Guadalupe River
and destroying everything in its path."

RIP

Five mile line of police cars escorts Texas flood victim's body

The body of Claire 'Reese' Manchaca, the 21-year-old college student killed during the horrific Texas floods, was recovered on Monday and has since been solemnly returned to her hometown.

www.dailymail.co.uk

 

[Marie A]

Dick and Tweety Eastland’s Camp Mystic

The duo offered a place where parents knew their daughters would be enriched and happy. During the tragic floods, Dick Eastland died trying to save them.

www.texasmonthly.com

The Not So Happy Campers

For more than seven decades, Camp Mystic has been one of the prettiest, happiest, and most exclusive destinations in Texas. But after a bitter, multimillion-dollar legal battle, the very thing that the owners cherished—family—may be the force that tears the camp apart for good.

www.texasmonthly.com

This older article is super long but very interesting if you are interested.

 

[Friday Fan]

M

Dick and Tweety Eastland’s Camp Mystic

The duo offered a place where parents knew their daughters would be enriched and happy. During the tragic floods, Dick Eastland died trying to save them.

www.texasmonthly.com

The Not So Happy Campers

For more than seven decades, Camp Mystic has been one of the prettiest, happiest, and most exclusive destinations in Texas. But after a bitter, multimillion-dollar legal battle, the very thing that the owners cherished—family—may be the force that tears the camp apart for good.

www.texasmonthly.com

This older article is super long but very interesting if you are interested.

There are shortened versions on the SA Express-News and MySA.com ( no paywall)

I think FEMA will allow "cabins" and "mobile" homes to be built in floodplains. It's all about the replacement cost of the structure. So, you don't need FEMA if you can self finance.

There are generally no codes in unincorporated areas.

I wouldn't be surprised if they paid cash anyway

 

[Marie A]

Here’s an older yet article that is interesting- some of it still rings true.

The Greatest Experience of Your Life

Climbing the social ladder, and other exercises at Hill Country summer camps.

www.texasmonthly.com

This re-write is very interesting

The Hill Country Summer Camps Were My Story. After the Flood, They're My Grandson's.

He's a staff member this summer at Camp La Junta. The night of the flood, he was awakened by the popping sounds of pipes snapping as his cabin lurched into the river.

www.texasmonthly.com

The little girls from Dallas and Austin who died at Mystic already have charity funds set up in their names and most have surpassed hundreds of thousands of dollars in a few hours/ days.

Go fund me- Lila’s light honoring Lila Bonner $426k plus

Go fund me - Help honor Linnie and support the mccown family $295k plus

Go fund me- Honor Hadley Hanna $181k plus


Others aren’t disclosing figures but are decidedly in the same category or more

Blueberry Hill Farm and Rescue | Mena AR

Blueberry Hill Farm and Rescue, Mena. 751 likes · 34 talking about this. BHFAR is a 501C3 nonprofit organization dedicated to providing a safe and loving environment for abandoned, abused, and...

www.facebook.com

/erp/donate/create/fund

dallasfoundation.fcsuite.com

Communities are coming together to honor the memory of these little girls

 

[jesse]

Dick and Tweety Eastland’s Camp Mystic

The duo offered a place where parents knew their daughters would be enriched and happy. During the tragic floods, Dick Eastland died trying to save them.

www.texasmonthly.com

The Not So Happy Campers

For more than seven decades, Camp Mystic has been one of the prettiest, happiest, and most exclusive destinations in Texas. But after a bitter, multimillion-dollar legal battle, the very thing that the owners cherished—family—may be the force that tears the camp apart for good.

www.texasmonthly.com

This older article is super long but very interesting if you are interested.

Sorry, I just posted this article before I read down and saw that you had.

 

[IceIce9]

Several years ago we were on vacation and visited a valley near a river. There were painted lines about 12 feet off the ground on some cliff walls that were labeled “100 Year Flood Mark” and the year which I think was 1950-something.

There were houses, parks, playgrounds, and small businesses in the valley, well below the flood mark, and I asked a few people why people built homes in the flood plain. One person looked at me like I was stupid and told me “That’s a HUNDRED YEAR flood. Only happens once in a hundred years or more.”

 

[IceIce9]

Over two-million acres of floodplain development occurred in U.S. in last two decades, study finds

news.miami.edu

These findings from scientists at the University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric, and Earth Science provide new information on patterns of floodplain development that pose a potential risk to people and communities in regions like the Southeastern U.S. that are especially prone to flooding.

 

[CrimeDawg123]

This is heartbreaking

“The River House Broke. We Rushed in the River.”

The July 4 Texas flooding ripped our Kerr County home from its pillars, pulling us into the water and into the night. Then morning came.

www.texasmonthly.com

 

[Friday Fan]

They built the home on concrete pillars to raise the elevation above the 100 year floodplain. It didn't work.

“The River House Broke. We Rushed in the River.”​

On July 4, the Guadalupe ripped our home from its pillars, pulling my family into its waters and into the night. Then morning came.

“The River House Broke. We Rushed in the River.”

The July 4 Texas flooding ripped our Kerr County home from its pillars, pulling us into the water and into the night. Then morning came.

www.texasmonthly.com

 

[Friday Fan]

Meteorologist Brad Sowder

A newspaper article from 1932 (the original record flood)on the Guadalupe. Camp Mystic was only six years old and the flood hit hard. It doesn’t appear any campers were lost, but it also happened in...

www.facebook.com

Meteorologist Brad Sowder​

A newspaper article from 1932 (the original record flood)on the Guadalupe. Camp Mystic was only six years old and the flood hit hard. It doesn’t appear any campers were lost, but it also happened in the middle of the day, as opposed to the middle of the night. The camp also had about 200-300 campers in the 1930s as opposed to the 750 now. Thanks to Meteorologist George Flickinger from WSET for sharing this with me.

 

[Dotta]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1943470514808197249

 

[AngTxGal]

Several years ago we were on vacation and visited a valley near a river. There were painted lines about 12 feet off the ground on some cliff walls that were labeled “100 Year Flood Mark” and the year which I think was 1950-something.

There were houses, parks, playgrounds, and small businesses in the valley, well below the flood mark, and I asked a few people why people built homes in the flood plain. One person looked at me like I was stupid and told me “That’s a HUNDRED YEAR flood. Only happens once in a hundred years or more.”

It is important that people understand what is meant by a 100 year flood plain. My dad was a civil engineer, I’ve seen him review 100 year flood plain maps as well as 500 year flood plain maps.
Many people use and misunderstand what is meant by 100 year flood plain
FEMA 100 year flood plain
100 year flood plain- a line that designates that statistically there is a 1% chance that a flood could occur within the boundary in any given year.
500 year flood plain- a line that designates that statistically there is a 0.2% chance that a flood could occur within the boundary in any given year.
The line of a 100 year flood is a designation based on a statistical analysis of hydrological information. It doesn’t mean only one will happen once in 100 years, nor does it mean 100 years will pass since the last 100 year flood.

The line of 100 year flood also does not have a depth of water, nor does it have a time of year, or a speed of movement.

This designation is used to determine types and locations of development and also costs of insurance for structures. The designation is not meant to be a hard predictor- it is meant to be a soft number for estimation.

What kinds of things change the 100 year flood plain?
When land development occurs upstream, flood events occur, dams are built or rebuilt, the lines of the 100 flood plain changes.
As the planet’s climate changes we must realize we will be less able to understand storm events, much less know or predict where and when storms events and floods will occur.

Is there a process to do review how land development upstream may impact the existing structures or flood plain status of land downstream? No

As investigations are taking place to determine how to prevent future loss of life during floods- answers will not include telling land owners they cannot build along the rivers.
Solutions
A solution would be to review emergency notifications and determine how they can be received by camp directors and counselors in a timely fashion, to they can escape on roads that are passable.

IMO
Heartbroken- We are about one week out, over 100 deaths, over 150 still missing.

 

[AngTxGal]

Thanks for trying, Quill.
This is so huge and horrible.
Prayers for strength to all who were hurt and for all who died.

There was no dam breach in Ingram. Many lakes filled and water went to overspill, or was released- that is how dams work.

Zero media outlets are reporting that the floods in the Texas Hill Country and Central Texas were caused by the breach of a dam.

It isn’t true


IMO

 

[MissPie]

It is important that people understand what is meant by a 100 year flood plain. My dad was a civil engineer, I’ve seen him review 100 year flood plain maps as well as 500 year flood plain maps.
Many people use and misunderstand what is meant by 100 year flood plain
FEMA 100 year flood plain
100 year flood plain- a line that designates that statistically there is a 1% chance that a flood could occur within the boundary in any given year.
500 year flood plain- a line that designates that statistically there is a 0.2% chance that a flood could occur within the boundary in any given year.
The line of a 100 year flood is a designation based on a statistical analysis of hydrological information. It doesn’t mean only one will happen once in 100 years, nor does it mean 100 years will pass since the last 100 year flood.

The line of 100 year flood also does not have a depth of water, nor does it have a time of year, or a speed of movement.

This designation is used to determine types and locations of development and also costs of insurance for structures. The designation is not meant to be a hard predictor- it is meant to be a soft number for estimation.

What kinds of things change the 100 year flood plain?
When land development occurs upstream, flood events occur, dams are built or rebuilt, the lines of the 100 flood plain changes.
As the planet’s climate changes we must realize we will be less able to understand storm events, much less know or predict where and when storms events and floods will occur.

Is there a process to do review how land development upstream may impact the existing structures or flood plain status of land downstream? No

As investigations are taking place to determine how to prevent future loss of life during floods- answers will not include telling land owners they cannot build along the rivers.
Solutions
A solution would be to review emergency notifications and determine how they can be received by camp directors and counselors in a timely fashion, to they can escape on roads that are passable.

IMO
Heartbroken- We are about one week out, over 100 deaths, over 150 still missing.

Excellent post.

 

[IceIce9]

We’re the wealthiest country in the world. There’s no reason someone shouldn’t be able to provide internet and cell service in this area before. It’s not Siberia or the North Pole. It’s just common sense.

<modsnip>

I am working in Kentucky this week in an area that is prone to flash flooding. And much of this area has no cell service!

My GPS isn’t available, I tried it today and it just spun around and couldn’t find my location.

 

[K9Enzo]

I am working in Kentucky this week in an area that is prone to flash flooding. And much of this area has no cell service!

My GPS isn’t available, I tried it today and it just spun around and couldn’t find my location.

I highly recommend a Garmin inReach. It keeps you connected when there’s no cell signal (I never rely on this), lets others track your location, and gives you a direct line to emergency services if things go sideways. You can preload personal and medical info that responders will see if you trigger SOS. I include details about myself and my dogs if they are with me. The subscription is worth it. imo

 

[Friday Fan]

I am working in Kentucky this week in an area that is prone to flash flooding. And much of this area has no cell service!

My GPS isn’t available, I tried it today and it just spun around and couldn’t find my location.

If you are in an area with no cell service, your GPS will not longer work if you turn off your phone and turn it back on or sometimes if you close the app. You need cell service to "start the GPS".

One time I lost GPS in an airplane. I like to track where I am, so I know what I'm looking at below. You can do it in airplane mode and it's fun. But one time, it just dropped. I couldn't get it back, until I could turn on my cell service.

 

[Friday Fan]

I was on FB last night and saw horrific pictures. The damage is hurricane Katrina devastating or something. I believe most were taken yesterday, now that the river has receded, the sun is out and some clean up has begun. Thousands of beautiful bald cypress are down and the area closest to the headwaters reminded me of Mt St Helen's. And in usual FB fashion the post disappeared from my view and I can't find it again.


This has got to be the worst disaster since white people settled the area in the later part of the 1800's. Yes, there have been floods, but not like this.