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Why weren't Texas camps evacuated during devastating floods? Surprising details emerge after Camp Mystic tragedy
The Texas Hill Country flood claimed 59 lives, mainly at Camp Mystic, with several persons reported missing.
At least 59 people were killed in Kerr County due to the catastrophic, swift-moving waters that commenced before sunrise Friday in the Texas Hill Country, according to authorities on Sunday. The number of individuals still missing is unknown.
The majority of the dead were retrieved from Camp Mystic, a Christian summer camp near a river in Kerr County, but 11 girls and a camp counselor were among those still missing.
As authorities launched one of the biggest search and rescue missions in recent Texas history, they are coming under greater scrutiny to explain their preparations and why locals and youth summer camps near the river were not notified earlier or instructed to leave.
According to the National Weather Service, it issued flash flood emergencies, a rare warning of impending danger, after issuing an array of warnings about flash floods in the early hours of Friday.
Local authorities have justified their efforts, claiming that no one anticipated the possibility of flooding.
Republican U.S. Representative Chip Roy, who represents Kerr County, said, “There’s going to be a lot of finger-pointing, a lot of second-guessing and Monday morning quarterbacking. There’s a lot of people saying ‘why’ and ‘how,’ and I understand that.”
Why weren't the camps evacuated?
During a press conference on Friday, Kerr County Judge Rob Kelly admitted that “we do not have a warning system,” adding that he “can't answer” why camps weren't evacuated.
He even stated that officials did not know that flood was coming. “Rest assured, no one knew this kind of flood was coming. We have floods all the time. This is the most dangerous river valley in the United States and we deal with floods on a regular basis. When it rains, we get water. We had no reason to believe that this was going to be anything like what’s happened here. None whatsoever.”
Nicole Wilson, 42, was “blown away” when she watched the press conference from her San Antonio home.
Speaking to KXAN, she revealed her friends' kids were at Camp La Junta and Camp Mystic. All three kids have been rescued. However, one of her relatives' kids is still unaccounted for.
The city of Kerrville's Facebook page advised campers to “move to higher ground immediately” in wake of flash flood warnings issued by the National Weather Service. However, campers at Camp Mystic probably were not aware of that as a recent list of directions, cell phones, smart watches, iPads, and anything with Wi-Fi capability were deemed "unacceptable electronic devices" to bring and “not allowed.”
Meanwhile, officials have urged those in need of assistance to report missing loved ones to call 830-258-1111.
