Families of seven victims who perished during flooding at Camp Mystic in Central Texas filed lawsuits on Monday, accusing camp leadership of prioritizing equipment over camper safety during the early morning disaster on July 4. The suits allege that executive director Dick Eastland and his son Edward spent more than an hour securing camp property after receiving a flash flood warning at 1:14 a.m., dismissing counselor requests for assistance and delaying evacuations until conditions became fatal. Twenty-seven people died that night, including two counselors, 25 campers, and Dick Eastland himself, with most casualties occurring in cabins housing the youngest girls along the Guadalupe River.
The litigation contends that camp leaders were inadequately prepared despite operating in Flash Flood Alley, a region with a regular flooding history, and had successfully challenged federal flood zone designations that would have required additional insurance. Counselors received minimal emergency training and were assured that flooding would not occur. The suits also criticize post-disaster communications, noting parents received notifications that their daughters were unaccounted for after some bodies had already been recovered.
The litigation contends that camp leaders were inadequately prepared despite operating in Flash Flood Alley, a region with a regular flooding history, and had successfully challenged federal flood zone designations that would have required additional insurance. Counselors received minimal emergency training and were assured that flooding would not occur. The suits also criticize post-disaster communications, noting parents received notifications that their daughters were unaccounted for after some bodies had already been recovered.
