Photo: RONALDO SCHEMIDT / AFP / Getty Images
Camp Mystic in Hunt, Texas, began evacuating campers 45 minutes after receiving a flash flood alert from the National Weather Service on July 4. The alert, received at 1:14 a.m., warned of life-threatening flash flooding. Executive Director Dick Eastland started moving campers to higher ground by 2:00 a.m., according to Jeff Carr, a spokesperson for the Eastland family. Tragically, the catastrophic flooding claimed the lives of 27 campers and counselors at the all-girls Christian summer camp along the Guadalupe River.
Eastland, who died while helping with the evacuation, initially received a standard warning that did not indicate the severity of the impending flood. The cabins, located in a floodway deemed hazardous by Kerr County officials, were particularly vulnerable to the rising waters. As the situation worsened, Eastland used walkie-talkies to coordinate with family members and assess the flood's impact. The campers were moved to the camp's recreational center for safety.
The National Weather Service issued a more severe alert at 4:03 a.m., emphasizing the danger and urging immediate evacuation to higher ground.