Camp Mystic among 174 Texas camps told to revise emergency plans to reopen

KERR COUNTY, Texas - Every summer camp in Texas that submitted their emergency plans has been ordered to revise them if they want to renew their licenses to operate this summer. 

Camp Mystic, where 27 young girls and staffers were killed in last summer's Texas Hill Country flooding catastrophe, is among the 174 camps told to reassess their plans.

Texas summer camp re-licensing requirements

What's new:

A "notice of deficiency" was sent to camps this week by the Texas Department of State Health Services requiring them to revise their emergency plans before receiving a license to operate in the summer. According to the department, the letter is part of the licensing application review process, and a total of 174 camps have received such a notice from the department. 

Specific to Camp Mystic, key issues noted in the letter from the state are a lack of staff responsibilities in many areas of safety procedures (including fire, medical, natural disaster and other contingencies), parent notification processes, accessibility and issues with documentation. 

The camp, as explained in their statement below, plans to cooperate fully with the state's requirements. The camp had planned to reopen a portion of the grounds – which was not an area where lives were lost last summer – in May. 

What's next:

The letter gives camps 45 days to reevaluate their plans and submit revisions in order to receive a new license. Camp Mystic's changes are due by July 7.

What we don't know:

According to an DSHS official, the emergency plans are confidential by law and cannot be released. 

Read the full letter to Camp Mystic below:

Camp Mystic responds

What they're saying:

Camp Mystic released the following statement to FOX Local Friday afternoon:

"Camp Mystic - along with other Texas camps - recently received a deficiency letter from the Texas Department of Health Services (DSHS) regarding Camp Mystic's application for licensure for its Cypress Lake campus.

"Camp Mystic is carefully reviewing the notice from DSHS and we are working closely with DSHS through the appropriate process to address the areas outlined. Our priority remains the safety and well-being of our campers, and we hope to continue the nearly century-long mission and ministry of Camp Mystic to provide a Christian camping experience for girls that allows them to grow physically, mentally and spiritually."

Texas Hill Country flooding

The backstory:

The camp is currently under state scrutiny for the handling of their response to the floods in the early hours of July 4, 2025, which critics say was too slow and uncoordinated to save the lives of "Heaven's 27," who were among the more than 100 victims in the historic disaster.

Heavy rainfall in Central Texas caused the Guadalupe River to rise far past its banks in an area known colloquially as "Flash Flood Alley," particularly in the area of Kerr County, where Camp Mystic and other children's camps are located. 

The floodwaters rose rapidly, washing out cabins, homes and other structures built near the river on or close to known flood plains. At least 135 people died in the disaster, 117 of which were in Kerr County. The search and rescue operations lasted for weeks afterward. 

Aftermath: Lawsuits and state investigations

In the aftermath, Texas residents began to question the safety of summer camps near the flood-prone sections of the Guadalupe. Many claims claim to light of camps being ill prepared for severe weather situations, as well as local and state emergency officials and warning systems being unfit for a catastrophe on that scale.

Several lawsuits have been filed against Camp Mystic, and new legislation was brought forth in special sessions of the state legislature to ensure better protections for campers in the event of natural disasters or other evacuation scenarios.