Deadly Texas floods prompt new state investigation

HOUSTON — A new joint Texas legislative committee will investigate the response to the historic July 4 floods that killed at least 137 people in Central Texas, the country’s deadliest flood in nearly 50 years.

“The tragedy at Camp Mystic and the flooding disasters this summer have left a devastating impact on Texas families, communities, and our entire state,” said Texas House Speaker Dustin Burrows, a Lubbock Republican. “As Texans work to rebuild and recover, it is the responsibility of the legislature to understand what went wrong and ensure our state is better prepared for future emergencies.”

State lawmakers initially responded to the tragedy by creating flood committees, holding hearings — including a contentious field hearing at the epicenter in Kerrville — and passing several bills, notably the Heaven’s 27 Camp Safety Act crafted in cooperation with families of 27 girls who died at Camp Mystic. But with two bodies still missing — including 8-year-old Mystic camper Cile Steward — many remain outraged by what they perceive as the botched flood response and the prospect of troubled camps reopening.

It’s not yet clear whether the new committee will delve further into what went wrong during the floods, and if so, whether lawmakers will hold anyone accountable.

Camp Mystic Executive Director Richard “Dick” Eastland, who died in the flood, did not begin to evacuate campers near the rapidly rising Guadalupe River for more than an hour after he received a severe flood warning on his phone from the National Weather Service at 1:14 a.m. on July 4, a family spokesman told The Post.

When Camp Mystic’s owners announced plans last month to reopen, campers’ families pushed back, including the Stewards, condemning it in a letter as “unthinkable.”

“We call on Camp Mystic to halt all discussion of reopening and memorials,” the letter shared with The Washington Post said. “Instead, Cile must be recovered, and you must fully confront and account for your role in the events and failures that caused the deaths of our daughters.”

Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick noted in Monday’s announcement that he was “shocked to see Camp Mystic begin signing up campers for next year with so many questions unanswered about what happened that fateful morning.”

Patrick said he appointed the investigative committee “to get to the bottom of exactly what occurred.”

“This committee’s task is to examine the facts and circumstances surrounding the July flooding, including actions taken at youth summer camps. The families who lost their precious daughters deserve answers, as do all Texans, on exactly what happened on July 4th,” Patrick said. “Camp Mystic has not spoken publicly on the record as to what happened that morning. They will be invited to testify, as will others involved in this flooding event.”

Matthew Childress, of Houston, father of Camp Mystic counselor Chloe Childress, 18, who died in the flood, said in a statement that he welcomed the new committee and hoped lawmakers would uncover more about the disaster.

“We are grateful that Texas lawmakers are taking this tragedy seriously and launching a formal investigation into what happened at Camp Mystic,” Childress said. “The truth about what happened on July 4th and thereafter must come fully to light. The eyes of Texas are on this process. What happens next must continue to honor the lives lost and ensure lasting change.”

Earlier this month, relatives of the other flood victim whose body remained missing, Jeff Ramsey, 61, of Lewisville, sued HTR TX Hill Country RV park where he died, alleging that his death was caused by owners’ and operators’ negligence.

And last week, others testified at a state health department hearing criticizing camp officials for resisting new safety laws.

“These laws are written in the blood of 27 children. The laws are for the children and the parents who will send their children to camp. They are not for the camps. The camp industry has lost their privilege to police themselves,” Michael McCown, who lost his 8-year-old daughter Linnie at Camp Mystic, testified at a hearing Friday. “They only complain about expenses but somehow find the money and time to lobby against regulations.”

The new joint investigative committee is unprecedented in recent years. Investigative committees are usually led by the Texas House, such as the committee that investigated Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton two years ago and the deadly shooting of 19 students and two teachers at a Uvalde elementary school three years ago.

The legislature is majority GOP, and the committees will have five members, each including one Democrat. The Senate committee will be chaired by Sen. Pete Flores of Pleasanton, whose district suffered some of the worst flooding. The House committee will be led by Rep. Morgan Meyer of Dallas, home to many Camp Mystic victims’ families.

“The magnitude of this tragedy demands a comprehensive and thorough review,” Burrows said in Monday’s announcement. “The House investigating committee will work alongside our Senate partners to examine the contributing factors to the devastation at Camp Mystic and identify ways to strengthen the state’s preparedness and response to flooding and other natural disasters.”

Keli Rabon has testified at legislative hearings with her sons, 7 and 9, who survived the flood on the Guadalupe River at Camp La Junta. Rabon said she was shocked the new committee didn’t include anyone from their hometown of Houston, home to many campers who survived the flood and some who died. Houston Democrats fled the state last session to temporarily block redistricting legislation, drawing ire from GOP leaders.

“It would be nice to feel like you have representation considering there’s so many camp families” in Houston, Rabon said. Even though committee members are based elsewhere, she said, “I’m going to be hitting them all up.”

“I hope that it truly is a full-blown look at all that happened and really a deep dive into getting answers,” she said. “Without understanding what truly happened on that day and leading up to that day, we can’t fully make things right moving forward. How can you know what to fix if you don’t know what mistakes were made?”