Texas judge declines to close Camp Mystic despite family’s request after last year’s floods

A Texas judge issued a preservation order Wednesday for cabins damaged in last summer’s deadly flood at Camp Mystic while stopping short of blocking the camp’s planned reopening, following a lawsuit filed by the family of a young victim whose body remains missing.

Judge Maya Guerra Gamble ruled that while Camp Mystic can proceed with plans to reopen, its owners must preserve the flood-damaged cabins and avoid using the portion of the property closest to the Guadalupe River, where 25 campers and two counselors lost their lives in a catastrophic flash flood on July 4.

“What we’re trying to do is preserve the evidence that’s there so that we can understand, so that future campers will never be put in a situation like this again,” said Will Steward, father of 8-year-old Cile Steward, whose body has not been recovered since being swept away in the floodwaters nearly a year ago.

The Steward family had sought a temporary injunction to prevent the camp from reopening and halt any construction while their lawsuit proceeds, arguing that changes to the property could destroy crucial evidence.

In a packed courtroom, family members of deceased campers wore buttons bearing their loved ones’ images. Meanwhile, attorneys for Camp Mystic displayed renderings of rebuilding plans that would relocate facilities outside the 1,000-year flood zone, along with pictures of memorial trees planted in honor of the victims.

The deadly flood was part of a larger weather disaster that claimed at least 136 lives across the region. The century-old camp, established in 1926, was hit particularly hard when the Guadalupe River rose dramatically from 14 feet to 29.5 feet within just one hour before dawn.

Mikal Watts, an attorney representing Camp Mystic and its family owners, defended the camp’s decision not to evacuate that night. “The worst thing you can do is put a bunch of 8-year-olds on a bus and try to drive them out of there. They all would have drowned,” Watts told the court.

Edward Eastland, whose father Richard Eastland owned the camp and also died in the flooding, testified about his family’s harrowing experience that night. He described how his mother, wife, children, and a staff member had to escape through a window when floodwaters broke open the doors of their camp house.

When questioned about the camp’s safety protocols, Eastland acknowledged that while security cameras were installed around the property, no one was monitoring the live feed in the middle of the night as waters rose. He also seemed unable to produce a detailed flood plan beyond a single paragraph shown during the hearing.

“They didn’t have a plan, and they don’t have a plan moving forward,” Cici Steward, Cile’s mother, told reporters after the hearing.

Despite the ongoing litigation and investigations, Camp Mystic has already registered more than 850 campers for the upcoming summer season. However, the camp still requires approval from state regulators to operate.

The camp’s decision to partially reopen and construct a memorial on the grounds has sparked outrage from many families of victims, who say they weren’t consulted about these plans as they continue to grieve their losses.

Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick has publicly asked state regulators not to renew Camp Mystic’s license while investigations into the deaths continue. Patrick has cited forthcoming legislative probes expected to begin this spring that will examine the circumstances surrounding the tragedy.

Multiple families of deceased campers have filed lawsuits against Camp Mystic’s operators, alleging that camp officials failed to take necessary precautions to protect campers despite warnings of potential flooding conditions.

The case highlights growing concerns about weather safety protocols at outdoor recreational facilities amid increasingly unpredictable and extreme weather events. Camp Mystic, with its nearly century-long history in the Texas Hill Country, now finds itself at the center of questions about emergency preparedness, communication systems, and evacuation procedures that could reshape safety standards for youth camps nationwide.

As litigation proceeds, the Steward family continues their painful search for their daughter while advocating for accountability and improved safety measures to prevent similar tragedies in the future.