Texas, Camp Mystic and floods
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Two days before flash floods on the Guadalupe River in Texas killed dozens of campers at a Christian girls summer camp, a state inspector approved operations, noting there was a written plan for responding to natural disasters.
Rescue operations are ongoing in Central Texas after flash flooding along the Guadalupe River left 23 girls from Camp Mystic unaccounted for. Officials say dozens have died as catastrophic floods continue to ravage the Hill Country.
An analysis of flood maps shows that several buildings, including those where children were sleeping, were in known hazard zones. A $5 million expansion in 2019 did nothing to alleviate the problem.
Follow for live updates in the Texas flooding as more than 173 are missing as rescuers continue a desperate search
Camp Mystic, the summer haven torn apart by a deadly flood, has been a getaway for girls to make lifelong friends and find “ways to grow spiritually.”
The data also highlights critical risks in other areas along the Guadalupe River in Kerr County, revealing more than twice as many Americans live in flood prone areas than FEMA's maps show.
Texas records show Camp Mystic had an emergency plan before floods killed at least 27 campers and counselors, but details of its storm response are still unclear.
With more than 170 still missing, communities must reconcile how to pick up the pieces around a waterway that remains both a wellspring and a looming menace.
While no one at Camp Mystic died from the 1987 flood -- unlike the dozens that died in the tragedy over the weekend -- 10 teenagers were killed when a bus and van washed away near Comfort, Texas.
Since Friday, Joynton has been reflecting on her time at Camp Mystic, connecting with other former staff and alumni, and grieving for the losses there. Joynton, who moved to Philly in 2017, suspected there were only a handful of alumni in the Philadelphia area.