Texas lawmakers launch new investigation into July flood disaster

By Karina Tsui, CNN

(CNN) — A group of Texas lawmakers have been appointed to investigate the circumstances surrounding the catastrophic July 4 flooding that killed at least 136 people in central Texas.

“In July, Texans were deeply saddened by the deadly flooding on the Guadalupe River, where amongst many others, 27 vibrant young girls were lost from one camp, Camp Mystic,” Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, said in a Monday statement announcing the investigative committee.

The campers and counselors died after torrential rain forced water levels on the river, which snakes through multiple summer camps in the region, to rise from 3 feet to 30 feet in a matter of hours. The cataclysmic flood waters rushed through Camp Mystic before sunrise on July 4. Many of the youngest victims were housed in cabins closest to the river.

One camper, 8-year-old Cile Steward, is still missing.

“The families who lost their precious daughters deserve answers, as do all Texans, on exactly what happened on July 4th. Camp Mystic has not spoken publicly on the record as to what happened that morning,” Patrick said.

Texas House Speaker Dustin Burrows said in the same statement that while progress has been made to bolster Texans’ safety in the face of similar situations, “the magnitude of this tragedy demands a comprehensive and thorough review.”

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott last month signed tougher camp safety laws that require local governments install outdoor sirens and warning systems in flood-prone areas.

Camps must also “install and maintain emergency alert systems, train staff on evacuation routes and procedures … develop emergency plans, require cabins to be located away from flood plains, (and) be able to communicate with campers and staff during emergencies,” the governor said.

Last month, Camp Mystic announced it is reopening next summer –– surprising some family members still mourning loved ones.

The owners said in emails to the camp community they were “working to implement new safety protocols and other changes that comply” with Abbott’s camp safety laws.

“The truth is, Camp Mystic failed our daughters,” Cile’s mother CiCi Steward said in a statement to the New York Times.

“For the camp, it seems like nothing more than a brief pause before business as usual,” she said. “Camp Mystic is pressing ahead with reopening, even if it means inviting girls to swim in the same river that may potentially still hold my daughter’s body.”

In his statement, Patrick said he was “shocked” to discover the camp recently started signing kids up for next year’s session, while so many questions are still unanswered.

Camp Mystic consists of two parts. An older section, called Camp Mystic Guadalupe River, is downhill and by the river. Because of the immense damage it sustained, the older section will not reopen in summer 2026, the camp’s owners wrote in the September email to families.

Camp Mystic Cypress Lake, a more recent development further uphill which “sustained no damage from floodwaters, will be opening in Summer 2026,” owners wrote in their email.

The Texas lawmakers’ investigation will “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,” Burrow said.

Representatives from Camp Mystic and others involved in the floods will be invited to testify, Patrick said, though a timeline on the investigation was not disclosed.

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