Camp Mystic in Texas to reopen next summer, one year after floods killed 27

"The owners of Camp Mystic say they plan to partially reopen next summer the all-girls camp where 27 campers and counselors were killed during catastrophic floods that swept through the Texas Hill Country in July. The area of the camp along the Guadalupe River that was destroyed by the floodwaters will not reopen next year, the owners said in a letter to Camp Mystic families, some of whom have criticized the nearly century-old camp over its safety measures and preparedness in wake of the tragedy."

"The head of Camp Mystic had been tracking the weather beforehand, but it's now unclear whether he saw an urgent warning from the National Weather Service that had triggered an emergency alert to phones in the area, a spokesperson for camp's operators said in the immediate aftermath. The camp, established in 1926, did not evacuate and was hit hard when the river rose from 14ft to 29.5ft within 60 minutes."

Camp owners plan a partial reopening next summer while keeping the Guadalupe River area that was destroyed by floodwaters closed. Undamaged parts of the nearly century-old camp will resume hosting campers. Families criticized safety measures and preparedness after the July floods that killed 27 at the camp and at least 136 statewide. New state laws ban cabins in dangerous flood zones and require detailed emergency plans, worker training, and maintained warning systems. The state allocated $240 million for disaster relief, warning sirens, and improved weather forecasting. Evacuation did not occur as the river rose rapidly overnight.

Read at www.theguardian.com