What to know about Camp Mystic, as death toll from girls' camp reaches 27
"Our hearts are broken alongside our families that are enduring this unimaginable tragedy," read a statement on the Camp Mystic website. "We are praying for them constantly."
It's unclear how many of the 27 fatal victims were children. At least 88 people have died in the flooding, according to latest tallies on Monday, July 7.
When the flash flood struck early on Friday, about 700 children were in residence at Camp Mystic, according to Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick. The camp lies on the banks of the Guadalupe River. Heavy rains hit central-west Texas early Friday, leading to flash flooding in the area around the camp as the river surged nearly 30 feet in less than an hour, according to data from the U.S. Geological Survey.
Here's what we know about the summer camp for girls, as crews continue to pick through the wreckage more than three days after the disaster struck.
Live updates: 27 girls, counselors at Camp Mystic killed in Texas floods
Where is Camp Mystic in Texas?
Camp Mystic for Girls is in Texas, about 6 miles south of Hunt, Texas, in Kerr County. That's within Texas Hill Country, an 11-million-acre region of central-west Texas spanning several counties and cities, named for its grassy and rolling hills, and known as an especially flood-prone area. The original camp sits alongside the Guadalupe River, and a second camp nearby opened in 2020 is near Cypress Lake. Both are bisected by Cypress Creek.
Texas flood disaster: As death toll hits at least 80, here's ways to help
What is Camp Mystic? A centuries-old camp for girls.
The nondenominational Christian camp for girls was founded in 1926 by Edward "Doc" Stewart, who was a coach at the University of Texas, according to the camp's website. Except for a short period during during World War II when it served as a "rehabilitation and recovery camp" for veterans, it has been in operation ever since.
The camp, described on its website as "nestled among cypress, live oak and pecan trees," operates three sessions each summer, offering classic summer camp activities including archery, canoeing, arts and crafts, swimming and horseback riding. The girls can also participate in cooking, dance, basketball, lacrosse, soccer and yoga, and religious activities such as Bible studies, Saturday evening Catholic Mass and Sunday morning devotionals along the river.
"Campers and counselors join together to sing songs, listen to scripture, discover ways to grow spiritually, and learn to apply these lessons to their daily life at camp and back home," according to the site.
The camp has a storied history in the state, and has hosted girls from some of Texas' most famous political families.
The daughters of three former Texas governors summered at the camp, according to Texas Monthly, and three generations of girls in former President Lyndon B. Johnson's family also attended, the Texas Tribune has reported. A current Republican Congressman announced Saturday two of his daughters were among those evacuated over the weekend, and former First Lady Laura Bush was once a camp counselor there.
Jenna Bush Hager speaks about Mystic: 'Texas camps are institutions'
One of the former first lady's daughters, Jenna Bush Hager, spoke about her connection to Camp Mystic on NBC's "Today" show on July 7.
"My mom was a counselor there, but also so many of my friends were raised at this camp," she said. "Texas camps are institutions, as you just heard, where were many family members − generations − this camp was 100 years old, so grandmothers, mothers, kids have all gone there."
Hager said her mother was a drama counselor at the camp, and that many of her friends had their kids at Camp Mystic as recently as last week.
"The stories that I heard over the last couple days were beautiful and heartbreaking," she said. "Texas has a type of resilience where they're generous people, where people want to reach out and help."
Camp Mystic director died during Texas floods
Camp Mystic director Richard "Dick" Eastland is among those who died during the flooding.
He and his wife, Tweety, had been running the camps for decades and lived on the property. A former camper and family friend to Eastland, Paige Sumner, wrote about the director in a column in the Kerrville Daily Times published July 5. She said he died while trying to rescue campers.
"It doesn't surprise me at all that his last act of kindness and sacrifice was working to save the lives of campers," Sumner wrote. "He had already saved so many lives with the gift of Camp Mystic."
Contributing: Christopher Cann and Mike Snider, USA TODAY.
Kathryn Palmer is a national trending news reporter for USA TODAY. You can reach her at kapalmer@usatoday.com and on X @KathrynPlmr.
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