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Gone quiet · last update Sep 28, 2026 / Texas

The July 2025 Texas Hill Country floods and the deaths at Camp Mystic

Overview · reviewed October 28, 2026

On July 4, 2025, flash floods tore through the Texas Hill Country, killing more than 100 people along the Guadalupe River, among them 25 girls and two teenage counselors at Camp Mystic, a century-old Christian girls' camp.[1][2][3] The disaster brought scrutiny of the warnings, the camp's location in a flood zone and its emergency plans.[4][5][6] Families have sued the camp, which withdrew its bid to reopen, filed for bankruptcy and, by September 2026, faced a criminal investigation that could lead to manslaughter or negligent homicide charges.[2][7][8][9]

Read the timeline

Follow this story to see new developments when you return.

The disaster brought scrutiny of the warnings, the camp's location in a flood zone and its emergency plans.[4][5][6] Families have sued the camp, which withdrew its bid to reopen, filed for bankruptcy and, by September 2026, faced a criminal investigation that could lead to manslaughter or negligent homicide charges.[2][7][8][9]

Coverage over time

Share of tracked outlets · weekly (UTC)

Week of 2025-06-30 (UTC): 37%, 81 of 217 tracked outlets (23 left, 38 center, 20 right)Week of 2025-07-07 (UTC): 49%, 94 of 191 tracked outlets (29 left, 42 center, 23 right)Week of 2025-07-14 (UTC): 23%, 43 of 184 tracked outlets (10 left, 28 center, 5 right)Week of 2025-07-21 (UTC): 2%, 4 of 190 tracked outlets (2 left, 2 center, 0 right)Week of 2025-07-28 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-08-04 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-08-11 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-08-18 (UTC): 4%, 8 of 191 tracked outlets (1 left, 7 center, 0 right)Week of 2025-08-25 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-09-01 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-09-08 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-09-15 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-09-22 (UTC): 11%, 21 of 189 tracked outlets (6 left, 11 center, 4 right)Week of 2025-09-29 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-10-06 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-10-13 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-10-20 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-10-27 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-11-03 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-11-10 (UTC): 15%, 28 of 188 tracked outlets (6 left, 18 center, 4 right)Week of 2025-11-17 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-11-24 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-12-01 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-12-08 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-12-15 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-12-22 (UTC): 10%, 14 of 139 tracked outlets (4 left, 8 center, 2 right)Week of 2025-12-29 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-01-05 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-01-12 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-01-19 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-01-26 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-02-02 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-02-09 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-02-16 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-02-23 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-03-02 (UTC): 2%, 3 of 175 tracked outlets (1 left, 1 center, 1 right)Week of 2026-03-09 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-03-16 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-03-23 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-03-30 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-04-06 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-04-13 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-04-20 (UTC): 2%, 3 of 157 tracked outlets (0 left, 2 center, 1 right)Week of 2026-04-27 (UTC): 9%, 14 of 160 tracked outlets (5 left, 6 center, 3 right)Week of 2026-05-04 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-05-11 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-05-18 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-05-25 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-06-01 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-06-08 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-06-15 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-06-22 (UTC): 4%, 18 of 415 tracked outlets (4 left, 10 center, 4 right)Week of 2026-06-29 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-07-06 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-07-13 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-07-20 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-07-27 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-08-03 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-08-10 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-08-17 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-08-24 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-08-31 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-09-07 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-09-14 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-09-21 (UTC): 5%, 24 of 479 tracked outlets (4 left, 15 center, 5 right)Week of 2026-09-28 (UTC): 3%, 15 of 476 tracked outlets (3 left, 11 center, 1 right)Week of 2026-10-05 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-10-12 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-10-19 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-10-26 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-11-02 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-11-09 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outlets, so far

LeftCenterRightLighter bar: this week so far

Each bar is the share of the outlets on our Left / Center / Right rating scale that we tracked publishing that week which carried reporting on this story, split by the outlets' ratings. We track more outlets now than in the archive, so a share keeps earlier and later weeks comparable. An outlet counts once a week however much it published, and outlets in one ownership or syndication group count as one on each side they appear on. A rating describes the outlet, not the report. A gap means no such reports were collected that week, not that nothing was reported anywhere. Weeks run Monday to Sunday in UTC, so a report published on a Sunday evening in US Eastern time counts in the next week. 8 more outlets off the scale (not rated, or outside the left-right graphs) also reported; they are not in this chart. See them.

Weekly counts, outlets and reports (14 weeks with coverage)
Outlets on the rating scale that carried this story each week, of the outlets tracked that week, newest first
Week of (UTC)LeftCenterRightOf trackedShareReceipts
Sep 28, 2026311115 of 4763%
Sep 21, 2026415524 of 4795%
Jun 22, 2026410418 of 4154%
Apr 27, 202656314 of 1609%
Apr 20, 20260213 of 1572%
Mar 2, 20261113 of 1752%
Dec 22, 202548214 of 13910%
Nov 10, 2025618428 of 18815%
Sep 22, 2025611421 of 18911%
Aug 18, 20251708 of 1914%
Jul 21, 20252204 of 1902%
Jul 14, 20251028543 of 18423%
Jul 7, 202529422394 of 19149%
Jun 30, 202523382081 of 21737%

Latest coverage

The newest reporting in this story's record.

  1. Sep 28, 2026 · first reported · Headline from KYMA Yuma

    Camp Mystic proposes selling property as part of bankruptcy plan

Background

Heavy rain sent fast-moving water over riverbanks in Central Texas on July 4, and search teams used boats for rescues.[10] A massive search began for at least 20 girls missing from Camp Mystic as the death toll climbed past 24,[11] and on July 8 officials said more than 100 people had been killed.[1] The dead included the camp's 68-year-old director.[12] A Coast Guard rescue swimmer on his first mission joined the rescues,[13] and President Donald Trump signed a major disaster declaration for Kerr County and later visited the area.[14][15] Texas officials later revised the number of people missing in Kerr County.[16]

Read the full background (2 more paragraphs)

Questions came quickly. Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said some alert warnings had gone out around the time of the flooding,[4] and sirens sounded downstream in Comfort as a last-ditch warning.[17] Democrats blamed Trump's staffing cuts at the National Weather Service, setting off partisan finger-pointing.[18][19] CNN reported that a state inspector had visited the camp two days before the flood[20] and that federal regulators had repeatedly granted appeals removing camp buildings from the 100-year flood map.[5] A camp spokesman raised concerns about communication failures during the disaster.[21]

Families of some of the 27 who died sued Camp Mystic and its owners in November 2025.[2] The camp planned to reopen part of its grounds, which the parents of the one girl still missing opposed,[22][23] and a judge declined to shut it down in March 2026.[24] In April state health officials required the camp to revise its emergency plans before it could get a license,[6] and it withdrew its application to reopen that summer.[7] Camp Mystic filed for bankruptcy in June,[8] and in September investigators widened a criminal inquiry into decisions made before the flood,[9][25] as the camp proposed selling its property.[26]

Supporting stories (26)
  1. Death toll from catastrophic flooding in Texas over July Fourth weekend surpasses 100
  2. Families accuse Camp Mystic of ignoring risks in Texas lawsuit over flood deaths
  3. Parents are divided on whether their girls should return to flood-scarred Camp Mystic in Texas
  4. Timeline of National Weather alerts in deadly Texas flash flooding
  5. FEMA removed dozens of Camp Mystic buildings from 100-year flood map before expansion: records
  6. Camp Mystic among 174 Texas camps told to revise emergency plans to reopen
  7. Camp Mystic says it won't reopen Texas camp this summer after 27 died in flooding last year
  8. Camp Mystic in Texas files for bankruptcy after catastrophic floods killed 28 people
  9. Texas investigators seek evidence of manslaughter, other crimes in 27 flood deaths at Camp Mystic
  10. At least 13 dead, more than 20 children missing in Texas floods
  11. Texas flooding: At least 104 people dead, 10 girls still missing
  12. An Alabama elementary student and a camp director among those killed in devastating Texas floods
  13. Coast Guard hero saves 165 in Texas floods
  14. Texas flooding: Pres. Trump signs major disaster declaration for Kerr Co.
  15. Trump to tour Texas flood damage as the scope of the disaster tests his pledge to shutter FEMA
  16. Number of missing from floods in Texas county drops from nearly 100 to 3
  17. Sirens that make a specific sound for flooding saved everyone in the Texas community of Comfort
  18. Deadly Texas floods spark debate over weather service staffing cuts
  19. CNN And Dem Congressman Embarrass Themselves Trying To Blame Trump For Texas Floods
  20. Camp Mystic disaster plan approved 2 days before Central Texas flood killed dozens
  21. Camp Mystic leader may not have seen urgent alert before Texas flood, family spokesman says
  22. Camp Mystic plans to reopen in Texas next summer, leaders say
  23. Parents of missing Camp Mystic flood victim call plan to reopen next year 'unthinkable'
  24. Texas judge declines to close Camp Mystic despite family's request after last year's floods
  25. Families want answers as Camp Mystic investigation enters a new phase in Texas
  26. Camp Mystic seeks to sell the property in bankruptcy as legal problems grow

The full record

Each date is when an update was first reported.

All 39 recorded updates

September 2026

  1. Camp Mystic seeks to sell the property in bankruptcy as legal problems growHeadline from KAAL Rochester · 15 outlets
  2. Families want answers as Camp Mystic investigation enters a new phase in TexasHeadline from MLive · 5 outlets
  3. Texas investigators seek evidence of manslaughter, other crimes in 27 flood deaths at Camp MysticHeadline from Myarklamiss · 20 outlets

June 2026

  1. Camp Mystic in Texas files for bankruptcy after catastrophic floods killed 28 peopleHeadline from The Boston Globe · 19 outlets

April 2026

  1. Camp Mystic says it won't reopen Texas camp this summer after 27 died in flooding last yearHeadline from ABC 7 San Francisco · 14 outlets
  2. Camp Mystic among 174 Texas camps told to revise emergency plans to reopenHeadline from Fox7 Austin · 3 outlets

March 2026

  1. Texas judge declines to close Camp Mystic despite family's request after last year's floodsHeadline from ABC 7 Chicago · 3 outlets

December 2025

  1. Parents are divided on whether their girls should return to flood-scarred Camp Mystic in TexasHeadline from WDIO Duluth · 14 outlets

November 2025

  1. Families accuse Camp Mystic of ignoring risks in Texas lawsuit over flood deathsHeadline from Bangor Daily News · 30 outlets

September 2025

  1. Parents of missing Camp Mystic flood victim call plan to reopen next year 'unthinkable'Headline from Bangor Daily News · 6 outlets
  2. Camp Mystic plans to reopen in Texas next summer, leaders sayHeadline from Bangor Daily News · 19 outlets

August 2025

  1. Parents of girls killed in Texas camp flooding say ‘commonsense’ measures were absent as lawmakers consider safety billHeadline from ABC 17 Mid-Missouri · 8 outlets

July 2025

  1. How a Hurricane Katrina victim is helping the smallest survivors of the Texas floodsHeadline from ABC 17 Mid-Missouri · 7 outlets
  2. Camp Mystic leader may not have seen urgent alert before Texas flood, family spokesman saysHeadline from WDIO Duluth · 7 outlets
  3. Number of missing from floods in Texas county drops from nearly 100 to 3Headline from The Boston Globe · 35 outlets
  4. Commissioners in Kerr County hold first meeting since catastrophic Texas floodingHeadline from ABC 13 Houston · 5 outlets
  5. FEMA removed dozens of Camp Mystic buildings from 100-year flood map before expansion: recordsHeadline from New York Post · 17 outlets
  6. Country singer Pat Green shares his family suffered ‘heartbreaking loss’ after devastating Texas floodsHeadline from Local News 8 · 9 outlets
  7. Search for flood victims paused as rains raise riskHeadline from Arkansas Democrat-Gazette · 21 outlets
  8. Sirens that make a specific sound for flooding saved everyone in the Texas community of ComfortHeadline from NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth · 8 outlets
  9. CNN And Dem Congressman Embarrass Themselves Trying To Blame Trump For Texas FloodsHeadline from The Daily Caller · 6 outlets
  10. Cruz office says he returned from Greece ‘as fast as humanly possible’ when floods hit TexasHeadline from The Hill · 5 outlets
  11. Coast Guard hero saves 165 in Texas floodsHeadline from WMUR · 18 outlets
  12. Central Texas Flash Flooding: New Warnings Issued Sunday As ‘Life-Threatening’ Heavy Rain HitsHeadline from Forbes · 25 outlets
  13. Texas flooding: Pres. Trump signs major disaster declaration for Kerr Co.Headline from Fox7 Austin · 7 outlets

Coverage & sources

Read the reports, see how much was collected over time, or compare outlets by political leaning.

Coverage & sources →