The head of Camp Mystic, Richard Eastland, waited over an hour after receiving a severe flood warning before beginning evacuation, leading to 27 camper deaths and his own death during flash flooding on July 4. The Christian girls’ camp in Texas, located beside the Guadalupe River, was overwhelmed, and staff/campers had no phones to receive warnings. The overall flood death toll in the region stands at 131.
Despite flood warning, Camp Mystic head waited 1 hour to evacuate 700 girls
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AI Summary
TL;DR: Key points with love ❤️The head of Camp Mystic, Richard Eastland, waited over an hour after receiving a severe flood warning before beginning evacuation, leading to 27 camper deaths and his own death during flash flooding on July 4. The Christian girls’ camp in Texas, located beside the Guadalupe River, was overwhelmed, and staff/campers had no phones to receive warnings. The overall flood death toll in the region stands at 131.
Trending- 1 July 4: Camp Mystic overwhelmed by floodwaters, 27 campers and Richard Eastland killed.
- 2 1:14 a.m. (July 4): Richard Eastland received emergency flood warning.
- 3 2:30 a.m. (July 4): Eastland decided to begin evacuations.
- 4 Sunday (prior to July 15): Family spokesperson Jeff Carr decided to share details to silence speculation.
- 5 Monday (prior to July 15): Kerr County commission meeting shared new details about the disaster scale.
- 6 Sunday & Monday (prior to July 15): Searches for the missing were paused over fears of more rain and flash flooding.
- 27 campers killed
- Richard Eastland killed
- Camp Mystic devastated
- 131 total flood deaths in the region
- Searches for missing paused due to more rain fears
- Recovery efforts could take up to six months
What: Richard Eastland, head of Camp Mystic, delayed evacuation of 700 girls despite a severe flood warning, resulting in 27 camper deaths and his own death during flash flooding.
When: The disaster occurred on July 4. The emergency message was received at 1:14 a.m., and the evacuation decision was made at 2:30 a.m. New details were shared on Monday (prior to July 15).
Where: Camp Mystic, Texas, beside the Guadalupe River.
Why: Eastland conferred with family members before deciding to evacuate; the emergency alert did not contain an evacuation order. Campers and staff had their phones confiscated, preventing them from receiving warnings.
How: Eastland delayed the evacuation decision after receiving the alert. Heavy rains began and water levels rose significantly, overwhelming the camp.