Camp Mystic, the Texas girls camp where 27 died in devastating floods last year, must make a slew of changes in order to reopen this summer, the Texas Department of State Health Services said.
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Several issues — including emergency and parent notification plans — require attention to “meet full compliance” before the Central Texas operation can welcome campers this summer, officials said.
The Texas health department outlined the issues in an emergency plan deficiency letter in response to the camp’s application for a license to reopen. The camp had planned to open its Cypress Lake location, which is nearby but not at the same site where the campers died.
The camp has 45 days to make corrections to its plans and resubmit them to the state health department.
In a statement Friday, Mystic said it was reviewing the state notice and working closely with DSHS to address the areas outlined.
“Our priority remains the safety and well-being of our campers, and we hope to continue the nearly century-long mission and ministry of Camp Mystic to provide a Christian camping experience for girls that allows them to grow physically, mentally and spiritually,” it said.
Among the shortcomings the state agency noted: the lack of a floodplain map that outlines the locations of camper cabins; insufficient plans for a designated emergency preparedness coordinator; and insufficient fire evacuation and natural disaster plans. It also cited an insufficient emergency warning system.
A recurring issue the state department noted was a lack of clearly stated staff responsibilities and protocol in emergencies, as well as a lack of clear coordination with local authorities and parent notification.
The state agency also asked Camp Mystic to include a process to notify parents and guardians if any part of the camp is located within a floodplain.
Twenty-five girls, two counselors and Camp Mystic’s owner were killed in the July 4 floods in Kerr County. More than 130 people in the region died in the catastrophe triggered by slow-moving thunderstorms that caused the Guadalupe River to overflow its banks.
Some family members of campers have decried the planned reopening of the camp. In February, the families of nine victims of the Camp Mystic floods sued the state, alleging that it failed to enforce a requirement that the camp have an evacuation plan.
