General Discussion

pinkstarburst

(1,785 posts)

51. That's sounding much more likely as the root cause

Sun Jul 6, 2025, 09:07 AM

Jul 6

of why no one knew to evacuate. Campers had no phones. Counselors likely couldn't access phones due to restrictions. If camp directors were the only ones with phones, were they awake and monitoring the weather as they should have been, given all the flood warnings that had been issued, not just overnight, but starting that previous afternoon?

Yes, part of the problem is that in Texas we get lots of tornado warnings and flood warnings, and it doesn't always apply to you even if it is in your localized area. A tornado close to me might be moving in the other direction (this has happened to me--we still obviously took cover.) My phone was going off all day yesterday with multiple flood warnings for my area, but because my house is not in a flood plain, I was okay.

So the directors may have thought that this warning wasn't worth the trouble of evacuating camp because 999 times before, even if the river flooded some, they were okay. And maybe they missed the water rising in the night when it really began rising so rapidly because it was so dark and the only people down at the lower cabins were counselors and cabins without phones to warn them. But this is obviously irresponsible if you are in charge of children, when you have to by hyper vigilant.

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Highlight:

Texas State officials, the organizers of the summer camp appear to be at fault. [View all] WarGamer Jul 5 OP

These Texas officials are pointing fingers at everyone but themselves. Next they'll be saying the young girls should Silent Type Jul 5 #1

The local yocals look like the Texas cops sitting on their thumbs watching the school shooting WarGamer Jul 5 #2

Like Buford T reference. Right now Gov Abbot is on signing a request for fed help and he has Kristi Noem by his side. Silent Type Jul 5 #3

"The government was created to serve people" says Noem. applegrove Jul 5 #4

Or that the weather report came from a woman, mcar Jul 5 #6

+1. Forgot about that one. Silent Type Jul 5 #8

The campers were already there - these were residential summer camps. Ms. Toad Jul 6 #44

Yes. As popular as that camp is, authorities should have made sure they were notified. Apparently, they weren't. Silent Type Jul 6 #61

Supposedly- lots of kids camps were between sessions womanofthehills Jul 6 #62

The thing I can't figure out, given the known volatility of area is why there were cabins that close to the river. Biophilic Jul 5 #5

Exactly Rebl2 Jul 5 #9

Why does anyone put any structure close to a body of water? Renew Deal Jul 5 #19

Im sure they would have built over the pretty river , if they could. People do. Srkdqltr Jul 6 #54

Because the greedy never learn malaise Jul 5 #31

They should have had an evacuation plan, and followed it RandomNumbers Jul 6 #55

Same thing happened in 1987 and 10 died in a camp bus dwayneb Jul 6 #59

Interesting - the next girl's camp up the river had all their cabins up on high cliffs womanofthehills Jul 6 #60

The director died in the floods Demovictory9 Jul 5 #7

I heard that earlier..a perfect scapegoat, isn't it? Only Camp Mystic was founded in 1926 Deuxcents Jul 5 #10

Trump and his pals always try to blame someone else. Kingofalldems Jul 5 #12

It's one in 100, not one in 1000 - Ms. Toad Jul 6 #46

Ten teens died in 1987 flood of river womanofthehills Jul 6 #64

Nope. Trump is responsible. Kingofalldems Jul 5 #11

This message was self-deleted by its author WarGamer Jul 5 #17

Post removed Post removed Jul 5 #22

This message was self-deleted by its author WarGamer Jul 5 #23

BTW I was just reading... no technology is allowed at the camp. WarGamer Jul 5 #24

so Camp Mystic would not have heard the warnings whenever they were issued RussBLib Jul 5 #35

that's a real problem... WarGamer Jul 5 #38

not sure if anyone had a satellite phone RussBLib Jul 5 #39

The Texas Legislature BigMin28 Jul 6 #52

I'm assuming the administrators would have some means of contact... regnaD kciN Jul 5 #42

That's sounding much more likely as the root cause pinkstarburst Jul 6 #51

That camp has been there for 100 years..literally Melon Jul 5 #13

For those that don't know Texas Rowdyag Jul 5 #14

Kerrville is 100 miles away from Uvalde. TheProle Jul 5 #15

Yeah Kerr County sheriff is a republican. Kingofalldems Jul 5 #21

There is another christian camp close to Uvalde, but not Camp Mystic MagickMuffin Jul 5 #34

and for both the floods and the Uvalde shootings, the local agencies are busy blaming someone else DBoon Jul 6 #56

This message was self-deleted by its author surfered Jul 5 #16

Did they use the emergency broadcast system to send messages to phones? Renew Deal Jul 5 #18

My son lives about 30 miles east of that area and he told me today there were flash flood warnings on tv Deuxcents Jul 5 #20

Camp Mystic likely did not have cell service LeftInTX Jul 6 #43

weather radios don't rely on cell service pstokely Jul 6 #49

All NWS flash flood warnings trigger Wireless Emergency Alerts dalton99a Jul 5 #25

There is no cell service in that area. LeftInTX Jul 6 #45

You would wonder if they had a weather radio pinkstarburst Jul 6 #57

Did they even have a weather radio? pstokely Jul 6 #48

i am sure the local authorities were doing their best Tetrachloride Jul 5 #26

Apparently the camp is "technology-free" WarGamer Jul 5 #27

a friend of mine attended a technology free camp last year Tetrachloride Jul 5 #29

or a weather radio pstokely Jul 6 #50

Hmm...at 4am and 5am in the morning, if someone wasn't up watching the news they would have missed Baitball Blogger Jul 5 #28

No the Accuweather Warning was 1245 the NWS warning 115am WarGamer Jul 5 #30

Well, in Florida, when we were in a flood area for Hurricane David, Baitball Blogger Jul 5 #32

absolutely... but this was truly out in the middle of nowhere. WarGamer Jul 5 #33

Somehow, I don't think that seclusion Baitball Blogger Jul 5 #36

No, it's not in the middle of nowhere. Texasgal Jul 5 #40

And no one was allowed cell phones... WarGamer Jul 5 #41

Golly! I wonder if there was any precedent that could have foretold such flooding. Norrrm Jul 5 #37

Don't they have overnight security? Buckeyeblue Jul 6 #47

At 1 AM claudette Jul 6 #53

With 700 kids in camp? Someone better be awake. travelingthrulife Jul 6 #58

But no one claudette Jul 6 #65

The USGS has more streamflow stations on this river and its tributaries than most places in the US. waterwatcher123 Jul 6 #63

What an interesting thread. Kingofalldems Jul 12 #66