The families of seven campers and two counsellors who tragically lost their lives in the catastrophic flooding at a Texas summer camp in July have filed lawsuits against the camp and its owners, accusing them of gross negligence.
Three lawsuits, submitted on Monday, claim that the deaths of 27 individuals—comprising both campers and staff—during the flash flood at Camp Mystic on July 4 were entirely preventable. The plaintiffs assert that camp operators ignored decades of flood warnings and knowingly housed children in dangerous conditions, while misleading parents about the safety of the site.
The legal complaints, which are being heard in a state district court in Austin, seek millions in damages and name several entities associated with Camp Mystic, as well as members of the Eastland family, who have owned and managed the 725-acre property since 1939.
One of the lawsuits describes the deaths as “the most horrific, brutal, and terrifying” imaginable, particularly the deaths of 8- and 9-year-old girls who were swept away when floodwaters inundated their cabins. According to the filing, the area along the Guadalupe River, known as “Flood Alley,” has a long history of severe flooding, with records dating back to the 1930s. In 2011, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) designated parts of the camp property as a Special Flood Hazard Area.
Despite this, the families argue that camp management concealed the flood history from parents, constructed or maintained cabins in flood-prone areas, and failed to establish or implement a viable evacuation plan.
The lawsuits outline a timeline of ignored warnings leading up to the early hours of July 4, when several camp cabins were overtaken by water. Multiple weather agencies issued flash-flood watches throughout the day, and an emergency warning was issued at 1:14 a.m. on July 4. However, the complaints claim the camp operators did not evacuate the youngest campers. Instead, one lawsuit alleges that staff were instructed to secure lawn equipment and canoes while telling the girls to “stay in their cabins”—a directive the plaintiffs describe as a “death sentence.”
By 3:45 a.m., when floodwaters reached cabin ceilings, escape was no longer possible. Counselors reportedly had no radios or phones, making communication and evacuation efforts even more difficult.
The plaintiffs also contend that the Eastland family had previously petitioned FEMA to remove cabins from flood maps in an effort to reduce insurance premiums and continue marketing the camp as “safe.” The lawsuits seek damages for wrongful death and survival claims, and vow to hold the camp’s operators accountable for their actions.
The lawsuits come in the wake of recent changes to Texas state law, which were signed in September, aimed at improving safety regulations for summer camps. That same month, officials at Camp Mystic announced plans to reopen part of the camp for summer 2026. As of Tuesday, the camp had not issued a formal statement regarding the lawsuits, although its legal team had previously suggested that the claims would not be successful.