Legislative committees launch to investigate July 2025 flood disaster failures

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(The Center Square) – New joint state legislative General Investigative Committees have been launched to investigate widespread local preparedness and response failures at the local level related to the July 2025 Hill Country flood disaster.

Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and House Speaker Dustin Burrows appointed members to state Senate and House General Investigating Committees as part of an ongoing legislative response to the disaster that took nearly 200 people’s lives, including dozens of children.  

Earlier this year, the Texas Senate and House held joint hearings after the devastating flash flood event swept away mostly campers and vacationers, pets, homes and camper vans in Hunt, Ingram and surrounding areas in the Hill Country. At one hearing in Kerrville, they learned that the three men in charge of Kerr County safety were “unavailable,” The Center Square reported. They also uncovered multiple problems with the river authority tasked with monitory flood warnings and implementing a flood warning system, The Center Square reported. 

In response, lawmakers proposed and passed legislation to improve emergency response and oversight of flood warning systems, technology and preparedness, and camp safety requirements, among other measures, The Center Square reported. Gov. Greg Abbott signed the flood relief and camp safety reform bills into law. 

State lawmakers also passed two resolutions, SR 2 and HR 177, to examine “the facts and circumstances surrounding the flooding events which occurred on or about July 4, 2025.”  

They are investigating all “factors contributing to the floods; allocation of resources to and effectiveness of flood disaster preparedness and response; and operations of and coordination between local, state, and federal governmental entities with regard to flood prevention, disaster preparedness, and response,” the House resolution states.

“The tragedy at Camp Mystic and the flooding disasters this summer have left a devastating impact on Texas families, communities, and our entire state,” Burrows said in a statement. “As Texans work to rebuild and recover, it is the responsibility of the legislature to understand what went wrong and ensure our state is better prepared for future emergencies. While progress was made during the second special session to bolster Texans’ safety, the magnitude of this tragedy demands a comprehensive and thorough review.” The investigative committees will work together “to examine the contributing factors to the devastation at Camp Mystic and identify ways to strengthen the state’s preparedness and response to flooding and other natural disasters.”

The committees will meet jointly. Patrick appointed five senators: Sens. Pete Flores as Chair and Charles Perry as Vice Chair; and Sens. Bryan Hughes, Lois Kolkhorst and José Menéndez. Burrows appointed five representatives: Reps. Morgan Meyer as Chair and Joe Moody as Vice-Chair; and Reps. Drew Darby, Paul Dyson and Erin Gamez.

Patrick said their goal is “to get to the bottom of exactly what occurred. This committee’s task is to examine the facts and circumstances surrounding the July flooding, including actions taken at youth summer camps. The families who lost their precious daughters deserve answers, as do all Texans, on exactly what happened on July 4th.”

Referring to the girl’s Christian camp in Hunt, Texas, where 27 girls died, including two counselors, he said, “Camp Mystic has not spoken publicly on the record as to what happened that morning. They will be invited to testify, as will others involved in this flooding event.” 

The camp has come under criticism for lack of preparedness and response. The remains of all 27 girls have been found except for Cile Steward, 8. Just two months after flood waters hit Camp Mystic, its leaders announced they were reopening next year. Cici and Will Steward, Cile’s parents, said that decision was “unthinkable” and made without consulting the parents of the 27 girls who died.  

“Our families remain trapped in the deepest throes of grief, yet your communications treat our never-ending nightmare as little more than a brief pause before resuming business as usual. Worse still, you are preparing to invite children to swim in the very river that may still hold our daughter's body when you plan to ‘open your gates.’ Had you paused to reflect or simply consulted with any one of our families you might have spared grieving families the additional anguish your decisions now cause,” they wrote camp leaders. 

They also called on them to “halt all discussion of reopening and memorials” and “fully confront and account for your role in the events and failures that caused the deaths of our daughters. Anything less dishonors the children who were killed while in your care – at a time when their safety was your primary responsibility.”

Camp Mystic said it was partially reopening because of its “commitment 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.”

Patrick said he was “shocked to see Camp Mystic begin signing up campers for next year with so many questions unanswered about what happened that fateful morning.”

County leaders responsible for emergency management on July 4 have yet to resign.