“Shelter in place was a death sentance camoflaged as safety.”
August 7th, 2026
News report with commentary by Michael Robinson | Uvalde Hesperian
One year and a few weeks after the Guadalupe River suddenly rose over 25 feet above its normal levels, houses and buildings built along the banks of the south fork of the Guadalupe River near Hunt, still show signs of destruction. many with broken and boarded up windows after powerful currents gutted many structures including resort guests.
After watching Left to Die | The 2025 Camp Mystic Flood Disaster on YouTube, I drove up to see the camp myself.
I was surprised to learn Camp Mystic is closer to the Uvalde area than I thought: a mere 30 minutes drive from the Lost Maples State Natural Area.
A year later a civil lawsuit against Camp Mystic is still ongoing, but is now paused as the owners of the Camp filed for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy on June 24th, 2026 according to the Associated Press according to an WNG article.
The article states, “The camp’s debt was listed at more than $10 million. Camp Mystic and its owners face several wrongful death lawsuits from families seeking over $1 million in damages over the July 4, 2025, flooding disaster. Two counselors and 25 young campers died in the floods, along with camp owner Dick Eastland.”
Having parked along a two lane highway facing the Guadalupe River and the brick cabins and a larger hall built near the river on a low lying area it looked like a postcard. Nearby, a small memorial was found on the side of the highway with wide eyed stuffed animals, candles and other remembrances left at the base of a large wooden cross.
Some have stated the devastating flood was an “Act of God”and could not have been predicted.
I wanted to go see the area myself. I chose not to go in the immediate aftermath of the July 4th flood because I didn’t feel like as a news reporter I could offer any unique story perspective that already wasn’t being covered by the larger news outlets. Also I felt like my presence would get in the way of emergency response and recovery efforts.
I waited a year.
Beauty and the Beast
The view of the Guadalupe River and the land where Camp Mystic is located looks like a picture from a postcard. However, the beauty and the danger are connected.
Yet, as I drove along Highway 39, I could see signs that the Guadalupe River was in fact a proverbial sleeping lion that would on occasion awake from its slumber. Here is what I noticed:
The Limestone Bluffs: South Fork of the Guadeloupe River was bordered by towering stone bluffs that were covered by the river over tens of thousands of years. Even after the 2025 flood, the awesome force of the water ripped out huge chunks of limestone likely weighing thousands of pounds. Those bluffs presented an ancient message: This river becomes violent and floods.
The Low Ground: At Camp Mystic, several brick cabins were built on low ground. One building named Giggle Box, was the sleeping quarters of some of the youngest girls camping at Camp Mystic. It was the cabin that had the most loss of life. It was obvious that many of the cabins were built in a low lying area.
The Highway: Highway 39 follows the Guadeloupe. It crosses the river numerous times. During a large flooding event like 2025, most of that highway would be flooded and impassable.
Contributing to the geological dangers there are indications that the owners of Camp Mystic, Richard “Dick” Eastland and the Eastland Family did not have a viable emergency plan to evacuate the campers or the counselors situated in the structures located on the low ground nearest to the river.
The Evacuation Plan Failure
According to San Antonio Express News Reporter Peggy O’Hare, she tweeted, “Richard “Dick” Eastland exerted tight control over Camp Mystic’s operations, according to a report prepared for Texas lawmakers. So when a deadly flood struck one year ago, camp staff waited for his instructions. But most were never told what to do,”
In a Tweet by Federal Courts Reporter Elizabeth Zavala, she wrote, CYMI — Report: Camp Mystic did not call any of the 39 adults on its grounds to help evacuate.
It was also reported in the documentary,Left to Die: The 2025 Camp Mystic Flood Disaster, Camp Mystic had a “Shelter in Place” order for a flood event. Information in the documentary also states the camp counselors were not allowed to have their own cell phones.
Cici Williams Steward, the mother of 8-year old victim Cecilia “Cile” Steward was 8 said, “Shelter in place was a death sentance camoflaged as safety. Dick Eastland enfoeced a culture of obedience so powerful that there staff including the directors of the camp and his children were afraid to assist helpless children if it meant defying Dick’s orders.”
