Texas Hill Country flood recovery continues one year after 139 deaths

Kerr County recorded 119 deaths from the July 4, 2025 floods, including 37 children, with two people still missing. m. At Camp Mystic, 25 girls, two counselors and the co-director were swept away when the Guadalupe River rose more than 25 feet in under an hour.

Families have filed wrongful death suits against the camp owners and described the owners' Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing as a gut punch that places those cases in limbo.

Recovery and infrastructure upgrades Kerr County installed and began testing river sirens along the Guadalupe in May 2026. The University of Texas at Arlington received a $4 million grant to build a real-time flood warning system in partnership with Rice University's Severe Storm Prediction, Education and Evacuation from Disasters Center.

The system will include computer modeling and a comprehensive floodplain map library. Officials said the tools are intended to give earlier notice to residents and camp operators.

license request withdrawn In April 2026 the camp applied to reopen part of its property but withdrew the request after the Texas Department of State Health Services found the application incomplete in 22 categories. State investigators later concluded that the loss of life could have been avoided.

On June 18, 2026, lawmakers released a report detailing the timeline of the camp's response that night. The camp owners filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy days later, listing more than $10 million in debts. One camper's body has not been recovered, and investigations by the Texas Rangers and the health department continue.

New youth camp safety rules Lawmakers passed three measures during two special legislative sessions. Camps must now maintain written emergency plans, conduct annual staff training, notify parents if any part of the site lies in a floodplain, and keep operable radios that receive National Weather Service alerts.