Camp Mystic Withdraws 2026 License Renewal Amid Flood Probe

Camp Mystic, the century-old Christian girls camp in Central Texas, withdrew its application Thursday to renew its operating license with the Texas Department of State Health Services for the 2026 summer season. The decision ensures the camp will remain closed amid ongoing investigations into deadly floods that killed 27 people there last year.

The floods struck on July 4, 2025, when torrential rains caused the Guadalupe River to rise rapidly from 14 feet to 29.5 feet in about an hour, sweeping away cabins housing young campers near the riverbank. Twenty-five campers and two counselors died, and one camper, 8-year-old Cile Steward of Austin, remains missing. Camp owner Dick Eastland also perished in the disaster, which claimed at least 136 lives along a several-mile stretch of the river.

The withdrawal followed intense scrutiny during recent Texas legislative hearings, where Eastland family members who operate the camp testified about their actions during the flood. Lawmakers questioned decisions such as the failure to activate the camp's loudspeaker system for warnings and delays in responding to calls for help after staff had removed property from the river area. Camp director...