US EditionUT Gets Federal Grant to Study Camp, Flood Evacuations
Texas lawmakers unanimously passed bills mandating youth camps to relocate floodplain cabins and install emergency alert systems following a fatal flood incident, aiming to prevent future tragedies.
- On September 3, Texas lawmakers approved Senate Bill 1, known as the Heaven's 27 Youth Camp Safety Act, to improve camp safety after the July 4 flooding tragedy at Camp Mystic.
- The bill emerged after flash flooding at Camp Mystic killed at least 27 campers and counselors, prompting grieving families and survivors to demand stronger safety regulations.
- The legislation mandates that camps relocate cabins outside floodplains, install emergency alert systems, and enhance planning and staff training, with broad support and some opposition over financial impacts on camps.
- The House passed SB1 with a 120-4 vote, and the Senate approved related House Bill 1 unanimously, with parents and camp officials emphasizing the preventability of the tragedy and pledging to honor children's legacies.
- The new laws aim to prevent future losses, signaling a shift toward mandatory safety measures for Texas youth camps and reflecting ongoing advocacy by victims' families still coping with grief.
37 Articles
37 Articles
Ottumwa Courier
Families of flood victims to join Texas governor for camp safety bill signing
The families of some of the children who died at Texas' Camp Mystic during catastrophic flooding two months ago are expected to join Gov. Greg Abbott for a ceremonial bill signing Friday. Several bills that aim to improve the safety…
UT gets federal grant to study camp, flood evacuations
AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Why did some camps evacuate during the July 4 Hill Country flooding while others, like Camp Mystic, didn't? That's a question University of Texas at Austin researchers are trying to answer. Just as Gov. Greg Abbott is expected to sign a slate of bills related to camp safety and warning sirens, the University of Texas at Austin was just awarded a nearly $200,000 federal grant from the U.S. National Science Foundation to investiga…
Dad of Camper Still Missing After Texas Floods Tells Jenna Bush Hager His ‘Heart Stops’ with Every Call
"You hope it’s news that they’ve found your child,” Will Steward saidNEED TO KNOWAs the parents of Camp Mystic campers who died await the passage of new safety legislation, they spoke with Today's Jenna Bush Hager in a heartbreaking interviewIn total, 27 campers and counselors died during the catastrophic July 4 floods in Texas"She was the heartbeat of our family," said one grieving momThe grieving parents of Camp Mystic campers who died during …
Parents mourning daughter lost in Texas floods push state to strengthen camp safety rules
It’s been two months since at least 135 people were killed in flash floods that roared through the Texas Hill Country. In the weeks since, families of the victims have been pushing state lawmakers to pass camp and flood safety legislation. Lacey and Lars Hollis lost their 8-year-old daughter, Virginia, in the floods at Camp Mystic. They joined Amna Nawaz to discuss their support for the bill.
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