The Camp Mystic Flood was a tragedy. It was also preventable.
Many commentators point the finger at Donald Trump, but a number of failings from within Kerr County make this tragedy all the more frustrating
The 4th of July was a tragedy this year, for so many reasons - but the story that dominated headlines this year was happening in a small town of just 24,000 residents called Kerrville, Texas.
Just before daybreak, one of the worst storms to ever hit the state of Texas turned the Guadalupe River into a flood, with the water reporting to have risen 26 feet in 45 minutes - to put that into perspective, 26 feet is only a little bit taller than the height of the average two-story building. That level of flooding, in short of a span of time, devastated houses, vehicles, trees, roads… and campgrounds, with NBC reporting Sunday that the death toll had risen to “at least 70”... including a number of girls as young as 8. Even today, that number continues growing, with the official count now being 82 dead.
Of particular prominence in the coverage of Texan flooding is Camp Mystic, a Christian summer camp located along the Guadalupe River. The area surrounding the Guadalupe River is known by locals as “Flash Flood Alley” due to the makeup of the terrain; as Community Foundation CEO Austin Dickson told the Associated Press, “When it rains, water doesn’t soak into the soil. It rushes down the hill.” At least 27 are dead from this camp alone, as well as 11 young girls reported still missing, with active efforts underway to find them. Gov. Greg Abbott has vowed that “authorities will work around the clock and said new areas were being searched as the water receded,” according to the Associated Press.