KERR COUNTY, Texas – One year after the devastating Hill Country flood that claimed more than 130 lives, Kerr County is preparing to remember the victims while continuing to rebuild and push for changes aimed at preventing another tragedy.
Saturday, July 4, marks one year since the flood that forever changed communities along the Guadalupe River — including Kerrville, Hunt and Ingram.
While commemorations are underway, many families said the pain remains fresh as they continue navigating grief, recovery and unanswered questions.
Here’s where things stand one year later.
Final Camp Mystic report details failures
The first major state investigation into the disaster focused on Camp Mystic, where 27 campers died.
>>TAKEAWAYS: State lawmakers’ final report into deadly Camp Mystic floods
The final report, released June 18, found multiple failures before and during the flooding, which include:
- No state-compliant written emergency plans or assigned evacuation roles
- Inadequate monitoring/response despite storm alerts
- Failure to evacuate to higher ground despite hours of warning
- Confiscating counselors’ phones without backup radios
- Understaffing/insufficiently experienced counselors
- Chaotic post-storm incident management and reunification that traumatized parents with conflicting information
Several of the concerns have been addressed through legislation and other changes, but lawmakers said more needs to be done to improve safety and emergency coordination overall.
Lawmakers already passed two camp safety bills, championed by the parents of the 27 girls who died at Camp Mystic, including:
- Requiring outdoor flood warning sirens in vulnerable communities
- Tougher regulations for camps located near flood-prone areas
- Stricter requirements for emergency planning and evacuation drills
- New restrictions on where cabins can be built within floodplains
Kerr County flood warning review still underway
While the Camp Mystic investigation has been completed, another major review is still pending.
Officials are awaiting the final report examining Kerr County’s emergency response, flood warning system and communication leading up to and during the disaster.
County leaders have spent the past year discussing improvements to flood detection and warning systems as questions remain about whether residents received enough warning before floodwaters rapidly rose.
That report is expected to provide additional recommendations for future disaster preparedness.
New sirens, improved communication
In a meeting on Tuesday, June 30, Kerr County said it plans to spend approximately $30,000 on the installation of flood warning sirens along the Guadalupe River.
During the meeting, it was determined that the flood warning systems, which include sirens, will be controlled by Kerr County commissioners.
The county became the first in Texas to install and test new state-funded flash flood warning sirens and sensors under Senate Bill 3. In Kerr County, six of the first eight planned sirens are in place.
The county expects to install approximately 30 sirens total, Kerr County commissioners said. Maintenance would cost $700 to $1,000 annually for each siren.
Precinct 1 Commissioner Tom Jones said if a flood hit the area at any point, the county has “the ability and information flowing in today to be able to push a button and set those alarm systems off.”
Additionally, the commissioners discussed utilizing a “flashing site” instead of sirens in some smaller, flash-flood-prone areas.
>>Kerr County plans to spend around $30K on installation of flood warning sirens, commissioners say
Multiple groups, individuals and agencies have been working to improve communication in river communities, where terrain and limited service can make it difficult to send or receive emergency information.
One of the tools being expanded is GMRS, or General Mobile Radio Service, a high-powered radio-to-radio communication system often used by outdoor enthusiasts.
>>West Kerr County pushes training on new emergency warning systems
Kerrville business owner Justin McClure, owner of JAM Broadcasting, said he has invested thousands of dollars of his own money to place GMRS repeaters along the Guadalupe River. The repeaters are intended to help people with radios call for help, especially in areas where cellphone service may be unreliable.
“We want people to be able to communicate if they’re down in the river valley or up in the hills around here,” McClure said. “That’s been a real challenge with the flood and the communications beforehand.”
Camp Mystic files for bankruptcy
On June 24, Camp Mystic filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, a move the camp said will allow it to reorganize while remaining in operation.
“It’s generally an opportunity for financial rebirth,” St. Mary’s School of Law Asst. Professor Abigail Bright Willie told KSAT. ”We get to reorganize all of our debts. We get pay our creditors the best that we can and we get to come out the other side, essentially. A new business entity.”
>>What Camp Mystic’s bankruptcy means for the camp’s future, lawsuits against the camp
The filing comes as the camp faces numerous lawsuits stemming from the flood.
Attorneys representing several victims’ families criticized the bankruptcy filing, saying it delays accountability for what happened.
Documents show Camp Mystic’s debts amount to more than $10 million. Willie said the camp will soon have to submit forms breaking down exactly what they owe.
Camp Mystic also decided not to open its second campus this summer to 900 families who had signed up to attend.
Most summer camps have reopened
Despite the tragedy, much of Kerr County’s summer camp industry has returned.
According to the nonprofit Kerr Together, 15 camps in the Hunt and Kerrville area had reopened for the summer as of May.
Summer camps are a major economic driver for Kerr County, bringing visitors, seasonal jobs and millions of dollars into the local economy each year.
Recovery continues for survivors
While progress has been made across the region, many survivors remain at different stages of recovery.
Some families have rebuilt their homes, while others are still working toward permanent housing. Many continue to face emotional challenges one year later.
For those who lived through the flood or lost loved ones, the one-year mark serves as another reminder that healing is ongoing — and that every family’s recovery journey looks different.
Among them are Malorie and Wade Lytal of San Antonio, whose 8-year-old daughter, Kellyanne, died at Camp Mystic.
The couple said their faith, a push for answers and a new foundation created in their daughter’s name have helped them endure their unimaginable new reality.
Sitting in a pew at their church, Malorie Lytal said the couple’s faith in God has been “the only thing that has gotten us through this.”
“We live in a broken world. I know mistakes happen. I know that, you know, it cost our daughter her life,” said Malorie Lytal. “As the Bible says, I truly think that Jesus wept. I don’t think that this was God’s plan for Kellyanne’s life.”