Generations of parents sent their daughters to the Christian camp on the Guadalupe. It suffered floods over the years but no one foresaw tragedy.

Stacy Stevens, whose daughter Mary Barrett Stevens was among the 27 killed when tragedy struck the all-girls Christian camp on July 4, said the youngster’s beloved brown monkey was swept away in the deadly floodwaters.

Camp Mystic, the summer haven torn apart by a deadly flood, has been a getaway for girls to make lifelong friends and find “ways to grow spiritually.”

Two days before deadly Central Texas floods killed at least 27 people at Camp Mystic, a state inspector certified that it had an emergency plan in place and that its cabins and other buildings were safe.

Many Catholics in the region have been stepping up to help, converging on Notre Dame Parish in Kerrville, located in the hardest-hit community along the Guadalupe River.

The serene banks of the Guadalupe River, usually a place of joy and laughter for young campers, turned into a scene of heartbreak on July 4, 2025. A sudden and catastrophic flood swept through central Texas,

With more than 170 still missing, communities must reconcile how to pick up the pieces around a waterway that remains both a wellspring and a looming menace.

Camp Mystic is grieving the loss of 27 campers and counselors following the catastrophic flooding on the Guadalupe River. Our hearts are broken alongside our families that are enduring this unimaginable tragedy.