Camp Mystic leader may not have seen urgent alert before Texas flood, family spokesman says
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The leader of Camp Mystic had been monitoring the weather prior to the deadly Texas floods, but it remains uncertain whether he received an urgent warning from the National Weather Service that set off an emergency alert on phones in the area, according to a spokesman for the camp’s operators on Wednesday.

Richard “Dick” Eastland, who owns Camp Mystic, started taking measures after the area along the Guadalupe River received more than 2 inches of rain, as stated by Jeff Carr, a spokesman for the family and the camp. Carr mentioned that Eastland was using a “home weather station” and was keeping an eye on the rainfall on July 4.

However, despite initial reports suggesting that Eastland had received the weather alerts regarding a flash flood, Carr revealed to The Associated Press that the exact timeline of this critical incident isn’t as clear-cut as the family and staff initially believed. Currently, no one from the family or camp staff, according to Carr, can confirm whether Eastland received the alert at 1:14 a.m.

“It was assumed that just because he had a cellphone on and shortly after that alert, he was calling his family on the walkie-talkies saying, ‘Hey, we got two inches in the last hour. We need to get the canoes up. We got things to do,’ ” Carr said.

The new account by the family comes as Camp Mystic staff has come under scrutiny of their actions, what preventive measures were taken and the camp’s emergency plan leading up to a during the catastrophic flood that has killed at least 132 people.

The flash-flood warning that the National Weather Service issued at 1:14 a.m. on July 4 for Kerr County triggered an emergency alerts to broadcast outlets, weather radios and mobile phones. It warned of “a dangerous and life-threatening situation.” The weather service extended the warning at 3:35 a.m. and escalated it to flash-flood emergency at 4:03 a.m.

Eastland died while trying to rescue girls and was found in his Tahoe that was swept away by the floodwaters, Carr said.

Even without a storm, the cellphone coverage at Camp Mystic is spotty at best, so campers and staff turn on their Wi-Fi, Carr said. He called ridiculous criticism that Eastland waited too long before beginning to evacuate the campers, which he said appears to have begun sometime between 2 a.m. and 2:30 a.m.

“Communication was a huge deficiency,” Carr said. “This community was hamstrung, nobody could communicate. The first responder, the first rescue personnel that showed up was a game warden.”

According to Carr, Eastland and others started evacuating girls from cabins nearest the overflowing river and moved them to the camp’s two-story recreation hall. Of the 10 cabins closest to the river, the recreation hall is the furthest at 865 feet (264 meters) with the closest cabin about 315 feet (96 meters), according to an Associated Press analysis of aerial imagery.

To reach Senior Hill, which was on higher ground , they would have had to cross an overflowing creek, Carr said. At times the young campers were climbing hills in bare feet, he said.

Some of the camp’s buildings — which flooded — were in what the Federal Emergency Management Agency considered a 100-year flood plain. But in response to an appeal, FEMA in 2013 amended the county’s flood map to remove 15 of the camp’s buildings from the hazard area. Carr said there were “legitimate” reasons for filing appeals and suggested that the maps may not always be accurate.

Just before daybreak on the Fourth of July, destructive, fast-moving waters rose 26 feet (8 meters) on the Guadalupe River, washing away homes and vehicles. Crews in helicopters, boats and drones have been searching for victims.

Officials say 97 people in the Kerrville area may still be missing.

___

Associated Press writer Christopher Keller contributed to this report from Albuquerque, New Mexico.

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