HOUSTON — Camp Mystic, the Texas summer camp where catastrophic flooding killed 27 campers and counselors in July 2025, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection nearly a year after the disaster and weeks after abandoning plans to reopen for the 2026 season, court records show.
The filing was made Wednesday in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas. Camp officials listed liabilities exceeding $10 million, according to court documents cited by multiple news organizations. The bankruptcy action comes as the camp faces lawsuits from victims’ families and continued scrutiny over its emergency preparedness before the flood.
Camp Mystic, a Christian girls’ camp in Texas Hill Country along the Guadalupe River, had planned to reopen this summer for its 100th anniversary. However, the camp withdrew its application for an operating license in April after criticism from victims’ relatives, lawmakers and state regulators while investigations and litigation remained ongoing.
In a statement issued when the reopening plans were canceled, the camp said, “No administrative process or summer season should move forward while families continue to grieve, while investigations continue and while so many Texans still carry the pain of last July’s tragedy.”
The July 4, 2025, flood swept through the camp during severe weather in central Texas. According to state investigations and public reports, 25 campers and two counselors died at the camp. Camp owner and executive director Richard “Dick” Eastland also died during the disaster, according to authorities. The broader flooding across the region claimed more than 130 lives, officials said.
A legislative report released this month found that Camp Mystic lacked a written flood evacuation plan and had not adequately trained staff for such an emergency, according to investigators. The report said warnings of severe weather were available before the flooding but that camp leaders did not carry out a full evacuation. Camp representatives have previously pointed to the unprecedented nature of the flood and deficiencies in regional warning systems.
Attorneys representing families of victims have filed multiple lawsuits alleging negligence by the camp and its operators. Camp representatives have disputed several allegations in court filings and public statements.
As of Thursday, attorneys representing Camp Mystic had not publicly detailed how the bankruptcy proceedings could affect the pending civil cases. Court proceedings, investigations and related litigation remain ongoing.
