The Texas House and Senate will convene new bipartisan committees to investigate the July 4 floods that devastated the Hill Country, state leaders announced Monday.
House Speaker Dustin Burrows and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick will select the members of the committees, which will meet jointly.
The flooding that overwhelmed Kerr County was one of the deadliest in U.S. history, claiming over 130 lives. Among them were 27 young campers and counselors from Camp Mystic, a long-standing Christian overnight camp.
Texas lawmakers passed a number of reforms to prevent future tragedies during a special legislative session late this summer, including bills aimed at improving early warning systems, banning the state from licensing youth camps with cabins in floodplains and streamlining volunteer response.
“While progress was made during the second special session to bolster Texans’ safety, the magnitude of this tragedy demands a comprehensive and thorough review,” Burrows said in a statement.
“The House investigating committee will work alongside our Senate partners to examine the contributing factors to the devastation at Camp Mystic and identify ways to strengthen the state’s preparedness and response to flooding and other natural disasters.”
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Patrick said in a statement that he was “shocked” to see Camp Mystic signing up new campers while so many questions remained unanswered.
“The families who lost their precious daughters deserve answers, as do all Texans, on exactly what happened on July 4th,” Patrick said. “Camp Mystic has not spoken publicly on the record as to what happened that morning. They will be invited to testify, as will others involved in this flooding event.”
Matthew Childress of Houston, whose daughter, Chloe, 18, a counselor at Camp Mystic, died in the flood, said in a statement, “We are grateful that Texas lawmakers are taking this tragedy seriously and launching a formal investigation into what happened at Camp Mystic.
“The truth about what happened on July 4th and thereafter must come fully to light. The eyes of Texas are on this process,” Childress said. “What happens next must continue to honor the lives lost and ensure lasting change.”
Clarke and Katie Baker of Beaumont, whose daughter, Mary Grace Baker, 8, died at Camp Mystic, also applauded legislative leaders for establishing the investigative committees.
“Strengthening laws to better protect children is a blessing that will save lives – but meaningful reform begins with truth,” they said in a statement. “Fully understanding what occurred is essential to crafting future policies that address the failures that led to this tragedy. We are confident that the committee will thoroughly examine all entities whose actions or inactions contributed to it.
“We only ask that this process not interfere with the ongoing search for Cile – and we continue to pray that she is brought home,” the Bakers said.
Cile Steward, 8, of Austin, is the only one of the Camp Mystics victims whose remains have to be recovered.
In a statement, Camp Mystic said it looks forward to working with the committees “and helping them and the public more fully understand the facts of what happened.”
The House committee will be chaired by state Rep. Morgan Meyer, R-University Park, and vice-chaired by state Rep. Joe Moody, D-El Paso. The other members include: state Reps. Drew Darby, R-San Angelo; Paul Dyson, R-Bryan; and Erin Gámez, D-Brownsville.
The Senate members have not yet been announced. It’s not clear when the panel will hold its first meeting.
Peggy O’Hare contributed to this report.
This article originally published at Texas Legislature launches new investigating committees for July 4 floods.
