Camp Mystic files for bankruptcy almost a year after catastrophic Texas floods

+ Accessibility links Skip to main content Keyboard shortcuts for audio player Open Navigation Menu --> Newsletters NPR Shop Get NPR+ Close Navigation Menu Home News Expand/collapse submenu for News National World Politics Business Health Science Climate Race Culture Expand/collapse submenu for Culture Books Movies Television Pop Culture Food Art & Design Performing Arts Life Kit Gaming Music Expand/collapse submenu for Music Tiny Desk New Music Friday All Songs Considered Music Features Live Sessions Podcasts & Shows Expand/collapse submenu for Podcasts & Shows Daily Morning Edition Weekend Edition Saturday Weekend Edition Sunday All Things Considered Up First Here & Now NPR Politics Podcast Featured Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me! Fresh Air Wild Card with Rachel Martin It's Been a Minute Embedded Get NPR+ More Podcasts & Shows Search Newsletters NPR Shop Get NPR+ Tiny Desk New Music Friday All Songs Considered Music Features Live Sessions About NPR Diversity Support Careers Press Ethics Camp Mystic files for bankruptcy almost a year after catastrophic Texas floods Camp Mystic, the all-girls Christian Texas summer camp, where 28 people died during the catastrophic floods last year filed for bankruptcy reorganization on Wednesday. National Camp Mystic files for bankruptcy almost a year after catastrophic Texas floods June 24, 20265:06 PM ET Heard on All Things Considered From By Lucio Vasquez CAMP MYSTIC Listen &middot; 2:41 2:41 Transcript Toggle more options Download Embed Embed "> <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/nx-s1-5869363/nx-s1-9823512" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player"> Transcript Camp Mystic, the all-girls Christian Texas summer camp, where 28 people died during the catastrophic floods last year filed for bankruptcy reorganization on Wednesday. Sponsor Message JUANA SUMMERS, HOST: Nearly a year after catastrophic flooding killed 27 children at Camp Mystic in the Texas Hill Country, the all-girls summer camp is now fighting for its future in bankruptcy court. The Texas Newsroom's Lucio Vasquez explains what that could mean for ongoing lawsuits against the camp.

+ LUCIO VASQUEZ, BYLINE: Camp Mystic currently faces multiple lawsuits stemming from the July 4, 2025 flood. Twenty-five campers and two councilors were killed. More than 130 people died throughout the region when a wall of water rushed down the Guadalupe River. But the camp's filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection may complicate the situation. SAM TAYLOR: Nothing related to the litigation can proceed until there's a further order of the bankruptcy court. VASQUEZ: That's attorney Sam Taylor, who represents families suing the camp, alleging they failed to protect campers and counselors during the flood. Now, Taylor says, this lawsuit plus four others against Camp Mystic are effectively paused. TAYLOR: It's difficult to tell at this time how long it will last. I mean, it could be weeks or months. VASQUEZ: None of the families suing the camp replied to NPR's requests for comment. Camp Mystic, which has been around for about 100 years, also hasn't commented after the filing. Under federal law, Chapter 11 bankruptcy generally triggers what's known as an automatic stay, which can temporarily pause lawsuits. Angela Littwin, a bankruptcy law professor at the University of Texas, says a judge can later decide whether some cases should move forward. ANGELA LITTWIN: The most common outcome of these, of a bankruptcy like this, again, is that the lawsuits would not pick up, that they would be settled in the bankruptcy, and then a trust would be imposed, and the families would need to bring their claims against the trust afterwards. VASQUEZ: Chapter 11 typically allows businesses to continue operating while they reorganize their finances. Court records show Camp Mystic is also prepared to pursue a liquidation plan if necessary. But Littwin questions whether Camp Mystic is in a position to realistically continue operating. LITTWIN: It's going to be hard for them to establish summer camps again with the state restrictions, difficulty getting insurance and, possibly, difficulty persuading families to send their kids there again. VASQUEZ: The camp canceled its 2026 season after facing public backlash over plans to reopen. This also came after Texas lawmakers approved new safety requirements for youth camps in response to the disaster. Despite the setback, attorneys for the families who were suing say they're continuing to push for accountability. For NPR News, I'm Lucio Vasquez. (SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC) Copyright &copy; 2026 NPR. All rights reserved. Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for further information. Accuracy and availability of NPR transcripts may vary. Transcript text may be revised to correct errors or match updates to audio. Audio on npr.org may be edited after its original broadcast or publication. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record. Facebook Flipboard Email Read & Listen Home News Culture Music Podcasts & Shows Connect Newsletters Facebook Instagram Press Public Editor Corrections Transcripts Contact & Help About NPR Overview Diversity NPR Network Accessibility Ethics Finances Get Involved Support Public Radio Sponsor NPR NPR Careers NPR Shop NPR Extra Terms of Use Privacy Your Privacy Choices Text Only Sponsor Message Sponsor Message Become an NPR sponsor (function () { var loadPageJs = function () { (window.webpackJsonp=window.webpackJsonp||[]).push([[22],{309:function(e,n,o){o.p=NPR.serverVars.webpackPublicPath,Promise.all([o.e(1),o.e(2),o.e(3),o.e(4),o.e(81)]).then((e=>{o(15),o(770),o(154),o(175),o(93),o(448),o(253),o(128),o(130),o(755),o(174),o(756),o(254),o(77),o(774)}).bind(null,o)).catch(o.oe)},783:function(e,n,o){e.exports=o(309)}},[[783,0]]]); }; if (document.readyState === 'complete') { loadPageJs(); } else { window.addEventListener('load', function load() { window.removeEventListener('load', load, false); loadPageJs(); }); } })();