Leaders in the Texas House and Senate have formed a new joint committee to investigate the deadly July 4 flooding in the Hill Country, which claimed more than 130 lives and devastated communities along the Guadalupe River.
The 10-member panel, made up of five Texas state representatives and five state senators, will “identify ways to strengthen the state’s preparedness and response to flooding and other natural disasters,” according to House Speaker Rep. Dustin Burrows of Lubbock.
The committee has not yet set a date for its first meeting.
“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 committee was formed under Senate Resolution 2 and House Resolution 177, passed during the Legislature’s second special session earlier this year.
Those measures were part of a broader flood package the Texas Legislature passed this summer that set aside nearly $300 million for flood preparedness — including $200 million to match federal disaster aid, $50 million for local flood-warning equipment and $28 million for weather forecasting upgrades.
Lawmakers also approved new youth camp oversight, adding a safety team, stricter camper-to-counselor ratios and state inspections.
The legislation came in response to one of the deadliest weather disasters in state history. Torrential rains sent Hill Country rivers surging more than two dozen feet, wiping out homes, roads and campsites. At Camp Mystic on the Guadalupe River, 27 children were killed; nearly 40 children died across the region.
On Monday, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said the new committee will focus closely on what happened at Camp Mystic. This comes nearly a month after the camp announced plans to reopen next year.
“I was shocked to see Camp Mystic begin signing up campers for next year with so many questions unanswered,” Patrick said in a statement. “This committee’s task is to examine the facts and circumstances surrounding the July flooding, including actions taken at youth summer camps. The families who lost their precious daughters deserve answers.”
