The owners of Camp Mystic asked the Federal Emergency Management Agency 12 years ago to redraw federal flood maps showing that some of the camp’s buildings were in danger of being inundated.
That request, made with the intention of saving the Texas camp money on flood insurance, contributed to the deaths of 25 children, two counselors and one of the camp’s owners in a devastating flood this summer that captured the nation’s attention, according to two lawsuits filed this week.
The families of some campers and counselors alleged in the suits that it was one of several efforts by Camp Mystic’s owners to save money at the expense of safety.
“These young girls died because a for-profit camp put profit over safety,” one of the lawsuits says. “The Camp chose to house young girls in cabins sitting in flood-prone areas, despite the risk, to avoid the cost of relocating the cabins.”
