Camp Mystic plans to reopen in Texas next summer, a year after 27 were killed in floods

Camp Mystic, the all-girls camp where 27 campers and counselors were killed during catastrophic floods that swept through the Texas Hill Country in July, will partially reopen next summer, its owners have said.

Camp Mystic, the all-girls camp where 27 campers and counselors were killed during catastrophic floods that swept through the Texas Hill Country in July, will partially reopen next summer, its owners have said.

The area of the camp along the Guadalupe River that was destroyed by the floodwaters will not reopen next year, the owners said in a letter to Camp Mystic families, but another part of the camp that wasn’t damaged will resume welcoming campers.

The letter was sent Monday to victims' families, some of whom have criticized the nearly century-old camp over its safety measures and preparedness in wake of the tragedy.

The news comes weeks after many of them stood behind Republican Gov. Greg Abbott as he signed tougher camp safety laws that prohibit cabins in dangerous parts of flood zones and require camp operators to develop detailed emergency plans, to train workers and to install and maintain emergency warning systems.

A Sheriff's deputy pauses while combing through the banks of the Guadalupe River near Camp Mystic in Hunt, Texas, on July 5.Julio Cortez / AP file“As we work to finalize plans, we will do so in a way that is mindful of those we have lost,” the letter said.