How Camp Mystic became a tradition for Texas girls

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COMFORT, TEXAS - JULY 6: A search and rescue volunteer holds a T-shirt and backpack with the words Camp Mystic on them in Comfort, Texas on July 6, 2025. The volunteer found the belongings yesterday along the Guadalupe River near Ingram, Texas. 'I hope I find the person to return their belongings, not to find closure,' he said. (Photo by Danielle Villasana for The Washington Post via Getty Images)

The spirit of Camp Mystic: How the summer camp became a Texas tradition for generations of girls

“(Camp Mystic) has shaped everything about me,” said former camper and counselor Hayden Rome Koone. “It's taught me how to love others.”

In Memoriam: Remembering the Camp Mystic girls missing or confirmed dead in the flood

Stay in the Loop

Doppler weather radar images from the National Weather Service show remnants of a tropical disturbance moving into East Texas around 9:20 a.m. Friday.

Photo by: National Weather Service

Remnants of Gulf tropical disturbance soaking parts of Texas east of I-45 on Friday

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Houston Firefighters walk through the debris at Bar 5015 in Houston on Friday, June 12, 2020.

Photo by: Elizabeth Conley, Staff Photographer

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Texas state Rep. Jessica Gonzales speaks during a news conference in Austin, Texas, on early Monday, May 31, 2021, after House Democrats pulled off a dramatic, last-ditch walkout and blocked one of the most restrictive voting bills in the U.S. from passing before a midnight deadline. (AP Photo/Acacia Coronado)

Photo by: Acacia Coronado/Associated Press

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A team of firefighters from Ciudad Acuña, Mexico, conducts a search and rescue operation in the Guadalupe River near Camp Mystic on Thursday, July 10, 2025, in Hunt, Texas. Nearly a week after a devastating flash flood hit the Texas Hill Country, first responders from across the state and Mexico continue to work together to find missing persons.

Photo by: Sam Owens, San Antonio Express-News

Opinion: Mexican firefighters showed up for neighbors in need. Why can't we?

When Mexican firefighters crossed borders to help Texans after the floods, they reminded us that humanity doesn’t stop at a line on a map.

Stay informed during the special legislative session

Lawmakers will meet next week to address a number of Gov. Abbott’s priority issues, including the state's response to the July 4 floods, redistricting and regulation for THC products.

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Cile Steward, the final girl missing after floodwaters overtook Camp Mystic on the Fourth of July, is grieved by her family.

Photo by: Courtesy Of Gofundme.com

A 'plucky force of nature': Grieving family honors Camp Mystic girl Cile Steward

The 8-year-old was the final missing Camp Mystic girl after floods overtook the shores of the Guadalupe River in parts of Kerr County.

Carolyn Simmons, a 46-year employee, sorts Peanut Butter Bars at the Atkinson Candy Company in Lufkin Friday, July 11, 2025. The candy Peanut Butter Bars is being rebranded as Zebra Bars.

Photo by: Melissa Phillip, Houston Chronicle

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NBC News correspondent Morgan Chesky in Kerrville right after the July 4 flood

Photo by: NBC News

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