Camp Mystic's executive director began evacuating campers approximately 45 minutes after the National Weather Service issued a "life-threatening flash flooding" alert.

The camp, which was established in 1926, has experienced a long history of flooding from the Guadalupe River, leading to multiple evacuations and damages across the campgrounds, according to CNN. The July 4 flood was the most damaging disaster in the area, followed by a flooding in 1987 in which 10 children at a different camp nearby were killed.

More than an hour passed between Camp Mystic receiving a severe flood warning and a decision to evacuate young campers asleep in cabins by the Guadalupe River.