University of Texas Researching Camp Evacuations During Floods

Austin (KXAN) – Why did certain camps decide to evacuate during the Hill Country flood on July 4? That’s a question being explored by a researcher from the University of Texas in Austin.

Governor Greg Abbott is expected to endorse new measures related to camping safety and warning sirens. The university recently received a federal grant of nearly $200,000 from the National Science Foundation to investigate decision-making processes during recent floods, as first reported by KXAN.

“What we’re trying to understand could indeed have implications for flash floods across the U.S.,” said Dr. Keri Stevens in an exclusive interview. “We’re really hopeful that our findings can lead to life-saving changes in the future.”

Stevens, who has been a professor at Moody College of Communication for 20 years, will lead the research project.

“Some camps did evacuate, and there was an RV park where residents were advised to go to higher ground,” she noted. “We’re looking to deeply understand who evacuated and, um, what prompted those decisions during the floods in the hill country.”

Her team aims to interview both emergency management personnel and those who were displaced, among others, to piece together events and suggest improvements for future responses. They intend to analyze aspects like communication effectiveness and decision-making in uncertain situations.

“The river saw varying degrees of flooding; some areas had fast-moving water while others were more gradual,” Stevens explained. “So, did engineers accurately map the infrastructure along the river? Did that influence how people decided to evacuate?”

The research findings are set to be released next July, with a possibility of publication in spring. Stevens believes that this method—focusing on what worked—could assist in developing better strategies moving forward.

State lawmakers have expressed significant concern over local flood responses. Recently, Rep. Drew Darby of R-San Angelo criticized area camps. “Not only were we thoroughly unprepared for this disaster, our response to the flood was similarly lacking,” he stated.

“It’s one thing when private citizens struggle with flood management, but when camps essentially tasked with safeguarding children are unaware of river dangers—that borders on medical malpractice,” he added.

Overall, at least 135 individuals lost their lives in the flooding, including 27 campers and counselors from Camp Mystic in Kerr County.