Camp Mystic Survivor, 13, Details "Hysterical" Scene of Texas Flood
Stella Thompson is reflecting on a terrifying experience.
After 27 campers and counselors at Camp Mystic in Texas died due to the flash floods that hit the state on July 4, the 13-year-old survivor provided insight into the emotions that she and her fellow campers felt while waiting for rescue teams to arrive.
'It's the uncertainty that really shook up our cabin,' Thompson told NBC News Dallas Fort-Worth July 7 before recalling her cabin's reaction to finding out people staying along the Guadalupe River were in more immediate danger and already being evacuated. 'Eventually, when we got that news, we were all kind of hysterical, and the whole cabin was praying a lot and terrified—but not for ourselves."
And while the teen recalled worrying about others' safety, she also admitted that it was hard to grasp the scope of the disaster while it was happening since she was instructed to stay inside her Cypress Lake location until help arrived.
"While it was going on, I sort of felt a numbness,' Thompson said. 'Saying it out loud is making me realize what actually happened and how bad it actually is.'
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It wasn't until Thompson—who had arrived for her sixth year of summer camp just days before the floods—and the rest of the people in her cabin were evacuated to safety by military trucks later that evening that she was able to see the devastation the floods had caused.
"You'd see kayaks, like, in trees," Thompson explained. "It was kind of horrific because we had no idea. Some people saw a couple trunks just in the debris. And there were first responders in the water pulling out girls' sheets."
Noting that "huge trees" had also been "ripped out of the ground" by the roots, she added, "It didn't look like Camp Mystic anymore."
The Texas flood has become one of the deadliest to hit the United States over the past 100 years with, as of July 7, a death toll of 104 individuals, per NBC News. The rains caused a surge of 20-26 feet on the Guadalupe River, causing widespread damage to property and local infrastructure, according to the outlet.
Following the tragedy, Camp Mystic, which was hosting 750 campers at the time of the flood, shared a statement about the catastrophic event.
'Camp Mystic is grieving the loss of 27 campers and counselors following the catastrophic flooding on the Guadalupe River,' the camp wrote on its website July 7. 'Our hearts are broken alongside our families that are enduring this unimaginable tragedy. We are praying for them constantly.'
For more people who've spoken out about the Texas floods, keep reading.
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