Latest news with #HannaLawrence
Miami Herald
11-07-2025
- General
- Miami Herald
Texas floods teach us how to come together, to really love our neighbors
It's been a week since the devastating flash floods tore through Kerr County in Texas. For many who were directly affected by the flood, these post-flood days have been like waking up from a horrible nightmare. They are trying to make sense of the disaster while grappling with the horrific loss of loved ones. It is still hard to believe the seemingly serene Guadalupe River would rise so swiftly and violently and sweep away people in the cabins and RVs situated along its banks. The furious river waters — which rose to 26 feet in 45 minutes in the predawn hours of July Fourth — decimated Camp Mystic, an all-girls' Christian camp that generations of young girls have gone to over its 99 years. Rebecca and Hanna Lawrence, 8-year-old twin granddaughters of David Lawrence Jr., the former publisher of the Herald and an advocate and friend to all our children, are among the dead. Another granddaughter, Harper Lawrence, 14, was found alive. As of Friday morning, more than 120 people have been confirmed dead, including 27 children and counselors at Camp Mystic. Another 160 people are missing, authorities say. The wife and daughter of the dean of FIU's College of Business, William 'Bill' G. Hardin III, are among the missing. Bill, his wife Alyson and their daughter Josephine, an Atlanta attorney, were staying in their Texas Hill Country home in Hunt, Texas, when the floods hit. He survived; the bodies of his wife and daughter have not been found, according to a letter to parishioners from the bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Southeast Florida. 'This is an unfathomable loss for the Hardin family, for All Saints, and for our diocese,' wrote the Right Rev. Peter Eaton in his July 6 letter. READ MORE: Wife and daughter of a key FIU dean are among the missing in Texas floods In the aftermath of such tragedy, I am amazed at how fast we Americans can forget our politics and differences and become one nation under God. Instead of fighting among ourselves, people are fighting for a righteous and just cause — that of saving lives, giving comfort and simply loving our neighbors. At a time like this, we are not ashamed to come together and pray. We lock arms in our grief and sing praises through our tears. With outstretched arms, we offer comfort to the families of those who are still missing, for the families who are hanging on to the last thread of hope that their loved ones will be found safe. We pray for those families whose loved ones won't be coming home again. Yet, watching the news, hearing firsthand accounts of those who are still wading the dark waters of the Guadalupe River and digging through debris and mud as they look for their loved ones, the tears still fall fresh. We cry for our fellow human beings who are hurting. And we pray for those who have already received the word that their loved ones did not make it. At times like these, we can truly say life is hard. Yet, in such times, we don't wait to learn if the person we are crying for, or with, is a Republican or a Democrat. We don't ask if the person is Black, white or Mexican. We don't ask if they are a racist or a believing Christian. We don't care. What we care about is what we see: Human beings who are suffering. Times like these also make us more thankful. We reach out to others more. We hug and tell our family members that we love them. When our nation suffers a catastrophic disaster like the Texas floods, it humbles us, making us more aware of our own mortality, our own vulnerability. Unfortunately, the feeling doesn't usually last for too long before we are back to the business of hating and bickering and strife. Even so, I personally, have found a 'Noah' moment in the aftermath of the Texas floods. Just as the people didn't heed Noah's preaching in the days before the Biblical flood, it appears that some Texas officials didn't think it feasible to put in place life-saving procedures like building a grid-based alert system and outdoor sirens that could have improved flash flood warnings significantly. Just like it was in the days of Noah, the warnings were brushed aside. Some thought them to be too expensive or not really needed. That is, until the early morning of July Fourth. Hindsight is always 20/20. This was evident as I watched the latest flood news, where weary Texas officials have seemingly grown short-tempered when questioned about an alarm system that could have saved lives but was not put in place. As usual, we see some 'passing the buck' and playing the 'blame game' going on during the interviews. But the gruesome truth remains — more than 120 are people are dead, including children. And while nothing can be done to bring them back, we can learn from this horrible lesson. Meanwhile, there are families to comfort, memorial services to be held and more tears to shed. Through it all, let's find some real comfort in reaching out to someone today. Let's lay aside our differences and, along with our prayers, give out some hugs. Somebody out there is really in need of a good hug today, ya'll. I believe that we shouldn't wait for something bad to happen to someone else before it dawns on us that the tragedy happening to them could also happen to us.
Yahoo
10-07-2025
- General
- Yahoo
These Texas twins shared made-up games and story time. They died together at Camp Mystic
Hanna and Rebecca Lawrence were happy children who shared the kind of bond twins do, but the 8-year-old girls from Dallas were also different from each other. Hanna was the one with endless energy who wanted to be a chef and open a restaurant to feed the needy for free. Rebecca had an infectious laugh, but also 'a killer eye-roll,' her parents said. One day, she wanted to become a teacher. Neither will ever get a chance to fulfill those dreams. The twins, who had just finished second grade, died along with 25 other campers and counselors at Camp Mystic in horrific flooding in the Texas Hill Country that killed dozens more on July 4. The girls left behind a devastated big sister along with their parents. 'Hanna and Rebecca brought so much joy to us, to their big sister Harper, and to so many others,' John and Lacy Lawrence said in a statement. 'We will find ways to keep that joy, and to continue to spread it for them.' They added: 'But we are devastated that the bond we shared with them, and that they shared with each other, is now frozen in time. ' More than 100 people died in the flooding across central Texas, including the 27 from Camp Mystic. Flood waters roared over the hard-packed earth after an early morning storm caused the Guadalupe River to rise 26 feet (8 meters) in just 45 minutes. Most of the deaths reported are in Kerr County, where Camp Mystic and other youth camps dotted the landscape. A massive search for those still missing has been ongoing, but four days have passed since anyone was found alive in Kerr County, officials said Tuesday. 'It has been an unimaginable time for all of us,' said David Lawrence, Hanna and Rebecca's grandfather and the former publisher of the Miami Herald. The girls gave their family, including their sister, joy, he said in a statement. 'They and that joy can never be forgotten." The girls found delight in different ways. Hanna could always be found building, drawing and creating, while Rebecca was always up for a family movie night and loved all animals, real and plush. No one could make Rebecca laugh as much or as hard as Hanna did. 'They were so different, but had the sweetest friendship,' their parents said in an email Tuesday. The twins shared a love of books, staying up all night to read to each other or spending hours playing make-believe games 'with each playing multiple starring roles.' They also shared a desire to be just like Harper, their big sister. University Park Elementary School, where Hanna and Rebecca attended, said on its website that 'numerous' students were in the Texas Hill Country during the flooding and had to evacuate. A message seeking comment was left with the school Tuesday afternoon. ___ DeMillo reported from Little Rock, Arkansas.
1News
09-07-2025
- General
- 1News
Inspectors approved Texas camp's disaster plan two days before flood
Texas inspectors signed off on Camp Mystic's emergency planning just two days before catastrophic flooding killed more than two dozen people at the all-girls Christian summer camp, most of them children. The Department of State Health Services released records Wednesday showing the camp complied with a host of state regulations regarding "procedures to be implemented in case of a disaster". Among them: instructing campers what to do if they need to evacuate and assigning specific duties to each staff member and counsellor. Five years of inspection reports released to The Associated Press do not offer any details of those plans at Mystic, raising new questions about the camp's preparedness ahead of the torrential July 4 rainfall in flood-prone Texas Hill Country. The National Weather Service had issued a flood watch for the area July 3 at 1.18pm (local time). That danger prompted at least one of the roughly 18 camps along the Guadalupe River to move dozens of campers to higher ground. This undated photo provided by John Lawrence on Monday, July 7, 2025, shows twin sisters, Hanna Lawrence, left, and Rebecca Lawrence, right, who were two the victims killed by the flooding at Camp Mystic in central Texas on Friday, July 4. (Source: Associated Press) ADVERTISEMENT The uncertainty about what happened at Mystic comes as local officials have repeatedly dodged questions about who was monitoring the weather and what measures were taken ahead of the flooding. Tragedy falls on the historic camp Camp Mystic, established in 1926, did not evacuate and was especially hit hard when the river rose from 4.2m to 9m within 60 minutes in the early morning hours. Flooding on that stretch of the Guadalupe starts at about 3m. A wall of water overwhelmed people in cabins, tents and trailers along the river's edge. Some survivors were found clinging to trees. At least 27 campers and counsellors died during the floods, and officials said Tuesday that five campers and one counsellor have still not been found. Among the dead was Richard "Dick" Eastland, the camp's beloved director described by campers as a father figure. Charlotte Lauten, 19, spent nine summers at Camp Mystic, mostly recently in 2023. She said she didn't recall ever receiving instructions as a camper on what do in the case of a weather emergency. Debris covers the area of Camp Mystic in Hunt, Texas, Monday, July 7, 2025, after a flash flood swept through the area. (Source: Associated Press) ADVERTISEMENT 'I do know that the counsellors go through orientation training for a week before camp starts," she said. "They do brief them on all those types of things." One thing that likely hindered the girls' ability to escape was how dark it would have been, Lauten said. Campers don't have access to their phones while at camp, she said, adding they wouldn't have cell service anyway because of the remote location. "This is the middle of nowhere and they didn't have power," she said. "It would have been pitch black, like could not see five feet in front of you type of darkness. I've never seen stars like there because there's just no light." Inspections found no issues The state inspected Camp Mystic on July 2, the same day the Texas Division of Emergency Management activated emergency response resources ahead of the anticipated flooding. The inspection found no deficiencies or violations at the camp in a long list of health and safety criteria. The camp had 557 campers and more than 100 staffers at the time between its Guadalupe and Cypress Lake locations. Eric Herr, a volunteer with Search and Support San Antonio, does search and rescue work on the banks of the Guadalupe River in Ingram, Texas. (Source: Associated Press) ADVERTISEMENT The disaster plans are required to be posted in all camp buildings but aren't filed with the state, said Lara Anton, a spokesperson for the Texas Department of State Health Services. "We do not have them," Anton said in an email. "You'd have to get it from the camp". Camp Mystic did not respond to requests for comment on its emergency plan. In a statement on its website, the camp said it has been "in communication with local and state authorities who are tirelessly deploying extensive resources to search for our missing girls". Camps are responsible for developing their own emergency plan. Inspectors evaluate the plans to ensure they meet several state requirements, including procedures for evacuation. "The inspector checked that they had plans posted for those elements in every building," Anton said, "and that they had trained staff and volunteers on what to do." Search and recovery workers dig through debris looking for any survivors or remains of people swept up in the flash flooding near Camp Mystic on July 6, 202. (Source: Getty) Camp Mystic is licensed by the state and a member of the Camping Association for Mutual Progress, which says its goal is to 'raise health and safety standards' for summer camps. Leaders of that association didn't return messages. ADVERTISEMENT The American Camp Association said Tuesday that Camp Mystic is not accredited with that organisation, whose standards focus on safety and risk management. Spokesperson Lauren McMillin declined to say whether the camp previously had been accredited with the association, which describes itself as 'the only nationwide accrediting organisation for all year-round and summer camps". Authorities review rain and river gauges One rain gauge about 1.6km from Camp Mystic recorded 24cm of precipitation July 4, according to Guadalupe-Blanco River Authority data. Another of the agency's gauges — further south and to the west — recorded 31cm of precipitation. The authority told the AP that a review of its equipment found both were functioning during the flood event. People react as they inspect an area outside sleeping quarters at Camp Mystic along the banks of the Guadalupe River after a flash flood swept through the area Sunday, July 6, 2025, in Hunt, Texas. (Source: Associated Press) However, at least four United States Geological Survey gauges along the Guadalupe River experienced some level of failure July 4. The gauges, located near Hunt and Kerrville, stopped collecting both river levels and the flow rate of water in the early morning hours of July 4. One gauge, about 8km northeast of Camp Mystic, recorded a level of 9m at 4.35am, according to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration data. It was the last recorded river level from the instrumentation until a USGS hydrologist installed a temporary gauge. At the time, the hydrologist measured the high water mark at 11.44m. ADVERTISEMENT At that location, a river level of 9.75m could lead to "disastrous life-threatening flooding," which could cover the roads of the lowest camps and resorts, according to NOAA.
Washington Post
08-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Washington Post
These Texas twins shared made-up games and story time. They died together at Camp Mystic
Hanna and Rebecca Lawrence were happy children who shared the kind of bond twins do, but the 8-year-old girls from Dallas were also different from each other. Hanna was the one with endless energy who wanted to be a chef and open a restaurant to feed the needy for free. Rebecca had an infectious laugh, but also 'a killer eye-roll,' her parents said. One day, she wanted to become a teacher.
The Independent
08-07-2025
- General
- The Independent
These Texas twins shared made-up games and story time. They died together at Camp Mystic
Hanna and Rebecca Lawrence were happy children who shared the kind of bond twins do, but the 8-year-old girls from Dallas were also different from each other. Hanna was the one with endless energy who wanted to be a chef and open a restaurant to feed the needy for free. Rebecca had an infectious laugh, but also 'a killer eye-roll,' her parents said. One day, she wanted to become a teacher. Neither will ever get a chance to fulfill those dreams. The twins, who had just finished second grade, died along with 25 other campers and counselors at Camp Mystic in horrific flooding in the Texas Hill Country that killed dozens more on July 4. The girls left behind a devastated big sister along with their parents. 'Hanna and Rebecca brought so much joy to us, to their big sister Harper, and to so many others,' John and Lacy Lawrence said in a statement. 'We will find ways to keep that joy, and to continue to spread it for them.' They added: 'But we are devastated that the bond we shared with them, and that they shared with each other, is now frozen in time. ' More than 100 people died in the flooding across central Texas, including the 27 from Camp Mystic. Flood waters roared over the hard-packed earth after an early morning storm caused the Guadalupe River to rise 26 feet (8 meters) in just 45 minutes. Most of the deaths reported are in Kerr County, where Camp Mystic and other youth camps dotted the landscape. A massive search for those still missing has been ongoing, but four days have passed since anyone was found alive in Kerr County, officials said Tuesday. 'It has been an unimaginable time for all of us,' said David Lawrence, Hanna and Rebecca's grandfather and the former publisher of the Miami Herald. The girls gave their family, including their sister, joy, he said in a statement. 'They and that joy can never be forgotten." The girls found delight in different ways. Hanna could always be found building, drawing and creating, while Rebecca was always up for a family movie night and loved all animals, real and plush. No one could make Rebecca laugh as much or as hard as Hanna did. 'They were so different, but had the sweetest friendship,' their parents said in an email Tuesday. The twins shared a love of books, staying up all night to read to each other or spending hours playing make-believe games 'with each playing multiple starring roles.' They also shared a desire to be just like Harper, their big sister. University Park Elementary School, where Hanna and Rebecca attended, said on its website that 'numerous' students were in the Texas Hill Country during the flooding and had to evacuate. A message seeking comment was left with the school Tuesday afternoon. ___ DeMillo reported from Little Rock, Arkansas.
