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.

Flash floods surged through in the middle of the night, but many local officials appeared unaware of the unfolding catastrophe, initially leaving people near the river on their own.