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

In 1987, sudden and intense rainfall caused the river to surge at an unprecedented rate in mid-July, leading to a tragedy that killed 10 campers at Pot O' Gold Christian Camp, a summer camp near Comfort, Texas. The campers drowned when their bus attempted to evacuate them and was overtaken by floodwater.