The Guadalupe River's Unseen Threat

For many years, Dick Eastland knew the Guadalupe River could be dangerous. He saw it flood Camp Mystic many times. Once, his pregnant wife had to be flown to a hospital because of the floodwaters. Eastland worked hard to make things safer. He helped create a new flood warning system after 10 kids died at another camp in 1987. He even joined the local river authority to improve flood warnings. But the warning system Eastland pushed for stopped working. It became old and broken. The river authority turned it off in 1999. Newer ideas for better flood warnings didn't get enough support or money. Some people didn't want to spend the money. Others just didn't care enough. At Camp Mystic, some cabins were in the most dangerous flood areas. Even when new cabins were built in safer spots, the old ones stayed. Experts say Camp Mystic should have moved the risky cabins or at least made sure campers slept in safer places. Eastland died trying to save campers during the recent floods. Many people remember him as a hero. He loved the river but knew it could be deadly. "The river is beautiful, " he once said, "But you have to respect it. " The floods at Camp Mystic show how important it is to be ready. The river authority is now trying to create a new system to monitor floods. But it's too late for Eastland and the others who lost their lives.