Camp Mystic parents demand change after deadly Texas floods

(NewsNation) — Grieving parents of the 27 campers who died during the tragic July 4 floods in Texas demanded change in flood safety laws as they testified in front of state lawmakers.

Weeks after flash floods in central Texas killed at least over 130 people, Kerr County officials listened to emotional testimony from families, who want to prevent other families from experiencing the loss they have.

“When we know better, we do better, and so we need to do better for the people in this community, for the people that are suffering,” said Alicia Jeffrey Baker Friday. “And like I said, we need to give people a chance.”

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Baker is the mother of 11-year-old Emmy, who died along with her grandparents in the floods.

Democratic Texas state Rep. Ann Johnson shared her biggest takeaways from hearing families’ testimony with NewsNation.

“Those families have made it very clear that they are living in the most unimaginable nightmare that they don’t want anybody else to suffer. They do not want this moment to go without action,” Johnson said.

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She said this week her fellow lawmakers worked to “pass a commitment and a need to help with getting infrastructure in places for proper warning systems.” She said there is also a need for “better safety instructions, better inspection and better evacuation plans” for youth camps like Camp Mystic.

The Texas House passed six flood-related bills during its special session.

Some of the questions people have had are why warning sirens didn’t go off or why there weren’t weather radios, why counselors didn’t have phones on them to get alerts or why the cabins were located so close to the river.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott announced a $40 million flooding relief.

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