Parents of girls killed in Texas camp flooding plead for lawmakers to take action: 'My daughter was stolen from us'

In July, flash floods killed more than 130 people in Central Texas, 27 of whom were attendees or counselors at Camp Mystic.

Less than two months later, the grieving parents of young campers implored officials to take action to prevent another tragedy, AccuWeather reported.

What's happening?

Flash floods are the deadliest form of flooding because of their abrupt nature, and the events that claimed the lives of the campers encapsulate why.

In the early hours of July 4, the Guadalupe River rose a terrifying 20 feet in the course of a single hour.

What followed was chaotic by all accounts, a nightmare exacerbated by the fact that campers didn't have access to cellphones.

In the ensuing days, the National Weather Service responded to claims that sweeping cuts hampered its alert system as precious time ticked past, a circumstance experts repeatedly warned would come to pass.

On Aug. 20, parents of the girls who died in the floods addressed the Texas Senate, begging for more stringent safety standards after a tragedy they say was preventable.

Cece Williams Steward's daughter Cile was one of the young girls killed. Steward attended Camp Mystic as a child and called for "commonsense" changes.

Steward said parents' trust in the camp's safety assurances was "betrayed."

"Obvious commonsense safety measures were absent. Protocols that should have been in place were ignored. As a result, my daughter was stolen from us," she said.

"Camps, especially those in areas that are prone to flash floods, should have adequate warning systems and not build cabins in dangerous floodplains. Period," said Clark Baker, whose daughter Mary Grace died in the floods.

Why is this important?

Three days after the floods, CNN noted that extreme weather "is happening more frequently as the world warms and the atmosphere is able to hold more moisture."

The connection between the overheating planet and extreme weather events is well-documented.

Hurricanes, droughts, heat waves, and wildfires have always been a part of weather patterns, but such extremes haven't.

Rising temperatures and warmer seas act as accelerants for these violent events, and Texas meteorologist Travis Herzog explained how those conditions made the Kerrville-area floods stronger and deadlier.

What's being done about it?

As extreme weather intensifies, awareness of critical climate issues is an important safety measure.

In Texas, bereaved parents called on lawmakers to pass Senate Bill 1, legislation drafted to address specific deficiencies in emergency response protocols.

Not long after the flooding, 20 states banded together to sue the federal government, citing cuts to weather agencies and the Federal Emergency Management Agency prior to the tragedy.

Baker provided valuable general advice on handling flash floods when he spoke to lawmakers.

"Have a legitimate evacuation plan, know the plan, practice the plan, train workers and counselors to implement the plan," he recommended.

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